The Chuck ToddCast
Interview Only w/ John Adams - Bringing Local News Back From The Brink
11 Mar 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the importance of local news and Local News Day?
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Chapter 2: Why has the local news crisis been ongoing for years?
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Chapter 3: What is the origin story of the Montana Free Press?
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Chapter 4: How has the economics of local news changed over time?
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Chapter 5: What role does local journalism play in combating misinformation?
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I've dropped some hints about it earlier on earlier podcasts, but I am a participant. I'm on a steering committee. I am here at Rabble Rouser, whatever you want to call me, to promote Local News Day. And the idea of Local News Day, which is April 9th, is essentially it's an awareness day.
You know, similar to the whole premise of Earth Day way back when it first started in the early 70s, which is, you know, take a day to think about, you know, your your role in the environment and things like that.
Chapter 6: How does a lack of local news affect community trust?
Well, with local news day, this is like our information ecosystem. You've heard me talk about it. Why am I even here as an independent operator these days? Right. The information ecosystem has fragmented. in a huge way. The revenue streams for news organizations have dramatically shrunk and changed. As I often joke, a man named Craig decided classifieds ought to be free, yada, yada, yada.
We ended up with suddenly no local news organizations in half the country. But the
Chapter 7: How can local news support local businesses?
But as much as that seems like there's been bad news, there's been an incredible, right? I always say politics abhors a vacuum.
Chapter 8: What are the goals and impacts of Local News Day?
Well, the information ecosystem abhors a vacuum. Where people live, people want to know what the hell's going on. As I always say, look at, you know, look at social media. How do you know that we all like local news because we think whatever's happening around us is important enough to share with the world? Well, hey, that's local news.
Well, that's the purpose of Local News Day and April 9th, get people more aware. Of people working in their own communities already trying to rebuild what was an important part of, frankly, civic life for so many Americans over the last 200 years.
If you want to go and read Democracy in America by de Tocqueville, one of the things that he will he remarked upon when he toured America to try to understand what made this democracy work. He was incredibly blown away by how engaged Americans were locally. Well, that was thanks to what was an incredible local media that we had in the 19th century.
Well, we're all trying to rebuild the information ecosystem, and we know trust is built from the bottom up. Well, somebody had to come up with the idea of doing this. And that's who my next guest is. It's the founder and editor of the Montana Free Press. It's John Adams. And those of us that cover the issue of campaign finance. I was involved in the Meet the Press Film Festival back in the day.
And one of the films we featured had a starring role for John Adams. And it's how I first got to know him. So, John Adams, welcome to the podcast.
Hey, thanks so much, Chuck. And thanks for being a part of this effort. And thanks for having me on the show.
Well, let me start with... Look, I put it in my words. How'd I do? Fill in the gaps. Tell me... Um, tell me what, uh, tell me what your elevator pitch is when you tell people about local news day on April 9th. Mark your calendar.
Yeah. Yeah. Uh, well, my hope Chuck is that one of these days I can get you to, you know, say if it's April 9th, it's local news day.
There it is. I love it. If it's April 9th, it's local news day. Absolutely. Um, but in all seriousness, I mean, it is, it is, uh, I know what you expressed. It was sort of when I think we last saw each other at the Texas Tribune Festival. And it's all about how can we take what is ā there are a ton of incredible entrepreneurs around the country.
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