"Local journalism is not dead. It moved to email.
"KaiRenner26th of April 2026
Paid Local News on Substack
Run a paid local journalism newsletter covering one beat in one town. Substack handles payments, delivery, and discovery. Your job is to report, write, and build reader trust over time.
200Paid Subscribers
1Beat
Choose Your Beat
Pick one underserved beat: city council, schools, crime, housing, or local business. Read every public record and attend every meeting before writing your first story.
Grow Your List
Start free. Publish two or three strong free stories then launch a paid tier. Cross-promote with other local newsletters. Guest post in community Facebook groups.
Monetize the Work
Use Substack founding memberships for super-supporters. Add an annual plan at a discount. Offer a local business sponsorship slot once you reach 500 free subscribers.
Launch Checklist
Define your beat and geographic boundary clearly
Set up Substack with a clear name and tagline
Write three free stories before asking anyone to subscribe
Enable paid subscriptions at launch or within 30 days
Add a welcome email explaining your mission
Build a press page listing your credentials and beat
Reach out to five local Facebook group admins for promotion
Consistency matters more than frequency. One deep story per week outperforms three shallow ones in subscriber retention for local news.