Ryan Winslett also discussed the growing interest in hyperlocal news, who shared how Independent Newspapers’ presence has built trust across the Valley by consistently covering stories that matter most to local readers. Topics such as school board meetings, high school sports, city council decisions, and retail openings continue to generate strong engagement and serve as a trusted resource for consumers to return.
#MediaMonday – Independent Newsmedia Panel
In the latest #MediaMonday, we are stepping into the Independent Newspapers headquarters to share insights from last week’s PRSA Phoenix panel with some of the paper’s key figures. The panel included Charlene Bisson, publisher; Patrick O’Grady, editor-in-chief; Kelly O’Sullivan, opinions editor; and Ryan Winslett, North Valley managing editor. They provided an update on the company’s growth in local news, what’s next, and how public relations professionals can effectively pitch stories to them.
This panel was especially relevant as Independent Newspapers recently acquired local publications from EG Publishing, expanding its coverage zones across the Valley. It was also particularly positive and a good sign given Independent Newsmedia’s continued growth in readership and success in covering hyperlocal news, reinforcing the paper’s role as a trusted source at a time when confidence in national media is declining.
Charlene highlighted the success of the paper and the continued growth in readership as it receives more digital attention. Charlene shared how the paper is also embracing collaborations and partnerships that have helped boost readership engagement but also enhance the way news content is shared across social media platforms .
Patrick O’Grady emphasized how the paper continues to keep communities informed by delivering relevant, well-sourced news on issues that directly impact local residents. These stories rely on expert perspectives from subject matter experts on pressing topics such as immigration, education, water resources, economic development, and other trending subjects often provided by public relations professionals.
The growing interest in hyperlocal news was also discussed by Ryan Winslett, who shared how the Independent’s presence has built trust within the community as they consistently cover stories that matter most to local readers. These local topics like school board meetings, high school sports, city council decisions, and retail openings consistently generate strong engagement and are a trusted resource for consumers.
Kelly O’Sullivan provided practical tips for working efficiently with the media, touching on the importance of including a high-resolution image or headshot with submissions, writing in sentence case and essay style to save time for publishing, and pasting content directly into an email rather than attaching it as a file to streamline the editorial process, and more ways that us professionals can work quicker to assist them.
All panelists agreed that direct outreach via email remains the most effective way to pitch stories, with phone calls as the next best option. While they monitor social media, email remains the preferred method of contact. They all noted that they make an effort to read every email, so if you don’t receive a response, just follow up when necessary
The panel finished with a behind-the-scenes tour of Independent Newspapers’ operations, where we could see how the newspapers are printed, assembled, and prepared for delivery to subscribers across the Valley!
