Macon Melody editor Caleb Slinkard holds the first edition of The Melody next to a family “newspaper” he created in junior high.  The Melody is the first new local newspaper launched by the National Trust for Local News. Photo by The Macon Melody. 

"When newspaper veteran Ross McDuffie became the first-ever chief portfolio officer for the National Trust for Local News, the nonprofit organization owned two dozen newspapers in Colorado and generated around $5 million in earned revenue.

"A little more than a year and a half later, the Trust has grown rapidly by nearly every measure. After new rounds of acquisitions and launching its first new local newspaper, the National Trust for Local News currently has:

• 65 newspapers across three states (Colorado, Maine, and Georgia)
• 500 employees, about half of whom are journalists
• 100,000 paying subscribers
• 300,000 copies of a print product distributed per month
• $50 million in earned revenue
• 2.5 million unique monthly visitors

"(In September), McDuffie shared these figures with a full room at the Online News Association’s annual conference. Attendees had gathered to hear when — and how — to revive a legacy brand, or start something new in local news. The Trust has done both." - Sarah Scire

ARTICLE: The National Trust for Local News Keeps Buying Local Newspapers. Here’s What They’ve Learned