Small Press, Big Ideas

Using AI to eliminate the grunt work

Peter Stuart spent 20 years in journalism before quitting his editorial role at in late 2025 to build an AI-powered publishing platform called Velora. In this conversation, he walks through what that platform actually does: a news discovery engine that monitors hundreds of sources across multiple languages, an AI co-writing tool that challenges and strengthens copy, automated CMS population, social image generation, and a verification layer that can block publication until flagged errors are resolved. The conversation gets into the editorial philosophy behind it all. Peter argues that the real value of AI in a newsroom isn't replacing judgment but eliminating the repetitive work that crowds it out. Links: Velora https://velora.build/ [https://velora.build/] Peter Stuart contact info: email peter@velora.build [peter@velora.build] LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterstuartcreative/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterstuartcreative/] --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠ [https:/localpod.co/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The indie rock station model for local media

Lorne London has been publishing in Toronto since 1989, starting with an eight page community newspaper in his unheated basement. Today his company reaches 200,000 print readers a month and 1.4 million social media followers, while every competitor he once had in the city has folded. In this conversation, Lorne breaks down the mindset that has kept him standing: stop chasing home runs and hit singles instead. He talks about building an Instagram presence that operates like an indie rock station, why he refuses to cover negative news, and how he grew a massive audience without paying the algorithm. He also shares what he calls "revenue agnosticism" and why local publishers struggling for survival need to fight the battle where they are strongest, not where their competitors are. Links: Streets of Toronto https://streetsoftoronto.com/ [https://streetsoftoronto.com/] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetsoftoronto [https://www.instagram.com/streetsoftoronto] --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co [https:/localpod.co/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe [%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Building local news from scratch in Baltimore

T.J. Ortenzi is the Deputy Managing Editor of Audience and Digital at the Baltimore Banner. T.J. spent 11 years at the Washington Post before joining the Banner specifically because it would let him cover the city where he actually lives. In this conversation, T.J. breaks down how the Banner has built audience through social video, including a now legendary Big Short inspired video that drove real subscription starts. He also gets into how the newsroom thinks about moving followers to owned channels, the role of their social anchors, and an interesting AI grant project with the Lenfest Institute. Links: The Baltimore Banner https://www.thebanner.com/ [https://www.thebanner.com/] T.J. Ortenzi https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjortenzi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjortenzi/] --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://localpod.co/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Launching a nonprofit newsroom in Austin

Melissa Barragán Taboada spent nearly three decades in legacy journalism, including more than 20 years covering Austin and a stint at the Boston Globe, before making the leap into nonprofit local news. She's now editor in chief of the Austin Current, a nonprofit newsroom launched under the Texas Tribune umbrella focused on education, local government, and growth and development in one of the fastest changing cities in the country. Links: Melissa Barragán Taboada - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabtaboada/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabtaboada/] Austin Current https://austincurrent.org/ [https://austincurrent.org/] --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://localpod.co/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How a skeptic became his company's AI strategist

Eli Wohlenhaus, Director of Digital and AI News Strategy at Adams Multimedia, started out skeptical of AI in the newsroom. Now he leads training sessions across a network of local newspapers in 20 states, helping editors figure out where these tools actually fit into their day-to-day work. In this conversation, Eli gets specific about what AI integration looks like inside a real local news operation: running police logs through LLMs, using Claude for brainstorming when juggling multiple publications, and experimenting with AI-assisted podcasts and video products. Links: Eli Wohlenhaus - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-wohlenhaus-274212a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-wohlenhaus-274212a4/] Adams MultiMedia https://adamsmultimedia.com/ [https://adamsmultimedia.com/] https://adamsmultimedia.com/ DC Military https://www.dcmilitary.com/ [https://www.dcmilitary.com/] --- This podcast is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the audio platform built for local media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LocalPod.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://localpod.co/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Subscribe to the Local News Industry Pulse newsletter to receive a weekly briefing of news, policy, trends, and more in the local news industry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://localnewsindustrypulse.beehiiv.com/subscribe] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]