Boots on the Ground: How Salem Reporter Keeps It Real

Welcome to this week's episode of What's Happening Salem!

In this episode, Jacob Espinoza sits down with Rachel from Salem Reporter to discuss:

• The future of local journalism and what sets community-rooted reporters apart in the age of AI.
• Salem's downtown development saga — the State and Commercial site's $5 million history, environmental hurdles, and what's next.
• Local elections and how Salem Reporter is approaching candidate coverage and civic engagement.
• The challenge of moderating online discourse and why moving comments off Facebook has been a win.
• Building community trust through in-person events, Reddit engagement, and showing up as real people.
• And much more!

Timestamps:

00:00 – Morning routines, circadian rhythms, and the art of doing things your own way

05:12 – The easy button approach to podcasting and why low barriers matter

06:00 – Being recognized in Salem and why people are nicer in person than online

09:15 – Moving comments from Facebook to Salem Reporter's own site

11:00 – Deep engagement vs. 22-second videos: where local journalism fits

21:00 – The State and Commercial development site: $5 million spent, environmental contamination, and financing struggles

27:00 – Urban renewal debates and community reactions to the story

29:30 – Salem Reporter's "Whatever Happened To" feature and doubling back on old stories

29:45 – Local elections, candidate coverage, and getting people engaged in city politics

43:45 – Leadership books, storytelling, and sharpening journalism skills

45:30 – Why in-person community building is the future of local media

48:00 – What AI can't replicate: local context, relationships, and caring about Salem

51:00 – Building trust through years of consistent, community-centered reporting

54:30 – Wrapping up at Metronome Studios + April 24th show at the Grand Theater