Local news without politics, crime, or chaos? Meet the startup making it happen.
In this episode of The Media Copilot, host Pete Pachal talks with Ryan Heafy, co-founder of 6AM City, about how his team is flipping the script on community journalism—using AI to scale responsibly while keeping human editorial judgment at the center.
Discover how they’ve expanded from a few test cities to 410+ local markets with a “Seed-to-Profit” model, how their anti-scraping strategy builds trust from the ground up, and why they just acquired controversial AI startup Good Daily—not for the headlines, but for the infrastructure.
Whether you're in media, tech, marketing, or just want smarter news in your inbox, this one's for you.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- How 6AM City uses AI to launch, test, and scale new markets
- Why newsletters are the future of local media—and why most will fail
- How 6AM avoids outrage bait and click-driven news
- What they really got from acquiring Good Daily
- How to build content that survives Gmail filters, TikTok scrolls, and voice assistants
- Why their inbox model might outlast traditional journalism
👥 GUEST:
Ryan Heafy — Co-Founder & Chief Local Officer, 6AM City
🔗 LinkedIn | 🌐 6amcity.com
📩 Enjoyed this episode?
Subscribe to The Media Copilot on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app. On YouTube? Tap the Like button and Subscribe to the channel 🔔
For more AI tools and resources built for media professionals, visit MediaCopilot.ai.
🎧 Produced by Pete Pachal and Executive Producer Michele Musso
🎬 Edited by the Musso Media Team
© 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.
🎵 Music: “Favorite” by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under CC BY 4.0
© AnyWho Media 2025
