The News Nirvana Podcast

Ep. 11: Being a first ain’t all it’s cracked up to be

The Cohort's Alex Sujong Laughlin, joins host Nick Parker to talk about her new project through the Poynter Institute and the need to focus on gender and inclusion in media. 

Ep. 10: On data collection and creating meaningful engagement

Wick Communications' Reilly Kneedler joins host Nick Parker for a conversation on the importance of data collection and how we use it to engage our audiences and create places for meaningful conversation on the news and issues of our communities.

Ep. 9: On storytelling and context

Rob Curry, executive producer of digital at KHQ in Spokane, Wash., joins the show for conversations on newsrooms thinking digital first, shifting to meet changing audience demand and finding the best way to package stories for the communities we cover.

Ep. 8: Creating access & driving change

It's a time to offer real support. A time for change. It is, according to Larry Graham, a time for action. In his 25-year career in the news business, Graham has worked in newsrooms and industry associations across the country. In 2021, he launched the Diversity Pledge Institute to help news organizations increase diversity in their businesses as well as provide needed support for the under-represented workers.

Ep 7: Delivering news for the people, not their mailboxes

Daniel Williams has spent his entire career working to build and retain news audiences. The game, he says, has changed and the focus now needs to be on the news consumer and creating sustainable relationships not only with them, but also between the reader and our organizations' business partners and advertisers. The co-founder of BlueLena sits down with Host Nick Parker for a conversation on audience building and retention.

Ep. 6: Old school community journalism leads to new success

Walk your beat. Cultivate your sources. Know the community you cover and the people you serve. For Bob Jacob, editor of the Cleveland Jewish News and Columbus Jewish News, these old school rules for journalists are the key for his papers' growth and success in these key Ohio markets.

Ep. 5: All for the love of journalism

Mike Blinder, from Editor & Publisher, joins host Nick Parker to talk about the state of the news industry and his passion for the work news organizations do across the country. There is a need, he says, to remind newspapers and broadcasters to celebrate the work they’re doing and the roles they play in the communities they serve.

Ep. 4: Blue turf, relationships & storytelling

Recorded prior to the start of the 2021 NCAA football season, B.J. Rains (Boise State beat writer for the Idaho Press) joined host Nick Parker for a conversation on sports writing. B.J. talks about the infamous blue turf of Boise State, what it was like covering college football in empty stadiums during the 2020 season and how he's had to shift the way he not only covers sports, but builds relationships when he's not always able to cover his beat "in person." (Note: we had some technical issues with this recording and apologize for the host's low audio.)

Ep. 3: Rekindling the fire of community news

Anika Anand, deputy director of LION Publishers, joins the show to talk about her organizations efforts to support growth of the hyper-local and independently-owned news organizations across America.

Ep. 2: Regrowth of a major metro and protecting journalism in America

Just months after his paper covered the social unrest of 2020, Seattle Times President Alan Fisco joins host Nick Parker to talk about the direction and state of his paper and what it could mean for other major metros. In the second half, Alan puts on his other hat, that of president of America's Newspapers, and talks of the latest efforts to encourage new legislation aimed to protect the fourth estate.