Tired of watching your town’s news vanish into rumor threads and paywalled dead ends? We sat down with Michael Shapiro, founder and CEO of Tap Into, to explore how a revenue-first franchise model is rebuilding local journalism while giving small businesses a powerful digital voice. What started with a personal wake-up call became a network nearing 100 sites across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida—each delivering free, objective reporting and a daily newsletter that neighbors actually read.
Michael shares the origin story that pushed him from law into community news, then breaks down the engine behind sustainable growth: a diversified advertising stack, a lean but focused corporate team, and a product roadmap driven by franchisees, readers, and advertisers. We unpack the “virtuous circle” at the heart of the model—trusted coverage brings readers, readers support local advertisers, and that revenue funds more reporting—creating a feedback loop strong enough to chip away at news deserts nationwide.
We also get candid about the human side of scaling. Michael admits he delegated customer support too late and paid for it with burnout and slower growth. The fix came with process, people, and a personal touch: a dedicated support team, monthly collaboration calls, and open calendar time to stay close to franchisees. To protect objectivity, Tap Into uses franchisee advisory and approval councils that screen for mission fit and filter out political agendas—a crucial safeguard for credibility in local news.
Where does it go from here? We weigh the trade-offs between steady bootstrapped expansion and partnering to reach hundreds more communities faster. Plus, Michael introduces Hyperlocal News Network, which licenses their platform to existing newspapers and magazines, helping legacy publishers modernize and monetize digital. Want to bring trustworthy reporting back to your town or level up your publication’s tech? Subscribe, share this episode with a neighbor who cares about local news, and leave a review with the one question you want every local newsroom to answer.