While most news publishing outlets are downsizing, the Hearst Connecticut Media Group (HCMG) continues to grow its operations with a recent expansion statewide and in Greater Hartford, the backyard of the now hedge fund-owned Harford Courant. In March 2022, HCMG announced hiring 13 new staff members, including 11 journalists who will focus their reporting on statewide topics, and local news and enterprise in the state capital area. They will publish that content online within the one-year-old CTInsider.com website and eight daily newspapers and community weekly publications.
As E&P reported one year ago, CTInsider.com began a major expansion for HCMG to become a statewide news powerhouse. Today it seems that they are well on their way to achieving their goal of having 100,000+ paid print and digital subscribers across their entire network. Furthermore, HCMG has also seen consecutive monthly growth in digital subscriptions since early 2019.
In this 143rd episode of "E&P Reports," we revisit with Mike DeLuca, Group Publisher and President of Hearst Connecticut (HCMG), and Wendy Metcalfe, the Senior Vice President of Content & Editor-in-Chief, about the strategies and formulas they are deploying to become what is now is arguably the most successful local news operation in the nation in achieving reader growth.
