Exclusives E&P
It’s always been hard to convince publishers to try a new comic strip, especially when it means killing a feature that some audience segment has loved. This tension has only worsened in recent years, as cost reductions have deepened the risk-averse approach taken by most newspapers with their comics section. Unfortunately, like the newspapers they serve, unions feel the impact of the digital transformation of journalism from printed pages to pixels on a screen. Focusing on its content and the communities it serves is the secret to the success of The Post and Courier, says editor PJ Browning. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was the death knell for many newspapers across the country, including 10 in South Carolina, The Post and Courier spread to other parts of the state. Its family business model has given the newspaper the leeway needed to hire more journalists, produce more content and grow its digital audience. The country’s first abolitionist newspaper, The Emancipator, has been reborn as a digital platform for dismantling racist systems. He is using a three-pronged approach to reach his audience. Editorial content will include articles and videos posted on the website (and sometimes on partner pages, such as the Boston Globe). It takes a “social first” approach, sharing content to encourage conversation, not just linking. And it will involve community workshops and other events.
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