Episode 77 | Kyle Munson

Episode notes

Dan and Ellen talk with Kyle Munson , president of the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation . The foundation was launched in August 2020, during the heart of the pandemic. It was a challenging time for newspapers. As Dan and Ellen wrote in their book, "What Works in Community News," the Storm Lake Times Pilot saw a real collapse in local advertising. Art Cullen , the editor, was worried about survival. The foundation is set up as a nonprofit, so it can receive tax-free donations and philanthropic grants. In turn, it has doled out grants to small papers in western Iowa, including the Carroll Times Herald , La Prensa , and the Times Pilot. These grants were critical because the crisis in local news has hit rural areas hard. Dan has a Quick Take on The Associated Press, which is the principal source of international and national news for local newspapers around the country — and in many cases for state coverage as well. Two major newspaper chains have announced that they are going to use the AP a lot less than they used to , which will result in less money for the AP — and either higher fees, less coverage or both for their remaining clients.