The Rebooting Show

Rough Draft Atlanta’s ‘meaningful, not massive’ approach to local

23 snips
Sep 23, 2025
Keith Pepper, the Publisher of Rough Draft Atlanta, shares insights from his journey of transforming local newspapers into a modern digital-first news platform. He emphasizes a 'meaningful, not massive' philosophy, highlighting the importance of balancing hard news with community service journalism. Keith explains how direct mail and print advertising still drive significant revenue, while discussing the challenges of transitioning staff to embrace digital growth. His optimism for sustainable local news shines through as he points to successful regional models and recommends key industry peers.
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ADVICE

Balance Hard News And Service Coverage

  • Balance hard accountability reporting with service journalism to remain useful and commercially viable.
  • Aim to cover city council and service topics while avoiding deep investigative costs your team can't sustain.
ANECDOTE

Buying Papers During The Pandemic

  • Keith bought a cluster of community newspapers in 2020 after friends encouraged him rather than talk him out of it.
  • He woke up in December 2020 and realized he owned a newspaper company during the pandemic.
ADVICE

Make Digital First For Reach

  • Launch daily digital touchpoints (website posts and newsletters) to expand reach beyond monthly print editions.
  • Use those touchpoints to create more ad inventory and regular reader engagement for advertisers.
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