What does it take to build a thriving local media business in the age of newsletters, short attention spans, and economic uncertainty? Scott Brodbeck has the answers—because he’s been living them since 2010.
As the founder of ARLnow and head of six publications under the Local News Now (LNN) umbrella, Scott has quietly become one of the most successful operators in local digital journalism. In a candid and deeply insightful conversation, he unpacks how he transitioned from a police-scanner-obsessed kid to running a multimillion-pageview operation, and how others can do the same—if they're willing to play the long game.
Whether you're just launching a newsletter or thinking about expanding into a full-blown media brand, this breakdown of Scott’s journey will spark ideas and deliver serious strategic value.
From Breaking News Junkie to Publisher
Scott's obsession with local news began with a police scanner and a bike.
While many new newsletter creators are just discovering the world of local media, Scott's roots go back to covering fires and crashes as a kid. After a stint in TV news and a Georgetown MBA, he saw the writing on the wall for traditional media—and decided to launch his own site, starting with ARLnow in Arlington, Virginia.
“There was a void,” he said. “The local paper was geared toward seniors. No one was talking about new bars, events, restaurant openings. So I decided to fill it.”
That instinct to serve the underserved, plus his willingness to show up at crime scenes and break news, helped build trust and a loyal audience. It wasn’t a newsletter-first model, but it was deeply community-first—and that made all the difference.
The secret to Scott’s sustained growth: diversify content and distribution.
While most new media startups are newsletter-first, Scott flipped the script. His approach has always been website with newsletter support—not the other way around.
“We’ve always had an automated newsletter,” he explained, “but the real content lives on the site. That lets us use social, search, and newsletter as multiple distribution channels.”
Why that matters:
More surface area for monetization (ads, branded content, memberships)
Diversified traffic sources (not reliant on inboxes)
More freedom to experiment with formats and revenue streams
It's not about which platform wins—it's about playing the full field.
Automation: The Silent Force Behind the Operation
Scott built a machine. Literally.
Most media businesses fail to scale because they get buried under manual work. Not Scott. His entire tech stack—from publishing to newsletters to ad reporting—is powered by no-code automation tools like Zapier and Airtable.
Some examples:
Automated daily newsletter generation (via custom HTML and Zapier)
Events moderation powered by AI
Email stat reports that self-generate and send to advertisers
“I almost doubled my staff capacity with automation,” Scott shared. “Once you build it, the dividends are incredible.”
And here’s the best part: he built it all himself, without being a professional coder.
Monetization: Ads Still Work—If You Know How to Sell
Scott’s revenue engine is built on advertising—but it’s far from one-dimensional.
His monetization mix includes:
Programmatic ads: 5–10 CPM across 6–8 million monthly pageviews
Direct sold ads: The lion’s share, driven by two local sales reps
Self-serve ad tools: Events, announcements, and more
Memberships: Ad-free newsletters and enhanced user experience
Branded content: For high-value local campaigns
Key to success: a great product that people want to advertise in. “Inbound leads are our biggest source,” he explained. “But outbound helps plant seeds that sprout six months later.”
And to maximize value for partners? He avoids being precious. “I used to be too idealistic about things like programmatic ads. But now I see them as essential fuel for our editorial work.”
Building a Local Network, One Partner at a Time
Scott’s growth strategy now includes partnerships with local publishers.
Through LNN, he supports three partner publications by:
Hosting their sites (on his WordPress infrastructure)
Selling their ads (via his sales team)
Sharing revenue (instead of charging upfront fees)
“It’s revenue share, no nickel-and-diming,” he said. “We eat the cost and make it back with scale.”
The model works because:
It removes technical and sales barriers for partners
It gives advertisers regional reach across multiple trusted brands
It helps everyone focus on what they do best
He’s not chasing national scale—but he is bullish on growing deeper in local communities.
Audience Growth: Organic First, Paid Smartly
Scott’s 45,000 newsletter subscribers came mostly through content, not spend.
While he’s run lead-gen ads before, his best readers still come from organic growth—usually sparked by breaking news, viral stories, or consistent coverage of community-relevant issues.
That said, he’s open to more paid acquisition now—but cautiously. Mailchimp pricing quirks (legacy plan limitations) have made subscriber growth a strategic decision.
His advice for newcomers: “Use newsletters early to build loyal readers. But once you cross 10,000 subs or $100k–$200k in revenue, it’s time to build a full site and expand distribution.”
Bringing It All Together
Scott Brodbeck didn’t follow the newsletter playbook—he wrote his own.
With a relentless focus on local, smart automation, diversified monetization, and a long-term mindset, he’s built a model that not only works, but lasts.
The biggest takeaway? This is a long game. If you're building trust, showing up for your community, and creating systems that scale, your odds of winning go way up.
“If you really have the audience and they’re engaged, it’s going to happen.”
How I Can Help You Succeed
Before we dive into this week's insights, I want to make sure you know about all the resources available to support your local newsletter journey:
🎙️ The Podcast - Deep-dive conversations with successful newsletter operators sharing their playbooks and lessons learned | Link
📧 This Weekly Newsletter - Quick, actionable tips delivered straight to your inbox every week | Link
🧠 1:1 Consulting - Personalized guidance tailored to your specific newsletter challenges Link
🚀 Launch Accelerator - A structured program to help you go from idea to profitable newsletter in record time | Link
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Discover all these resources and more at localnewsletterinsider.com
Yes
