The Philadelphia Inquirer is a typical big city newspaper that's been in retreat for a generation. Now under a unique nonprofit ownership structure, the Inquirer grew revenue last year and turned an operating profit. CEO Lisa Hughes, the former New Yorker chief business officer who took the role in 2020, has focused on shifting to a consumer revenue model — 70% of revenue now comes from readers through subscriptions, events, and donations. She discusses what's working: an AI tool called Scribe that monitors 30 municipal meetings to power hyperlocal suburban newsletters getting 75% open rates, a reinvented sales operation built around branded content and corporate reputation, a content strategy organized around being "useful, revealing, and responsive" rather than chasing prizes, and an aggressive regional expansion into South Jersey and beyond to grow the addressable market. Plus: the case for still printing a seven-day newspaper, why weekend content was a hidden growth lever, and what it means to "feed your Philly bias."
