dispatches
Farmington Arrest Log, Two Versions: Weekly vs. Daily
Two publications cover the same Farmington, Connecticut police arrest log. One publishes weekly with five data fields and a wall of ads.
Peter Cellino·Apr 14, 2026
Topic
Local News Crisis
dispatches
Publishers Losing Facebook and Google Traffic
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
Panda Fest Charlotte Reopened After Fire Marshal Closed It
The fire marshal closed the gates Friday night, and the festival had reopened by Saturday morning.
Peter Cellino·Sep 13, 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 27, 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 7, 2025
dispatches
Charlotte Mercury Launches Today, Building News in Public
We Open the Doors Today. Charlotte Mercury hits send this morning. No paywall, no tracking pixels.
Peter Cellino·Jul 5, 2025
dispatches
How Private Equity Gutted Local Newspapers: A Data Autopsy
The Deal Playbook — Private-equity firms do not buy newspapers for journalism. They buy distressed cash flow.
Peter Cellino·Jun 13, 2025
dispatches
How the Attention-Merchant Ad Model Bankrupted Local Papers
A Penny Bought Attention, Not News. Benjamin Day launched the New York Sun in 1833 at one cent.
Peter Cellino·Jun 13, 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 13, 2025