Facebook traffic went to zero. Google is next. AI doesn't even click through. The entire model of "we publish, someone else sends us readers" is ending as a category — and the publishers who built…

Peter Cellino·Mar 27, 2026

dispatches

What a 200-Person Enterprise Team and a One-Person Newsroom Have in Common

WordPress VIP's CTO runs a 200-person enterprise division serving News Corp, NASA, and the White House. Mercury Local runs three publications with one publisher.

Peter Cellino·Mar 26, 2026

CLT Mercury Commerce Hub Illustration – Cash Register, Receipts, and Shopping Bag (Editorial Ink Style)

dispatches

Charlotte's Early Vote: Less Than 2 Percent Turnout Before Election Day

A tiny electorate so far — As of the close of early voting, Mecklenburg County logged 13,871 ballots.

Peter Cellino·Sep 8, 2025

dispatches

The Attention Economy Is Collapsing. Good.

Why click-driven media failed—and what we're building instead.

Peter Cellino·Aug 7, 2025

dispatches

What Happens When Digital Advertising Collapses?

Note from the Publisher — The Attention Economy Is a Lemon. Here's Why We're Not Selling It.

Peter Cellino·Jul 28, 2025

dispatches

Local News Revenue Fix: AEO, SEO & LEO

The Money Hole — Google and Facebook now take 63 percent of U.S. digital ad spend.

Peter Cellino·Jul 8, 2025

dispatches

How Private Equity Gutted Local Newspapers: A Data-Driven Autopsy

The Deal Playbook — Private-equity firms do not buy newspapers for journalism. They buy distressed cash flow.

Peter Cellino·Jun 14, 2025

dispatches

How the Attention-Merchant Ad Model Bankrupted Local Newspapers

A Penny Bought Attention, Not News. Benjamin Day launched the New York Sun in 1833 at one cent.

Peter Cellino·Jun 14, 2025

dispatches

Ghost Papers: How Hedge Funds Hollowed Out Local Newsrooms

The Lights Are On, but Nobody's Home. Walk into the Hartford Courant newsroom and you'll hear more echoes than phone rings.

Peter Cellino·Jun 14, 2025