SACRAMENTO, Calif.,
July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/
-- McClatchy (NYSE AMERICAN: MNI) announced today the
selection of Youngstown, Ohio, as
the launch city for The Compass Experiment — an initiative in
association with Google to develop essential and sustainable local
digital news models.
"When we heard that Youngstown's daily newspaper, The Vindicator,
would be closing, we saw an opportunity to help a community with a
rich heritage and distinct identity find a path forward for local
news," said Mandy Jenkins, general
manager of The Compass Experiment. "We are on the ground now
working with people in the community to set up a digital news
outlet that will launch in the fall."
Jenkins is recruiting a team in Youngstown to staff the startup and is hoping
to collaborate with local, regional and national news outlets that
have committed to help Youngstown
in the wake of the anticipated closing of The Vindy. Jenkins
describes the effort in a blog published today on The Compass
Experiment Medium page and Google's The Keyword blog.
Over the next several months, McClatchy will select two more
communities where The Compass Experiment will launch digital-only
local news operations on multiple digital platforms. It will test
different models and share what works with the industry to scale
successful approaches.
"There has been much impassioned commentary about the closure of
The Vindy after 150 years and we are pleased to play our part
alongside McClatchy in helping local journalism develop new
approaches for the future," said Richard
Gingras, VP of News at Google. "Through the Google
News Initiative's Local Experiments Project we want to explore
evolving business models in local news that can benefit not only
the people of Youngstown, but
communities across the country."
"We are honored to serve the Youngstown community, a significant American
city in transition for the 21st century," said Craig Forman, President and CEO of McClatchy.
"Local journalism is essential and strengthens communities in many
vital ways and with more than 160 years of experience delivering
reliable and independent local news, McClatchy is eager to find a
sustainable model for local news in Youngstown." He added, "We're grateful to have
the partnership of the Google News Initiative in this effort and we
hope the news startup we build in Youngstown will serve as a model to help other
communities in need of a strong local news and information
provider."
McClatchy has full editorial control and ownership of the news
outlets launched as part of The Compass Experiment. Stay in touch
with The Compass Experiment by signing up for email updates. And to
keep abreast of developments in Youngstown, sign up for emails here.
About McClatchy
McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each
of its communities with strong independent local journalism in the
public interest and advertising services in a wide array of digital
and print formats. McClatchy publishes iconic local brands
including the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento
Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram. McClatchy is headquartered in
Sacramento, Calif., and listed on
the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI.
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SOURCE McClatchy Company