Richland Source publisher Jay Allred was invited to be a featured speaker earlier this week at a national journalism conference in Philadelphia.
The American Society of Newspaper Editors asked Allred to discuss startup news ventures and share the success story of Richland Source, which was chronicled in May by the Columbia Journalism Review. Previously, Nieman Lab and Media Shift also examined the work of Richland Source for their respective national audiences.
“It was flattering and eye-opening to have been invited,” Allred said.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Sybril Brown of Belmont University. Allred was joined on the panel by Sharon Waxman, founder and CEO of The Wrap; Kevin Merida senior vice president and editor-in-chief of ESPN’s The Undefeated; and John Harris, co-founder and publisher of POLITICO.
The Wrap covers the business of entertainment and media. The Undefeated focuses on the intersection of race, sports and culture. POLITICO dives deep into American politics and policy.
Richland Source’s commitment to deep and proportional local news coverage in the markets they serve rounded out the panel, and drew ASNE’s attention.
The diverse panel discussed the startup route, company values, financing, marketing tactics, and hiring philosophies before an audience including more than 100 top news editors from across the country.
“I have to say that I feel a little like the tiny house in a really great neighborhood,” Allred joked.
Despite the national scope of others on the panel, the unique approach that embodies Richland Source’s mission statement triggered the invitation.
“We looked at the media landscape in our area and just felt that the entire story of our community was not being told,” Allred explained to the audience. “The stories that dominated coverage – crime, heroin, meth, rust-belt decline – they’re important and need to be covered; but those stories occupied a disproportionately large percentage of the total news mix.”
“Essentially, we are betting that readers will appreciate and recognize that a balanced and proportional mix of news more accurately reflects the lives they lead on a day-to-day basis. We also believe reporting news in this way is ultimately nourishing to the community itself.”
Waxman, Merida, and Harris recounted how the motivation to start their companies was rooted in a belief that they were filling a very specific gap in their market. In the case of The Undefeated, Merida said he “didn’t want to be that guy who wasn’t brave enough to try something difficult.”
The panelists shared insights with one another and the audience for about an hour before taking questions.
“When you boil it down, the attention we’re getting is directly attributable to our employees and their commitment to the values they helped create,” Allred said. “Their belief in what we’re doing is what has made our relationships with readers, advertisers, and community leaders real and authentic. That’s what counts the most, and that is how we’ll do great things together.”
