:QUOTE [quotetype:personal]
Local journalism is not dead. It moved to email.


:INFO
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.


:COUNTER.half
200 Paid Subscribers
|
:COUNTER.half
1 Beat

:PATH
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.

:PATH
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.

:PATH
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.

:CHECKLIST
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

:NOTE
Consistency matters more than frequency. One deep story per week outperforms three shallow ones in subscriber retention for local news.