The newsroom · est. May 2024

Between commits.

A studio notebook. Essays on editorial systems, engineering field notes, the occasional rant about CSS. Published when there's something worth writing, not on a schedule.

All · 3 Commissioning web work · 14 How we work · 12 Strategy · 7 Audience strategy · 3 Web and product · 3 About the studio · 2 Editorial strategy · 2 Field notes · 2 Sustainability and funding · 2

Audience Strategy · May 15, 2026 · Lead story

Local News Has a Stress Advantage. Are You Using It?

A new study confirms that local news reduces stress in ways national news cannot. Here is how community media outlets can turn that finding into sharper copy, stronger newsletters, and more compelling membership pitches.

By Akel Aguad·May 15, 2026·1 min read

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A new study confirms that local news reduces stress in ways national news cannot. Here is how community media outlets can turn that finding into sharper copy, stronger newsletters, and more compelling membership pitches.

From the lead story

Email Strategy · May 11

Your Newsletter Metrics Are Probably Measuring the Wrong Things

Open rate tells you what happened last Tuesday. It does not tell you whether your newsletter is building a habit. Local newsrooms need to start asking a different question.

By Akel Aguad·1 min

Audience Strategy · May 7

Stress Is a Churn Driver. Your Homepage Might Be Making It Worse.

A new study confirms what community media editors already sense: local news doesn't stress people out the way national news does. The question is whether your digital presence is actually built around that difference.

By Akel Aguad·1 min