Sophie Culpepper | Nieman Journalism Lab

Articles by Sophie Culpepper

Sophie Culpepper is a staff writer at Nieman Lab focused on covering local news. She previously co-founded the hyperlocal Lexington Observer, where she reported on public schools, local government, economic development, and public safety among other topics as the digital news nonprofit’s only full-time journalist for two years. She graduated from Brown University in 2021 and was a managing editor on The Brown Daily Herald’s editorial board.

@s_peppered

November 22, 2023

I’m a media reporter and a diehard Swiftie. I don’t cover Taylor, but here’s how I wish someone would

She’s a billionaire, transforming the music industry in real time. Few living celebrities have her scale of cultural influence. Shouldn’t someone be, at least, attempting to look without fear or favor to see if she’s keeping her side of the street clean?

In 2023, bright spots in local news stand out against a grim landscape

November 9, 2023

To turn $500 million into $1 billion, Press Forward looks to the local level

The coalition announced its first six local chapters, and their leading funders, last week.

October 31, 2023

A Philly Inquirer ad campaign leans into local pride and inside jokes to win over millennials

“Unsubscribe from antiquated notions about Philly and antiquated notions about the news, and subscribe to a more authentic Philly today and tomorrow and what your news can be — multi-platform.”

October 26, 2023

For the Chicago-based Investigative Project on Race and Equity, training the next generation matters as much as the reporting

“We’re growing and learning, but the core of what we do is this really supported experiential learning.”

October 18, 2023

The New Bedford Light and The Newton Beacon are just part of a new wave of local news in Massachusetts

“People in Massachusetts once had more journalism available; they’ve lost more, they have grieved more; they have hungered for what they had. So, they now have been quick to embrace a rebirth of journalism that matters.”

The AP announces five AI tools to help local newsrooms with tasks like transcription and sorting pitches

October 5, 2023

News story or meme? After Elon Musk aXes headlines, it’s hard to tell

If you had to come up with a single move designed to deal a blow to whatever traffic is left and make sharing news more of a hassle, you couldn’t do much better than eliminating headlines from posts.

October 3, 2023

Aiming for 500,000 subscribers by 2026, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a big swing on growth

“We want to cloak ourselves in all things Atlanta. And frankly, in recent years, we haven’t necessarily done that.”

In another warning sign for nonprofit local news, The City cuts costs

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