Should a local newsletter cover crime and politics?

In my local newsletters the answer is no. We don't write about police shootings. We don't write about city council elections. We write about what people care about: events, restaurants, real estate and the fun local stuff.

"Avoid anything negative, essentially. So no police stuff, no crime. No politics."

That's my rule, though, and a few people disagree with it. Here's how I think about both sides.

Why do I leave crime and politics out?

Because my brands are personally branded local brands, not journalism products. Old papers were run by owners you never knew. Ours is a fun brand that shares what you care about and skips what you don't. I think that lighter approach is why readers pick us over the duller incumbents.

When you're starting out and building a brand around a real local person, I'd do what I do. It depends on your angle.

Who does it the other way, and does it work?

Yes, it can. Everybody says don't do crime. The guy I know who makes the most money of anyone in local newsletters covers crime all the time. People love it.

Town size matters too. There are two models:

Model	Where it fits	What you cover
Curation	Bigger areas	Only the best stories and events
Media company of the town	Small towns	Everything: city council, obituaries, crime

One operator I know is becoming the media company of his small town. He covers city council meetings, obituaries and crime. That works in a small town. In a town of 300,000, I think covering everything would just be too much.

Should a lifestyle newsletter still run any news?

I like keeping at least one news story, even in a mostly lifestyle issue. People may not tell you they want news in your newsletter. But news is what makes them feel they need to open it so they don't miss something, which is more compelling than wanting to open it. That's my opinion. I don't have data for it.

Watch what automated tools pull in, too. When I tested an automated setup that pulled in everything in a town, it brought in junk like a professor winning a teaching award. I held off launching a fifth newsletter because of it. If you have to search through the junk yourself, you're back to square one.

What if there's no good news that week?

Skip the news section. Write about an extra business and an extra restaurant instead. Readers won't notice the section is gone. Don't pretend there's news when there isn't.

Which advertisers should a local newsletter turn down?

The same rule applies to ads. Be careful about advertisers that might not be great for the brand. Some are obvious, like a bail bondsman or a weed company. Some are less obvious, like a political ad. If you've told readers you don't cover politics and a politician wants to buy an ad, is it worth it? My answer is don't do it.

For the sections I do put in every issue, see what a local newsletter should include.