Artificial intelligence is transforming local media. But are newsrooms putting their most valuable information at risk without realizing it?

Recorded at Local Media Fest 2026 in Chicago, Local Media Association's Ryan Welton talks with Jon Accarrino, founder of Ordo Digital, about the hidden risks of AI adoption and what media companies can do to protect themselves.

Jon identifies three major areas of concern: sensitive information entered into AI tools, unauthorized scraping of publishers' content, and "shadow AI" — tools employees use without the knowledge or approval of their IT departments.

They also discuss:

• Why free and paid AI tools require careful evaluation
• How publishers can protect and monetize their journalism
• The differences between answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO)
• Why AI-generated software, or "vibe coding," can introduce serious security vulnerabilities
• How media companies can embrace AI innovation while maintaining control of their data

Keep It Local is a podcast from Local Media Association featuring conversations with innovators, executives and thought leaders shaping the future of local media.

Learn more about Local Media Association: https://localmedia.org

Learn more about Ordo Digital: https://ordodigital.com

#LocalMedia #ArtificialIntelligence #AISecurity #Journalism #MediaInnovation

Local newsrooms have more valuable assets than they may realize. The challenge is figuring out how to turn those assets into sustainable revenue.

Todd Handy, founder and chief revenue officer of Disruptive Impact, joins Ryan Welton on Keep It Local to discuss his new Local Media Innovation Insights report, Monetizing Local Content.

In this conversation, Todd explains:

• Why audience trust, community connections and first-party data have real business value
• How newsrooms can diversify revenue without abandoning their existing businesses
• Why events are an opportunity for local media organizations of all sizes
• How to choose which revenue initiative to launch first
• Where AI can help media companies grow revenue and operate more efficiently
• Why measuring churn, recurring revenue and profitability is essential

Todd also shares a practical 90-day framework for strengthening advertiser relationships and developing recurring revenue.

Resources:

Local Media Association: https://www.localmedia.org/

Disruptive Impact: https://disruptiveimpact.co/

Keep It Local is produced by Local Media Association and hosted by Ryan Welton.

Local newsrooms are often asked to cover the economy — but rarely have the tools to cover economic mobility at a granular, data-driven level. One year ago, Local Media Association, Comcast NBCUniversal, and Opportunity Insights launched the Economic Opportunity Lab to change that.

In this episode of Keep It Local, host Ryan Welton talks with Dana Piccoli, Managing Director of News Is Out and Project Manager of the Economic Opportunity Lab, about what the first year produced: original reporting from 48 newsrooms and 10 NBC Telemundo stations across five regions (Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, the Bay Area, and DC/Baltimore), and a new, free playbook for any newsroom, chamber of commerce, or city government that wants to do similar work in their own community.

They dig into how newsrooms partnered directly with researchers from Opportunity Insights to translate dense data — including the Opportunity Atlas — into personal, place-based stories on housing, education, and employment. Dana shares the story behind one of the Lab's most impactful pieces, a report on credit scores in Baltimore's Black community by the AFRO's Victoria Mejicanos, which prompted local bankers to convene a session to address the findings. She also talks about the role of trust and vulnerability in reporting on personal finances, and why public listening sessions were central to several newsrooms' approach.

The conversation closes with a look at what's next: making the playbook a living resource, helping communities find funding for similar collaboratives, and a reminder of News Is Out's LGBTQ+ media mapping project, which tracks coverage gaps for queer communities nationwide.

In this episode:

• Introducing the Economic Opportunity Lab and its one-year mark
• The scope: 48 newsrooms, 10 NBC Telemundo stations, 5 regions
• What's in the new playbook — and who it's for
• Common threads in the reporting: housing, education, employment
• Working with Opportunity Insights and the Opportunity Atlas
• The Afro's credit-score investigation and its real-world impact
• Building community trust through listening sessions
• Covering economic opportunity in the LGBTQ+ community
• News deserts, the $1 billion cost of losing local news, and why it matters most for marginalized communities
• What's next for the Lab

Links:

• Economic Opportunity Lab Playbook: https://playbook.economicopportunitylab.com/eol
• Contact Dana Piccoli: dana.piccoli@localmedia.org

Guest: Dana Piccoli, Managing Director, News Is Out; Project Manager, Economic Opportunity Lab

Host: Ryan Welton, Local Media Association