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ABSTRACT
Local news outlets perform their operations in a complex digital media ecosystem that pressures them to acclimatize to market demands and introduce strategies to attract readers and advertisers. With a limited amount of resources in a highly competitive market, they have been experimenting with diverse “game plans” to bring traffic to their websites. That includes an aspiration to stand out in an overcrowded market and deliver content that makes them noticeably distinctive. Acknowledging challenges that media organizations face in a contemporary news ecology, this study utilized in-depth interviews with representatives of 10 local digital media in the United States to understand practices in establishing a niche and selecting content to attract users and achieve sustainability. Data suggest that local news outlets that are striving to keep their news operations going have established a niche within the niche. They have done so by focusing on producing original content, which is among the main drivers of reader engagement, subscriptions, and donations to websites. Furthermore, local organizations are open to content produced by volunteers and journalism students due to the small staff they have at their disposal.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).