The Role of Newsletters in Modern Journalism: Marshall Jones' Perspective from iNFOnews.ca

Marshall Jones has dedicated his career to the ever-changing field of journalism, spending the last 12 years as the managing editor of iNFOnews, an innovative online local news outlet in British Columbia. From one of the company's first hires, Marshall has been pivotal in growing iNFOnews into a trusted source that focuses on delivering the stories that readers care about most.

Navigating Seismic Industry Shifts

The journalism industry has seen significant changes in recent years, creating challenges and opportunities for innovative outlets like iNFOnews. Notably, their referral traffic plummeted by 50-70% overnight when Facebook removed news from its feeds in Canada due to a pricing dispute.

For Marshall, this stark change only reinforced the vital importance of developing deep, direct relationships with loyal readers. "Facebook was never an ideal place for us," he reflects thoughtfully. "While it delivered a lot of traffic, Facebook also got between us and our readers. They'd often confuse us with competitors or not even know who was producing the content they were reading and trusting, which is concerning when you really think about it."

Doubling Down on Email Newsletters

iNFOnews has chosen to focus on reaching audiences through its well-designed email newsletter. Marshall believes that this is a much better way to deliver a thoughtfully curated, personalized news package to readers who have opted in and truly appreciate their content. "It's very much like a classic newspaper - there's a sense of serendipity and discovery that comes with it," he explains with a smile. "You pick it up off the doorstep and stumble upon fascinating stories you didn't even realize you needed in your life. That direct, intimate connection is one of the marvelous things about our newsletter, and why I'm so excited to see it take off."

Cultivating Audience Engagement

This strategic pivot to serving readers one-on-one has also empowered iNFOnews to cultivate more meaningful engagement with their devoted audience. "Reader feedback is absolutely vital - it's reminiscent of letters to the editor in the golden newspaper days," says Marshall. "If you can inspire people to really digest and engage with your stories, that's the ultimate goal. And when thoughtful responses pour in via email, I'm able to correspond with readers directly, fostering a back-and-forth dialogue you just can't replicate with a fleeting social media comment."

Sharpening Local Focus

Interestingly, the shift in Facebook's approach has unexpectedly led iNFOnews to enhance its focus on providing maximum value for local readers and advertisers, rather than pursuing fleeting clicks and virality. "Sure, losing Facebook hurt in terms of pure traffic," Marshall concedes. "But it's also been clarifying, encouraging us to drill down on our core purpose. Whereas before we might have chased some province-wide stories just for their viral potential, now every single piece is carefully chosen to inform, delight and enrich our local audience."

iNFOnews has a nimble, talented newsroom of handpicked reporters who expertly cover each community. They have mastered the art of being selectively comprehensive, focusing on urgent local issues such as the housing affordability crisis, opioid epidemic, and wildfire preparedness. However, they also take pride in meticulously researched historical features and explainers that help residents appreciate the rich character and quirks of their hometowns. For example, a recent viral piece on the engineering marvel behind a major local floating bridge.

Writing for Mom

To help hone their coverage radar, Marshall encourages his writers to frame each potential story as if explaining it to their mothers. "If your mom would be offended or put off by the language or tone, it's probably not quite right for our broad, discerning audience," he explains. And while iNFOnews' loyal readership does lean somewhat female across generations, Marshall quips that he generally assumes "no one under 25 is avidly following local news, until something directly impacts them - like seeing their first real tax bill!"

An Uncertain Future for Journalism

Going forward, Marshall is closely paying attention to an important issue that should worry anyone who cares about the future of community journalism: the decreasing number of young people interested in pursuing a career in this field. iNFOnews recently advertised a great reporter position that, surprisingly, took a full two months to fill with a qualified candidate. "When I'm invited to speak at journalism schools, I can't help but question the long-term viability and ethics of many programs," Marshall muses solemnly. "With the industry contracting, what kind of career path are we sending these bright-eyed students into? It pains me to see fewer and fewer graduates lighting up at the prospect of this noble work."

Staying True to the Mission

But even in the face of challenging industry conditions, Marshall's unwavering passion for purposeful local journalism is clearer than ever as the conversation winds down. "At the end of the day, there's truly no greater professional thrill or privilege than landing a scoop that makes a real difference - however big or small - for the community you care about," he reflects. "Whether it's a deeply-reported investigative piece or a delightfully quirky human interest story, knowing your work gave readers crucial information or a much-needed smile...that's what it's all about."

Adapting While Staying Anchored

As INFOnews adapts to a constantly changing media landscape, its top priority remains serving and engaging its valued readers."We're extremely fortunate to be part of such a vibrant, civically engaged region with a healthy media ecosystem," Marshall shares. "Our unwavering commitment is to keep unearthing and showcasing the stories that matter most while continually experimenting with fresh ways to spark meaningful audience connections."

By staying laser-focused on covering their communities with depth, nuance, and heart - and constantly adapting to the ever-evolving digital terrain - Marshall is supremely confident that iNFOnews will not only survive but thrive for years to come. Even as platforms and formats inevitably change, their foundational mission of keeping hyper-local storytelling alive and essential will be an enduring guide.

Putting the Audience First

There's an old journalism adage that "content is king," - but in speaking with Marshall Jones of iNFOnews, one suspects he might gently tweak that. In an age of breathless clickbait and 24/7 noise, perhaps the updated rule is "audience is king." And if the soul and backbone of that audience is someone like your thoughtful, civic-minded mom, local news could be in good hands.