Shownotes
Looking Forward Our Way
98 Signal Ohio is Bridging News Deserts and Fueling Civic Empowerment
In this episode of "Looking Forward Our Way," hosts Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson welcome Rita McNeil Danish, the CEO of Signal Ohio, to discuss the transformative impact of nonprofit journalism in Ohio communities.
With a focus on promoting civic engagement, fostering community involvement, and addressing news deserts, this insightful conversation sheds light on the critical role of nonprofit news organizations in reinvigorating local journalism and connecting with diverse audiences. Here's a comprehensive overview of the episode:
Fostering Civic Engagement and Accountability
The episode begins with an exploration of the growing trust in media and its positive influence on civic engagement. The hosts and Rita delve into the impact of media presence on the behavior of politicians and the challenges associated with educating the electorate about government and journalism. Rita emphasizes the importance of involving and educating young people in journalism through internships and fellowships to address this challenge effectively.
Sustainability and Revenue Models
Rita provides valuable insights into Signal Ohio's mission to target underserved communities and create an ecosystem of accessible, impactful news without a paywall. The organization's commitment to diversifying revenue streams is highlighted, reflecting its focus on achieving long-term sustainability through innovative strategies such as member sales, ads, and philanthropic giving.
Impact Beyond Journalism
The discussion further emphasizes the broader impact of nonprofit news on community and civic engagement, steering away from dictating opinions and instead providing thoughtful explainers for complex issues. Rita sheds light on Signal Ohio's current focus on local issues and their aspirations to develop a statehouse newsroom in the future, underlining their dedication to addressing major election issues, gerrymandering, and providing voters with crucial information on local ballot issues and judicial races.
Expanding Influence in Ohio
Rita shares the dynamic approach of Signal Ohio in reaching diverse audiences and delivering news through multiple mediums, including websites, public forums, SMS news delivery, and audio news technology. The episode delves into the organization's plans for expanding into new areas, including the launch of Signal Cleveland and the upcoming launch of Signal Akron, with future intentions to expand into additional parts of Ohio.
Empowered Community Engagement
Central to the conversation is the organization's commitment to empowering and informing the community through various mediums, reflecting their efforts to capture the pulse of different regions and capitalize on word-of-mouth, documenters, public forums, videos, and social media to raise awareness.
Challenges and Triumphs in Nonprofit Journalism
The challenges facing local journalism, economic struggles, and changing news consumption patterns are highlighted, followed by a detailed exploration of the transformative impact of Signal Ohio's newsrooms and dedicated reporters spearheading community-based journalism. Their utilization of documenters, everyday citizens trained by the City Bureau, serves as a powerful example of how nonprofit news organizations can enhance government transparency, accountability, and community understanding.
Inspiring Words of Wisdom from Rita McNeil Danish
Rita concludes the episode by sharing her inspiring perspective on the vital role of nonprofit journalism in contributing to positive change. She emphasizes the importance of seeking truth, contributing to the community, and embracing the opportunity to make a difference.
Takeaways
1. Nonprofit news organizations like Signal Ohio are vital for addressing news deserts and revitalizing civic engagement by delivering local news in diverse and accessible ways.
2. The funding model of nonprofit news organizations initially relies heavily on philanthropy, gradually transitioning to major donors, membership subscribers, ad sales, and diversified revenue streams for sustainability.
3. Community involvement and understanding are crucial for successful journalism, with nonprofit newsrooms using various formats and engagement efforts such as public forums, library hours, comics, and documenters for robust local news coverage.
4. Documenters, everyday citizens trained to cover government meetings, play a key role in enhancing government transparency, accountability, and community engagement.
5. Journalists in nonprofit newsrooms focus on community-based journalism, prioritizing beats like education, health, public safety, and government accountability driven by community needs.
6. Nonprofit news organizations emphasize the need for diverse revenue streams, including member sales, ads, and philanthropic giving, to achieve sustainability beyond the initial phase of funding.
7. The decline of community involvement and accessibility to local news in certain regions highlights the impact of diminished local journalism on civic engagement and the need for revitalization efforts.
8. Nonprofit news organizations aim to educate and involve young people in journalism and media through internships, fellowships, and innovative storytelling methods, fostering future civic engagement.
9. The impact of nonprofit news extends beyond journalism, targeting community and civic engagement and emphasizing the importance of providing objective information to help voters make informed decisions.
10. Differentiating from traditional news outlets, nonprofit news organizations like Signal Ohio prioritize delivering news in formats accessible to various communities, including through technology, public forums, and SMS news delivery, to bridge news deserts and engage diverse audiences.
Memorable Moments
00:00 Grew up valuing community, now a lawyer.
03:25 Passionate about local government and civic engagement.
08:12 AJP and Cleveland Foundation study news deserts.
11:35 Signal Cleveland delivers news in accessible ways.
16:28 Government accountability, community, business, health series coverage.
19:03 Community journalism uncovers misused casino revenue.
22:22 College journalism students prefer social media over-reporting.
24:40 NPR's outreach to underserved, distrusting audiences.
27:54 The News model relies on philanthropy and donors.
32:18 Cleveland community focused on the arts and police oversight.
33:25 Requesting feedback on tracking data and content.
38:23 Akron aims to serve Summit County citizens.
42:18 Using public forums and documentaries to raise awareness.
45:20 Raising funds and forming diverse committees.
47:43 Diversify revenue streams with ads, memberships, and giving.
49:46 Diverse revenue streams are vital for impact.
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Recorded in Studio C at 511 Studios. A production of Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.
Copyright 2024 Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson
Transcripts
We are Looking Forward our Way from Studio c in the 511 Studios. That's in the Brewery District to south of downtown columbus, Ohio. Hi. This is Brett. And as alWays with me, carol.
Carol Ventresca [:Hey, Brett. How's it going? Alright.
Brett Johnson [:You know, what's happening with local journalism is, like, peeling back layers on an onion. There's a lot going on. The once lively scene of community news is now fading aWay, And it's not just one thing causing it. We're talking about economic challenges, the march of technology, and the Way people consume nowadays, The the news all all playing a part in this slow unraveling. This decline isn't just hurting newspapers and news channels. It's messing with the heart of our communities as well. Imagine the watchdogs of local issues having a hard time doing their job. That's what's going on.
Brett Johnson [:That's what's happening. The traditional role of keeping an eye on what matters to us is facing roadblocks. But there is a new initiative that is filling the void, Signal, Ohio. And with us for this episode is Rita McNeil, Danish. Oh my god. Did I say that right? No.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Well, here's what I say, and I probably shouldn't say this.
Brett Johnson [:Okay. Let's do that. So so we'll we'll start we'll start there. Okay. But there is a new initiative that's filling the void, Signal Ohio. And with us for this episode is Rita McNeil Danesh, the chief executive officer of Signal Ohio. For joining us, Rita.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Thank you, Brett. It's a pleasure to be here. Hello, carol.
Carol Ventresca [:How are you? Thank you so much for coming in.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Thank you for having me.
Carol Ventresca [:This is this is a great opportunity. And, This is a topic that Brett and I talk about a lot. We've brought other media folks in, and we really know how necessary It is for our communities to have that watchdog Looking out for our welfare. And so we really appreciate not only you coming in, but the work you're doing. So thank you.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Well, thank you.
Carol Ventresca [:Before we get to the who, what, when, where, and why Of Signal, Ohio. Tell us a little bit about your background. I find it really interesting that your background's not in journalism.
Rita McNeil Danish [:It is not. And I actually usually start there because most people are so fascinated with the fact that I am not a journalist. I call myself a recovering attorney. So I have practiced law for over I usually say the true number, but, you know, the older you get, you kinda reduce the number. So we're just gonna go with over 25 Years, I've been practicing law, and I never majored in journalism. I actually majored in marketing, if you can imagine that. I am born and raised in chicago, Illinois on the south side, the daughter of e Duke McNeil and Maurice McNeil. And that matters because That's part of the reason why I took this job.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So I grew up in a time in chicago on the south side where community mattered, and everything was about community engagement. And it was important that we were part of the solution and not the problem. It was very much an active civil rights time. My father was a civil rights lawyer and a criminal defense attorney And my mother, an educator. And so I grew up with, the vision of doing greater good, of making a difference in your community and that impact. So fast Forward to where we are today. And I practice law for, as I say, over 25 years doing a variety of public and private sector. A lot of my practice, though, was as a city attorney.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So I did local government, And that was where I learned all things local mattered. So I was the city attorney for Dayton, Ohio. I was the city solicitor, which is also city attorney for cincinnati, Ohio. And I was also the city attorney in Greensboro, North carolina. And so I had a specific passion for local government. You combine that with my community engagement growing up on the south side of chicago, and here I am getting a message on LinkedIn that says, I know this isn't your lane, but would you be interested in this role? And I remember anybody who's told me to Herbie told this story. I said, Maybe. Because it was the combination of what I say civic engagement meets journalism.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And in today's time, in this climate, We needed to move the needle and change where we were, and journalism is a key part of that. But the second part of it is that community and civic engagement. And so I did a variety of roles in my practice of law. My last job was a partner at Taft, Stettinius and Hollister, where I worked in both the columbus office and chicago offices. But here I am, 11 months into this job as cEO of Signal Ohio. I I
Brett Johnson [:can't believe that you you came from North carolina back up here.
Rita McNeil Danish [:We you
Brett Johnson [:know, we I'm hearing this geography going, North carolina back here. What what's what's with you?
Rita McNeil Danish [:You know what? That's another story for another day. Okay. That's all I'm gonna say to sure it happened. It's a story.
Carol Ventresca [:Yes. Brett Brett and I were just talking about gloomy columbus a little bit ago.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And so Like, wow.
Brett Johnson [:Oh, okay.
Rita McNeil Danish [:That's good. That's alright.
Carol Ventresca [:You know, Rita, going back to that notion of that you said all things matter, local matter
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:Which is Huge. But also that whole idea of civic engagement. We've read a lot about Southside chicago and civic engagement. My degrees are in sociology. Sociology started with Whole House,
Rita McNeil Danish [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:Which was out of chicago, the first of the settlement homes. And we at in columbus had a wonderful Network of settlement homes here, and then suddenly, 1 by 1, they were falling aWay.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:That that notion of civic engagement is Huge, but we're we're losing it. And it and when people are involved in civic engagement, The the geography is very small.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:The issues are very large.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:And so there's not really, like, a concerted effort across town To make it work. It it's hard to do it when you've got a little tiny bit of geography, but your issues are huge that can't be taken care of in that little geography.
Rita McNeil Danish [:correct. I think that we have to realize that, the news itself is what has discouraged civic engagement. Sure. Because what you've had is people decide to opt out. And so they no longer wanna listen to the news. They long no longer wanna see the news, And they no longer have a Way or a vision to be part of the solution. So all they see is a problem, and that problem Freezes them. And so they just kinda check out and say, if I can't fix this, I can't fix Dc, then what am I doing? How many people, especially our young folks, are saying, I don't vote because it's not gonna make a difference? So that's where civic engagement comes in.
Rita McNeil Danish [:If we can get people to receive good news and information and be fully informed to make good solid decisions, then they decide then they want to reengage. If they can trust the media, then they will reengage, and then you will then have a result that people say, I can be part of the solution. Right. I can make a difference in my community. And regardless of what side you're on, I think that issue 1 was a classic example of it in practice. Yeah. It was where people galvanized And not so much about the political issues. I think in November, it was more about the political issues.
Rita McNeil Danish [:But in August, it was about democracy. Exactly. And it was about what are you doing to my right to do something, or are you taking something aWay from me civic?
Carol Ventresca [:I I have to say, just having talking to my younger relatives and their friends. I'm really proud of the fact they stood up and they all voted.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:I was almost afraid to ask them, like, did you
Rita McNeil Danish [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:And they did.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:And they were talking to their friends about the issues and really trying to get the the points across. So It's possible.
Rita McNeil Danish [:It is. It's it makes you believe. It makes you believe. And if you can believe, then you can see it.
Carol Ventresca [:Right.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And then if you see it, you can achieve it. So I think of it that Way. Once you get more people believing that it's doable and it's possible, then they say, I wanna be part of it too.
Brett Johnson [:Right. Right. Yeah. So I was lucky enough to be in the audience during your recent q and a session at The columbus Foundation. It was an incredible luncheon. Everybody was glued listening and engaged. And if there was any talking, it was murmuring about what was being said. It's like, yeah.
Brett Johnson [:I agree
Carol Ventresca [:with that.
Brett Johnson [:You know, that kind of stuff. So I knew right then and there we had to have you on the podcast. So would you give us some background on how Signal Ohio began and why? Absolutely.
Rita McNeil Danish [: So in: Rita McNeil Danish [:And so there were a lot of conversations about that, and then there was a reality that there was a problem that needed to be fixed. And as a result, they started to fundraise in Northeast Ohio to see if they could create what is now today Signal Ohio. We are different, however, than the Way it used to be, which is we are a network of newsrooms. So there are a number of nonprofit entities, But the struggle is real for them as it is for our legacy media. And so one of the things that AJP and the cleveland Foundation also found out was that journalists who were trying to do the business at the same time. It was challenging. So they created what we now call a network. And the network is I have an entire business team.
Rita McNeil Danish [:I have development team, finance folks, HR, ops, myself, and we run the business for all the newsrooms. And then we will have newsrooms throughout the state of Ohio. So we launched Signal cleveland almost exactly A year ago in November. We are launching Signal Akron next Tuesday on December 5th.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And then we will be making our Way across the state, columbus and cincinnati. But we also know that we need to do something in the statehouse, and then we know we need to pay attention to Appalachia and our rural communities. Because we realized even if you touch the urban cores, you're not gonna, make a difference if you don't get out into your rural areas where there actually is no news at all. And so, that's how it all evolved. They did the research. They decided that there was a need. They raised the dollars, and then we launched Signal cleveland. Now we're launching Signal Akron.
Brett Johnson [:Does that research show a different reception of news, depending on where you lived, how to deliver that news to that person? Like you mentioned, the Appalachia, Ohio area, do they get their news differently or want their news differently than we do in an urban setting?
Rita McNeil Danish [:So I wouldn't I wouldn't say that it is different based upon rural versus urban, but I might say it's generally generationally different Okay. If you will. But I will say that the reason we do community based journalism newsrooms, if you will, is because it's focused on the community. So the example I give Is cleveland, Northeast Ohio has an illiteracy issue.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm. And
Rita McNeil Danish [:so as a result, we can provide you with the news, but if you can't read it, you're not receiving it. Right. So one of the things that we do in Signal cleveland on the website is you can go to the website and have a story read to you instead of you having to read the Story. Because we're trying to deliver the news to you in a Way that you can receive it. We also have public forums. We have forums. We go to a community, sit Ent entity or we actually go to a church and we have community meetings where people can come out and get information so that they don't have to read it, but they're receiving the same information the key issues that are important to our community. And so we're doing a number of things to make sure that we're delivering the news in a Way that people will receive it.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And, of course, we're doing SMS. We did a a project a test project in central community in cleveland. We are expanding that because for all of us, we alWays have our phone in our hand, And we're alWays getting the alerts. And so we know we need to receive and send that news by SMS so that all people are receiving it as well.
Carol Ventresca [:So I understand correctly. When you're saying that you're creating a news team Yes. That's not an established group that's already exists Through another media. This is under Signal Ohio.
Rita McNeil Danish [:This is all under Signal Ohio. So, Signal cleveland has nineteen In its newsroom. We have 3 man we have an editor in chief and 2 managing editors, and then we have a staff of reporters.
Carol Ventresca [:That's a big group.
Rita McNeil Danish [:That is a big group. It's back to the days of it's a real newsroom Right. With beats. We have beats like education, health, public safety, government accountability. In Akron, we have arts and business. So we have real beats and reporters assigned to those beats. In Akron, we have a smaller group. We will have 11 in that newsroom.
Carol Ventresca [:Still all good. Good good size.
Rita McNeil Danish [:As compared to some of our media today, that's actually very large. Right. And so we actually Go through the process of hiring an editor in chief, hiring the managing editors, and hiring reporters. And we we recruit them, we hire them, and they become part of the signal team.
Carol Ventresca [:I I love this idea that your news people do not have to worry about the work part of the organization because there are Writers that we've seen through our local papers here who, you know, started out as great writers, and They're really digging into stories and every and then suddenly they have more responsibility and more responsibility, and it becomes less and less of their writing and more and more of their, what they can do to get more sales and get more subscriptions and that kind of thing, and you you're losing that Vital talent.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Absolutely. And you're losing sight because you're caught up in the business while you're trying to do the business, if you will. And so they the reality is our system is set up so that my team worries about all the business aspects, and all the newsrooms have to do is the news. Mhmm. And it's I'm often reminding my editors in chief say, I want you to focus on the news. We I have a chief audience officer. Her responsibility is to focus on the numbers and the data and who are we reaching, who aren't we reaching, and how do we reach more people So that the newsroom doesn't have to worry about that except from a perspective is we are community based journalism, so we wanna make sure we're delivering the news that community wants here. Right.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And so instead of the top down, we tell you what's important. We are driven by what the community says is important.
Carol Ventresca [:Mhmm. Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:I was gonna say the content should take care of it then. Yes. It it It takes care of itself. In a perfect world. Yes. Yes. Exactly. Yes.
Carol Ventresca [:Okay. So so we've discussed this notion of You having a newsroom in every major city. Yes. cleveland, Akron, columbus, hopefully, cincinnati are not too far behind. Tell us the makeup of those newsrooms.
Rita McNeil Danish [:You mean geographic? I mean,
Carol Ventresca [:That how it's structured. How what it what's going on in the newsroom, and how are those folks doing their work?
Rita McNeil Danish [:Okay. So, as I shared with you, there's an editor in chief, and then there's 2 managing editors. One of the managing editors is the community journalism director, And he is responsible for our documenters program. And then we have reporters who are assigned to beats or responsibility. So for example, In cleveland, we have 2 education reporters. One's k through 12, and one's higher ed. Because as you know, in the Northeast Ohio region, there are a number of universities, even And some city colleges, but there's a number of educational, institutions there. Then we have the health.
Rita McNeil Danish [:We have the government accountability, the person who's assigned to city hall. And then we have, we try to cover a little bit of community slash business, and they don't alWays like that. You have things like entrepreneurial, things that you wanna cover. We have a we've done health series where some people call that, health, some people call it public safety, but we did a lead series, around lead poisoning in housing. And so Each reporter is assigned a beat or an area of responsibility, and sometimes there's a little overlap. And then the editors have assignments as they relate To the particular reporters, we try to separate out our community engagement, that community based journalism from that, what we kinda call big j journalism, so that we make sure that we're capturing all of it. We're capturing news, but we're also capturing those things that are important to our communities.
Brett Johnson [:And and and you brought up too during this session, which I was I'd I'd loved, which you call documenters. Yes. And and you mentioned just reference that a little bit here. Talk about these documentaries. I mean, I almost I'd look at that as a grassroots and then another level of grassroots. I love this idea.
Rita McNeil Danish [:I love the documentaries. And so the documenters is a program that was designed by city bureau, which is out of chicago. Okay. And, we have incorporated documenters as Part of each of our newsrooms. And so documentaries are everyday citizens, everyday people who are paid to cover government meetings. And they go through a training, and then they are given a form, and then they will give us get assignment to go to a particular government meeting. So whether it's a city council meeting, Whether it's a county commission meeting, whether it's a school board meeting, or even a zoning board meeting, you now have that coverage. And so I say to a lot People I remember my days as a city attorney.
Rita McNeil Danish [:You would see reporters there all the time. I would talk to reporters all the time. Nowadays, you don't see anybody. And so what you have now is those documenters creating that government accountability, reporting out what's going on at the time. They actually do tweeting from the meetings, and then they document, if you will, what goes on, and then they'd take that to their editor. And then the editor either decides whether it's a story they'll place on the website, Or, alternatively, is it a story that a reporter wants to track down even further? So for example, in cleveland, the documentaries were attending a city council meeting in cleveland. And they kept seeing this agenda item around casino revenue. And if you all remember when the casino was established, They talked about where the money would go.
Rita McNeil Danish [:It'd go to schools, and it would go to community revitalization. And they kept following these entries about casino revenue. And so they started to dig in, and they took it to the community journalism director, the managing editor of their hands with that. And he said, I think we have a story here. And they assigned it to a reporter, and they started digging into the records and digging into those entries that were on the agenda. Well, it turned out, I'm not gonna say that the money wasn't going where it was supposed to be going, but what I am happy to say is the money has now been redirected to the community revitalization. And that was a combination of the documentaries noticed it on the agenda and took it to the reporter, and then it became a full fledged story. And so the documenters are amazing people who just come from the community, who are paid, and paid pretty decently, like, 16 to $18 an hour To attend these meetings and document what occurs.
Rita McNeil Danish [:What I say though is it is a gift that keeps on giving. Because not only do you have these meetings being covered And being documented and shared. You also have individuals who otherwise would not have engaged in this system now caring about what goes on in the government. Mhmm. And probably prior to this time, they didn't know it. They didn't understand it, and were probably intimidated by it. And now imagine, they understand what's emergency. What's a resolution? What's an ordinance? But even more than that, they are sharing that with their friends and family.
Rita McNeil Danish [:They are beginning to trust media. They are beginning to trust the news, and they know what good news is. And as they share that with their friends and family, we then get that reengagement. We then get that civic engagement. And then you have people who are no longer intimidated or checked out from the system who wanna then reengage.
Carol Ventresca [:You know, you when when you think about it, the hardest Thing that we are dealing with right now is not just the people don't vote, but we don't have an educated electorate.
Rita McNeil Danish [:correct.
Carol Ventresca [:And talk about an a great opportunity Actually learn how government works because it's complicated.
Rita McNeil Danish [:It is complicated. It is very complicated. Even for a lawyer, I remember when I first started in local government. It is not easy to understand. So imagine all of a sudden that people are being elevated to a level of understanding, and they're no longer threatened by the process. And so they're all in. I just love it. Oh, absolutely.
Brett Johnson [:Well, and talk about bringing another level of accountability that just because you have A media representative in the meeting, it it sets a
Rita McNeil Danish [:different tone. What we all say what do we say? Politicians behave better When other piece of people are watching.
Carol Ventresca [:Oh, yes. Hi.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Oh, yes. So so imagine so imagine that. So it's amazing. And so we you know, think about columbus, Whether it's Hilltop or Linden, we could then be employing individuals, getting them engaged, and making them part of our solution.
Brett Johnson [:Well, I mean, in going to that, the dispatch had this has been a couple years ago, I guess. You know, they're really local community. They they were they embedded themselves for, like, 2 or 3 weeks, and the local community loved it. Mhmm. But I I was Looking at going, this isn't gonna last forever. Right. So they have reporters at the local library for 2 to 3 It's really focusing on it's like, take advantage of what you can because it didn't get that was kind of the forefront before they lost their weekly newspapers. Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:Or right after is about that turn. And, again, this is not poking bad at the dispatch, but it but it's the reality of great. You you you're embedding a a a reporter there for 3 weeks. Big deal. Honestly, big deal.
Carol Ventresca [:But also, I've talked to folks who are in higher ed teaching journalism students. Mhmm. And and I I can't remember off the top of my head who it was, but it was a a former, adjunct faculty in one of the journalism schools. And The problem is is students don't wanna be journalists. They may be getting a degree, but they wanna do social media. And they don't understand what it is to actually be a journalist Looking at an issue, finding out all the details, Looking at the pros and cons, talking to people. They they they just wanna tweet something. Literally just tweet it.
Carol Ventresca [:And a a a comment, a bite of information. And and this would be a great opportunity for young people to actually learn the system.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Absolutely. It is a wonderful opportunity. In fact, In Signal Akron, some of our documentaries actually are at the universities Right. And are actually students. That makes
Brett Johnson [:perfect like, even an internship almost or something. Absolutely.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yeah. We actually have Intern and a fellow. Wow. From Kent State. So, yes, it it creates a pipeline opportunity. It creates an opportunity for people to get excited. And I think it revitalizes the interest in journalism. Because I think, to date, people have chosen to do something different in journalism because they Like, there was no pathWay.
Rita McNeil Danish [:There was no, pathWay to success.
Brett Johnson [:Right. Yeah. Exactly. So what you're describing and This rolled in my mind during this luncheon as well too. You sound very much like public radio to a certain degree. It because of the grassroots and the the the public in in involvement, at least How public radio began Mhmm. Decades ago Okay. With that concept.
Brett Johnson [:So Okay. How are you setting yourself apart from local public radio stations? And and, I mean, what type of Working relationships do you have with them and maybe other media outlets as well?
Rita McNeil Danish [:Okay. Thanks for that question because it's a great question. So I start with the premise that we alWays say we are not competing with anybody. Our desire is to create a ecosystem of good news and information. We wanna be your source for that good news and information, but we're not Fairly competing with anybody. But when you think about public radio, we distinguish ourselves by saying we are community based journalism, and we are targeting the underserved. And so the reality or the example I say is pick your community in your particular city. Here in columbus, again, I would reference Hilltop
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Or Linden. Do they even know what NPR is, and have they ever listened to NPR? And so the reality is they have a different target audience. They have a different group they're reaching. So we wanna make sure that we reach the masses, of course, but we wanna also make sure we are definitely reaching the underserved who weren't receiving that news here today. Because we wanna make sure that everybody can make good informed decisions, and the only Way you do that is with good news and information. So we think we are part of the whole ecosystem, but we specifically make sure that we are reaching the underserved and those who either resent the news, Previously felt like they were the target of the news or don't trust it at all.
Brett Johnson [:And the Way you're describing where you're covering it, definitely, there is no public media or a media outlet that's covering it like you are. correct. There there there isn't. So, I mean, right there is the differentiator, but I could see where they they it can be kind of a gray area.
Rita McNeil Danish [:I absolutely can see. And it it's Driven by your your audience. But what I I'd also say is we have no paywall. So when you go to our website, if you go to signal cleveland.org, if you go to signal akron.org, you don't have to pay to read our stories. It's free. As a result, any other media outlet can republish our stories for free. And so what we think is we're actually just sharing news. We are creating an opportunity to use our resources for the benefit of everybody.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So anybody could take our Stories and then republish them even if they only have 1 person in their newsroom. So we actually think that we're benefiting the broader ecosystem by doing it that Way well. And you
Brett Johnson [:have a working relationship with them and at least give you credit?
Rita McNeil Danish [:So we hope that oftentimes they will give us credit. And so you talked about partnerships. We are developing a number of partnerships with both TV stations, radio stations, and public radio. You know, in columbus, as I've shared, we are just getting started. I had some conversations in cleveland with their public radio station, Ideastream. How do we partner? Recognizing our audiences are different, but we have the same goal. So how do we get together and do that? We are working with WOVU. We have a day where we just do our stories.
Rita McNeil Danish [:We talk about our highlighted stories. And with TV, we're doing something similar. So we're hoping to replicate that across the state as well, keeping those partnerships. Because the truth is, you're just republishing so there's a benefit If we're doing the heavy lift and you get to push it out to your audience. Okay. The That makes sense, carol?
Carol Ventresca [:Yes. Yes. I'm I'm I'm taking this all in. So Brett Brett already heard this your speech and knows more than I am. So I'm just sitting here thinking now, why didn't you know, I grew up in Linden. Why didn't we have this Mhmm. Level of civic engagement when I was growing up? At that point in time, nobody read the newspaper only because they didn't wanna See what the dispatch was writing at the time, which is different than it is now. But, it was, we could get a newspaper Print form.
Carol Ventresca [:Where I live now in Delaware county, you can't get a print newspaper a a newspaper print form because there aren't enough people to deliver it.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Was gonna say, oh, you don't get it on time. Oh. By the time you get it, the news is old. Right. Yeah. I would say, though, part of the Fact that we are a nonprofit is part of a movement. So philanthropy came together and made a decision that in order to reignite that civic engagement, To impact our democracy, to make a difference, they needed to invest in nonprofit news.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Rita McNeil Danish [:That that news is at the core of all the things that we've talked about. And so if the prior model is not successful, that that was for profit based upon ads, then you had to have a Way to launch the nonprofit newsroom so that they would be stable. And so our model is such that we start out heavy on philanthropy. So a big portion of our budget is from philanthropic dollars. But that gives us 3 years, because usually the grant cycle is 3 years, So then build up a base of major donors, of membership subscribers, which is free, but individuals like public radio who say, I am invested in your success. And so I'm willing to contribute. And then we do a little bit of ad and sales. So we have that.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And then the hope is that philanthropy becomes A smaller portion, but that we have the multistream revenue, coming in to sustain us.
Carol Ventresca [:Okay. I I'm gonna go back a second too with a quest I I just thought of something with something you you mentioned earlier. When you were Looking at method of delivery of information Yes. And that Sometimes you have to read it
Rita McNeil Danish [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:As opposed to show it on a on a computer screen. Is that easy to get to that reading? For instance, I have a good friend in cleveland who is legally blind.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes.
Carol Ventresca [:And even difficulty reading off of a computer screen. So that would be available to her?
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes. It would be. Wonderful. Yes. It would be.
Carol Ventresca [:She's gonna be real Exciting.
Rita McNeil Danish [:In addition to you were talking about we have library hours. So the editor in chief does library hours that people can just come to the team from the newsroom, Talk about the issues that matter to them, ask them questions, or give feedback. In addition to the public forums where you can get word about a public show up and say, I don't really have to read the news. I can hear about it in this public forum.
Carol Ventresca [:Mhmm.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And then something else we do that's really cool. It's one of my favorites just because I have, Spond memories as a little girl is we do comics sometimes to communicate stories. And so we did a comic to communicate a story about racial discrimination, and housing. And that, you know, you have a right and that you should not be rejected simply based upon, your color or or other things. And so we did a comic to do that. And remember the days I remember the days as a little girl when I couldn't wait to get the newspaper because the first thing I would grab is the comic. Oh, absolutely. Because that spoke to me.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So that's speaking to me while the news was speaking to my parents, but imagine that. So we're using comics as well.
Carol Ventresca [:Wonderful. Okay. So, the impact of not having local journalists covering local news is crucial. We've had this conversation with a a newspaper In Eastern Ohio, that was going to get sold to a conglomerate Mhmm. Until the owner talked to one of his former,
Brett Johnson [:she was an editor. Right? Or not
Rita McNeil Danish [:that I
Carol Ventresca [:She was actually an intern and then maybe a reporter.
Brett Johnson [:Yes. Okay. Yeah.
Carol Ventresca [:Had become a school teacher. And, basically, calderon said, if you don't buy the newspaper, I'm selling it to this conglomerate.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Okay.
Carol Ventresca [:She and her husband went out on a limb and bought this local newspaper. And it was a Way for her to save her community
Rita McNeil Danish [:Okay.
Carol Ventresca [:Not just the the newspaper itself. But once these weekly newspapers stop printing or daily newspapers reduce the number of journalists, the number of times they print, just then does the community realize what they've lost.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes.
Carol Ventresca [:You know? It's we don't we don't understand our gifts while we have them. How are you getting feedback from the local community about Signal Ohio's coverage of the news? What what is influencing your decisions From what you're hearing
Rita McNeil Danish [:Mhmm.
Carol Ventresca [:What what what are people asking for?
Rita McNeil Danish [:Well, one, I think it will differ from city to city. I can tell you having been in both cleveland and Akron and spent a great deal of time, what Akron needs and wants is very different from cleveland. It's a very fascinating experience. And having lived in columbus and cincinnati, I expect that it will be equally as different in terms of what's important. So for example, Akron is very focused on the arts. They're very focused on, their emerging business community, you know, recovering from the Days of rubber and the transition and and figuring out a Way to revive their community. And so they care about business. They care about small businesses.
Rita McNeil Danish [:They care about the arts, and they really care about what's going on in their community. And but they also have a police oversight issue that is very prominent for them. So those things are, like, upfront and important to them. In cleveland, they're very focused on city hall. They're very focused on mayor Bibb. They're very focused on the hospitals because you've got the cleveland clinic and the MetroHealth System. So there's a lot of attention on that. And then you have the disparity from the east side to the west side, which is its own set of issues in cleveland, and trying to cover both of those from the west side market to the central community.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Just a little different, much bigger community. And so what we do is, 1, the research informs, what's important to the community. So when we did the research, we also did community listening. And we did focus groups, and we heard from the community what's important to them, how do you wanna receive your news, and what do you wanna hear about? And that was Northeast Ohio, so that was both cleveland and Akron. So we had that information. But we also continue the cycle of doing surveys. As I shared with you the office hours, in our newsletter, we ask. We wanna hear from you.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Give us some feedback. How are we doing? What's important? And then, of course, we also track the data and the numbers. That's obvious. We're Looking at what resonates. And so one of the things that we did, in August with issue 1 and then in November with issue 1 and 2, We don't tell you what to think, but what we did do was explainers. And so we did explainers for both issue 1 and issue 2. We had some of our greatest highest number readership just because we explained to people what is issue 1 this time And in November, what's the difference in issue 1? And then, issue 2, what is it gonna mean for our state? How is it gonna happen? What's gonna impact us? And even the question of what's the legislature gonna do because, you know, issue 1 was very different from issue 2 and how the legislature could respond. Right.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And so we were just giving information, and that just seemed to resonate with people. So we try to be driven by that.
Carol Ventresca [:And that answers another follow-up question I wanted to ask you. They your your teams are very much locally, focused
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes.
Carol Ventresca [:For news, But you've also got some statewide issues.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes.
Carol Ventresca [:And so how who can anybody be covering that, or is that The newsrooms work that out themselves.
Rita McNeil Danish [:The newsrooms work that out themselves until such time that we have a statehouse newsroom. Fingers crossed.
Carol Ventresca [:You go.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Oh, dear. We desperately really want that state house newsroom, and I think, you know, it seemed we we it's proven itself to be very important. We've seen how important it's going to be to have 1. But right now, some of our senior reporters, the managing editors, they work with key reporters to put out that statewide information.
Brett Johnson [:Yes.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And next year will be even more fascinating because you're gonna have to report on some of those major election issues that are coming out. And gerrymandering. Yes. Mhmm. So, so, yeah, that's how they did. They decided internally. There are lots of group meetings, lots of team meetings, talking about what do we wanna run? What stories are important? What do you have? What are we running with? Who's gonna cover it?
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm. Yeah. Are you Looking at well, Since you had such success in regards to these these open forms of talking about issues, are you Looking at it from this from the standpoint of exploring More issues on the ballot, more on a local focus, that sort of thing, as well as debates with politicians?
Rita McNeil Danish [:So, that's an interesting question. We absolutely are Looking at focusing on local. So I will tell you, because
Brett Johnson [:there's alWays something on the ballot that Yes. You don't know how important it is. Yes. Yes. That it did you it's like, oh, that makes sense. But I was like, wait a minute. Maybe that's not a good thing to back because it's what what is the fallout?
Rita McNeil Danish [:Right. Or so often, people just don't understand. I mean, you know how you go into that voting booth, and it's all those words. And I'm a lawyer, and I'm like, Jesus, this is a lie.
Brett Johnson [:You're not kidding. Oh, cool. Yeah. Good enough. You read is different than what's on the ballot. correct.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Or what you heard. Yeah. So Yeah. Yes. So, so We do focus on those local issues. So I will say again, using cleveland as the example, they were focused on their local local judicial races. Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:Because Oh my gosh. Yes.
Rita McNeil Danish [:They were so important. No one pays attention.
Brett Johnson [:Who knows about judges? What do you find out about judges? Right. Exactly.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And they're just going with random names, but we wanna make sure that you understand Dan, who these people are? Yeah. So one of the issues that is big in cleveland is bindovers, and that bindovers is where you're trying a juvenile as an adult. Well, what is it doing to your African American male population? And so they were talking and and informing people about judges' records and what are their issues. Even though judges are not supposed to be political, but every now and then yeah.
Brett Johnson [:Okay. It's turning that though because from what I'm hearing too that it's it's they're they're I think they're gonna force judges to go red, blue Well I think. They're putting
Rita McNeil Danish [:on Supreme court, they're now putting the r and the d next to them. So they're they are politicizing it Naturally.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. But Yeah. Exactly. I mean, I mean, they're neither here nor there. Ne right. But but that still doesn't tell you a thing. No. It does not.
Brett Johnson [:Red or d. It doesn't tell
Rita McNeil Danish [:you a thing about it. It doesn't. Yeah. And it it it encourages us to be polarized because they decide, well, I'm not voting for the Republican or I'm not voting for the Democrat instead of voting on the people When the issues and whether they're a good judge Well or whether they're a good politician.
Brett Johnson [:When what's scary is that it's going down all the Way to encouraging or Looking at school board members Yes. What are r and a d. Yes. And and to me, that's where Signal Ohio if that if that comes to fruition, talk about a huge need to explore where these people Stand. Or even more
Rita McNeil Danish [:than let's talk about the levy. Let's talk about the multiple levies, and let's dig into, just pure information. What was done with the money? Why do you need the money? And what's gonna be done with the money in the future?
Carol Ventresca [:Do our do our high schools have to look like college campuses? Yeah. In Delaware county, that's all we have. Our college little mini college campuses. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And that brings another question I'm going off on. Oh, no.
Carol Ventresca [:We told you we'd go off on these tangents. So when you were Looking at Akron, did was there a difference between the city of Akron and the rest of the county and the the contiguous counties? Because in central Ohio, columbus and is very different from Franklin county as a whole, which is hugely different from the contiguous counties.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So let me say in Akron, we consider the city of Akron and Summit county. But we probably stop at the county line, for the purposes of the work that we're doing. Even though I I will say, you've got Hudson, which is very different from Akron, if you know that region. But our goal is to be able to get to that county line and serve all the citizens of Summit county. cleveland, you know, they have the inner ring and the Outer ring on the east side and the west side. And our goal is to capture the inner core. So that's the inner core of the city, both east side and west side, and then move to the inner rings And then move to the outer rings as long as we're in cuyahoga county. So we're hoping that you got cuyahoga county meets the line of Summit and that Akron will pick Get up.
Rita McNeil Danish [:But that doesn't mean that from time to time, there may not be a little there may be a little bit of overlap. You know what I mean? Mhmm. But we don't really deal with the contiguous municipalities Outside of the county. Okay. So we a lot of people ask, so signal Akron. Are we doing canton? Well, right now, we're not doing canton. I'm not gonna say we're not, but right now, we're not. And so we wanna be judicious and smart about our expansion, not to expand too quickly, make sure that we have a support base, And we can do it successfully.
Rita McNeil Danish [:But I will say in cleveland, we're having conversations in Lorraine. And Lorraine may not have its own newsroom, but it Would be the Lorraine Bureau so that we're reaching it. So I I to answer your question, it's kind of right now, we're doing the crawling before we Walk. We don't wanna run too fast. Mhmm.
Brett Johnson [:But we
Rita McNeil Danish [:are continuing to have conversations as we do little bits of expansion.
Carol Ventresca [:Because there are some really, Interesting hotbeds of news Yes. In central Ohio. I live in one in Delaware, and just think about what Intel is going to bring to Licking county.
Rita McNeil Danish [:correct.
Brett Johnson [:correct. It'll
Carol Ventresca [:be it'll be huge.
Rita McNeil Danish [:It should it would be really interesting, and it will be huge. So yes.
Brett Johnson [:You've got video, podcast, and, of course, the website documenting the news. Mhmm. Not to mention all the social media outlets. How do all these work together for you?
Rita McNeil Danish [:They I I was gonna say they work together for good. Of course.
Brett Johnson [:Of course. That's the goal. Yeah. Exact but but it's that That's a
Carol Ventresca [:good sound bite.
Brett Johnson [:I know. Exactly. I get every one of those have a different audience Yes. They do. To a certain degree and a different purpose to use them. And I guess I I was Looking at it from the standpoint, how do you make it all work?
Rita McNeil Danish [:We really Tried to be intentional on identifying the stories that need to be sent out in a particular Way. Okay. And so, we are trying to incorporate incorporate Way more video in what we're doing, to make sure that we're reaching a broader audience. But I would also say, like I said, the documentary they tweet. So that's our social media. We're trying to use more of social media To get certain stories out that we think that will appeal to those who are interested in social media.
Brett Johnson [:At the moment as well too.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes. So we're, like so, again, going back to political issues, that's something you wanna put out broadly as broadly as you possibly can. So I have to give credit to the editor in chief and her team because they make those decisions, and they bring them together, and they try to figure What is the best move we make with regard to this particular story at this particular time? Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:That makes sense. That makes sense. Yeah. Okay.
Carol Ventresca [:We are so glad you are here with us today, and and we plan to get this out on, you know, on our website and and on our social media. What other avenues are you using to get information out about, Signal Ohio? Because as I mentioned, I sent this to my friends all around the state, and they're like, Oh, wow. Let us know. You this is exciting.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Well, you know, there's the reality that, I alWays say to people I'm raising dollars and I'm raising awareness. I'm trying to do them both. And so we do it any Way we possibly can, to be honest. We are using LinkedIn. So we have a Signal Ohio LinkedIn page. Signal cleveland has its own LinkedIn page. We're using that. We're using word-of-mouth.
Rita McNeil Danish [:We're using those public forums that we're reaching people. We're using documenters. The amazing thing about documentaries is they'll walk around and say I'm with Signal cleveland very proudly for people to say, oh, what's Signal cleveland? And so with each story, with each interaction, we're trying to just increase that awareness. And we're hoping that as people share stories, Then people say, who is Signal Ohio? I wanna check-in to Signal Akron. And we're hoping that through the stories That we raise that awareness as well as word-of-mouth. Mhmm.
Brett Johnson [:But
Rita McNeil Danish [:we're using every other medium you can imagine. We're using Instagram. We do some Facebook. We are using we're tweeting. We use the videos. I said the library hours. We use the public forums And the comics. We're doing everything.
Carol Ventresca [:Because the one Way to get information out about an organization is through the newspapers, and chances are pretty good they're probably not gonna give you great coverage. You know, it's interesting.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Some are giving us coverage Okay. And some are not.
Carol Ventresca [:Yes.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And it's interesting. Some who think of it in terms of the greater good. Some of them who think that we want an electorate. We want a community that is informed and can make good decisions. They are sharing it because they realize there's a wave and it's coming. One of my favorite books, which is not you know, the most substantive book you'll ever read is Who Moved My cheese. Oh. And so what you so what you have is some people who realize the cheese has moved.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And you can either be part of the ecosystem, and we can partner and work together and make sure The people are getting good news information, or you can sit there and wait and say, I'm gonna wait till my cheese comes back, and good luck.
Carol Ventresca [:Yeah. Grab hold and Hold on tight.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Tight. Right. That's exactly.
Brett Johnson [:Well, as you move and expand into other areas of Ohio as you mentioned, how does that literally happen? I mean, you know, You're Looking at columbus. Let's just say it's columbus. And I mean, what's the SOP? I mean, how how are you going about figuring that out?
Rita McNeil Danish [:I can unfortunately say there's no SOP. Okay.
Brett Johnson [:Making it up as you go, but it's working. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
Rita McNeil Danish [:That's okay. You have to be really fluid. So what I will tell you is to your point about publication. So I was cincinnati city solicitor. cincinnati city solicitor first picked up the story about Signal cleveland and what was happening in nonprofit news. Then they picked up the story because I was city solicitor that I became cEO. As a result, I had some outreach from folks who said we wanna bring nonprofit news to cincinnati. Well, since I had relationships and friends from my days in cincinnati, I started making trips and calls to cincinnati.
Rita McNeil Danish [: of: Rita McNeil Danish [:And if you're interested, can we start raising some dollars to make this happen and telling people what is required to make it happen? Because it doesn't happen magically. And unfortunately, in each community, We have to go to those philanthropic entities and major givers and individuals to raise the dollars to launch the newsroom, because sustainability is extremely important. So I can't just do it and say I'll raise enough for 1 year. I gotta make sure I can at least be good for 2 years or ideally 3 years. So we try to begin to raise those dollars, raise the awareness. We create a steering committee, which is folks who are in the community, who care about this issue, but it's a diverse group. So is everybody who's from the business community, from, grassroots community, young, old, all the demographics you can think of, and we put together a steering committee who's also focused in helping us launch this newsroom. And then collectively, we go out.
Rita McNeil Danish [:We raise the awareness. We raise the dollars. Once we have that, then I begin the search for an editor in chief. I begin the search for the space, and then we're we begin the process of hiring to fill the slots.
Brett Johnson [:I can imagine the the, recruiting is I'm not gonna say it's easy, but it can't be extremely hard. There are a lot of journalists out there.
Rita McNeil Danish [:There are a lot of journalists out there.
Brett Johnson [:To cover some stories.
Rita McNeil Danish [:There are a lot of journalists out there. Yeah. It's been interesting. And I think that it depends on the particular market.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So I think that has Depending
Brett Johnson [:on what happened with the local media there and who's on who's on the beach at the point. correct.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yeah. correct. And have people moved on? Because you have a number of journalists who walked aWay and said, I'm a do sales
Brett Johnson [:Yeah. Or I'm
Rita McNeil Danish [:gonna be a comms person.
Brett Johnson [:Mhmm.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And so, you have that aspect. But but I will say, you know, cleveland was a ripe market. You had a number of people displaced from the plain dealer, and that also becomes a factor. Have there been people who are displaced Or who are disengaged or or disgruntled, with their paper. And so recruiting is not that challenging. It it's a lot of work, though. And so when I recruit and I hire anybody, whether from my team or for a newsroom, this is a different animal. It is not slow.
Rita McNeil Danish [:It is fast paced. It is demanding. It's a Startup, you gotta be flexible because we might have to change something on a dime. And so that takes a number of skill sets aside from just journalism. Mhmm. And so when we're assessing, we're Looking at all of those things. Right. Right.
Carol Ventresca [:Yeah. What what's the plan after that 3 years of funding? Have you do you have that In your head, what what are the next steps?
Rita McNeil Danish [:So after the 3 years of funding, we try to identify major givers, individual givers in membership, and sales and ads. So you have, at that point, a diversified revenue stream that is not solely based upon one thing, but hopefully, the combination and and you hope to have some giving. So you help hope to have some philanthropic giving as you go along, But it doesn't need to be the majority of it, and your hope is that your ads will help you. You're putting ads on the website, in our newsletters, That you'll have individuals who say, I wanna keep you around. Mhmm. And then you have major givers who care about journalism and civic engagement.
Carol Ventresca [:It's much better to have 10 people giving you a dollar Then 1 person giving you 10 because now you've got 10 readers.
Rita McNeil Danish [:correct.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah.
Rita McNeil Danish [:correct. And and as you can as you articulate it, the goal is as we expand our readership, Then we expand our membership and the people who wanna make sure that we are sustainable.
Brett Johnson [:I think you have to be get well, not even at the beginning of the wave of that community support of journalism. Right. That people are willing to give $5 a month or whatever it might be because they see you doing the right thing, and they can do the $5. correct. It's a cup of coffee. correct. Ultimately, I I know of a handful of podcasts that do not accept advertising dollars. It's all Money per episode that, you know, I mean, she has a different level.
Brett Johnson [:It's a Right. A podcast called congressional dish. And this thing could be, like, 2 hours long, but she Loves covering congress.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Oh, okay.
Brett Johnson [:She loves it, and and she goes into it. I mean, she researches it out, and she has a following like you wouldn't believe, but it's these levels
Rita McNeil Danish [:It's these levels, yep,
Brett Johnson [:of support of giving that they go back and support an old episode possibly because it you know? So she has these different levels, and she also has a green room Okay. You know, set up that Way too. But this is her life. Oh, wow. And she accepts no advertising Okay. Because she doesn't want any advertiser influence Right. On what they do. Right.
Brett Johnson [:So I see where Here, a a good combination of what you're talking about makes perfect sense.
Rita McNeil Danish [:And we try to be very clear with our advertising that it has no editorial impact. You have no ability to SWay
Brett Johnson [:You're supporting a movement. Yes. You are. Basically. Yeah. And but
Rita McNeil Danish [:but I wanna say also that, we try to say, as I I think I said in the beginning, This is more than just journalism because if we do this right, the impact is so much broader. It's a a community impact. It's a civic engagement impact. And so it's not just about the journalism because not everybody gets the connection of the dots, but it's about the community and the civic engagement and then the journalism as a as a partner In that. But, yes, it is so important. It's important to have that diversified revenue stream. Anybody in business will tell you. You gotta have a diversified revenue stream.
Rita McNeil Danish [:You know what I mean? As a lawyer, you don't wanna rely on 1 client because if that client walks, you're in trouble. Yes. So, yes, that is and the other thing is we're a nonprofit, so we're a 501c3. And as you can imagine, this is giving time at the end of the year.
Carol Ventresca [:Yes. Okay. Here you go.
Brett Johnson [:Yes. There you go. Yes. Exactly. So Now we alWays ask our guests if they have any last words of wisdom as we close out the show. Anything you wanna add? I mean, do you have any other suggestions or advice to our listeners today?
Rita McNeil Danish [:Yes. I would. I would say first, you know, my father used to tell me, you're either part of the problem and you're part of the solution. And we no longer can stand back and wait for somebody else to do it for us. We have to do it ourselves. And the reason I took this job, and, Brett, you probably heard me say this, is I thought if I could change the trajectory of the state of Ohio, then we can change the trajectory of this country. Mhmm. We can go in a different direction.
Rita McNeil Danish [:We can focus on the things that are important, but we can focus on truth. And as a lawyer, you know, it's all about the facts and the truth. Doesn't mean we don't, you know, manipulate it a little bit sometimes in court. But it is so important to focus on the facts, the information, and the truth because that's what frees us, and information is power. And so if we take that back, then we take our country back, we take our state back, and then we take control of our lives.
Carol Ventresca [:Right.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So what I would say is, be part of the solution, Not part of the problem. Find your Way to contribute, whatever that is, because then you're part of making the difference.
Carol Ventresca [:Wonderful. Rita, thank you. This has been phenomenal, and and we hope you'll come back and visit us again.
Rita McNeil Danish [:Absolutely will if you'll have me.
Carol Ventresca [:Absolutely. And and let us be part of the come into columbus I will. Solution. That would be that would be wonderful. We I'm excited. Well, thank you. I'm excited.
Rita McNeil Danish [:So,
Carol Ventresca [:Thank you again to Rita McNeil Danesh, the chief executive officer of Signal Ohio, who is our expert on local journalism and local news coverage who joined us today. Listeners, thank you for joining us, and do not forget to check our show notes on the website For contact information and resources on Signal Ohio as we've discussed today, you're gonna find all that information on our website at Looking Forward our Way.com. We're Looking Forward to hearing your feedback on this and any of our podcast episodes.
