As traditional media models falter and trust in institutions wanes, a new wave of entrepreneurial journalists is rising to fill the void—especially in underserved communities.
At the forefront of this movement is Vancouver-based Indiegraf, a startup empowering local news founders with a comprehensive technology platform designed to make independent journalism sustainable.
In this exclusive interview, Indiegraf Co-Founder and CEO Erin Millar shares how the company is closing critical gaps in the media ecosystem, equipping local publishers with tools to grow their audiences, earn revenue, and rebuild civic trust from the ground up.
From Georgia’s century-old newspapers to grassroots startups in Palm Springs, Indiegraf is enabling a new generation of media entrepreneurs to thrive where legacy outlets have failed.
Indiegraf offers a fully integrated suite of tools for news entrepreneurs. What gaps in the independent media landscape are you aiming to fill with this comprehensive platform?
EM: We’re living through a realignment in media—journalists, creators, and communities are walking away from institutional brands and building their own platforms. From Call Her Daddy to Joe Rogan to Substack stars, we’re seeing the rise of independent media entrepreneurs. But in local news, that shift has been harder—too many tech and business barriers.
Indiegraf exists to change that. We offer an integrated platform that makes it possible for local journalist-entrepreneurs to build sustainable news businesses from the ground up. Website, email, reader revenue, advertising, analytics—it’s all in one place, so they can focus on building trust with their communities, not wrangling tech.
We’re not just building tools. We’re enabling a movement of local information influencers who are rebuilding the civic fabric of their communities.
How does Indiegraf’s technology make it possible for quality local journalism to thrive in communities that have traditionally been underserved or overlooked?
EM: The decline of traditional local media has created dangerous gaps in trusted information—especially in rural, lower-income and racialized communities. In the U.S., nearly a fifth of Americans—over 70 million people—now live in news poverty, lacking access to reliable local news sources. Similarly, in Canada, approximately 2.5 million people face the same issue, residing in communities with virtually no access to local news.
When we don’t have reliable information about what is happening in our communities, civic engagement drops. People don’t vote. They don’t volunteer. They don’t trust each other.
But there’s good news: research shows that trusted, relevant local news can counteract polarization and rebuild civic trust. The challenge is making it viable as a business.
That’s where Indiegraf comes in. We reduce the cost and complexity of launching and growing a local news business, so community-based publishers—many of whom are women, people of color, and first-time founders—can thrive in places that traditional models left behind.
Can you share examples of how Indiegraf’s tools, like website management, email, reader payments, and ad platforms, work together to support publishers at every stage of their growth?
EM: Sure—think of Indiegraf as the Shopify for local media. One example: the Palm Springs Post started as a newsletter on Substack. They topped out there at several hundred readers who pitched in a few bucks each month to support the work.
Using Indiegraf, founder Mark Talkington launched a full website, added reader memberships, and started monetizing through ads—all without hiring a business team. The Post now reaches half the homes in Palm Springs, generates over $250k annually and their team just launched a new publication – The Indio Post – in an adjacent community.
On the other side of the life cycle, Indiegraf helped 19 local newspapers in Georgia – some over a century old – launch news websites, transforming old print models into modern audience businesses. Indiegraf’s tools are backed by a support model that grows with the publisher — whether they’re just starting out or scaling a multi-site operation.
Indiegraf’s founders are reimagining the future of independent news. What innovative business models or services are you most excited about right now?
EM: We’re excited about people-powered news. In a world where trust in media is at an all-time low, audiences are turning to individual creators, journalists, and influencers who feel authentic and relatable. We’re building tools and services that let local publishers tap into that trust economy—with scalable revenue models, automation, and fractional growth services that mirror the creator economy.
Our News Startup Fund, for example, lets us invest in early-stage news startups by subsidizing services upfront, providing growth grants and sharing in their revenue as they grow. It’s like venture capital for mission-driven media—but designed to protect public benefit, not extract from it.
In an era of declining trust in media, how does Indiegraf help publishers build stronger relationships with their audiences and ensure the sustainability of local journalism?
EM: Audiences don’t trust media institutions—but they do trust people. Especially local people who live in their community and share their experiences.
Indiegraf helps local media show up not as faceless brands, but as real humans doing journalism that matters. Our tools support direct communication—via newsletters, donation campaigns, events, WhatsApp and more—so publishers can build relationships, not just traffic.
Trust isn’t a marketing challenge. It’s a design principle. And we’re building the future of local journalism around it.
Looking ahead, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges for making quality journalism accessible to every community, regardless of economic status or geography?
EM: The biggest opportunity is the rise of entrepreneurial journalists. People who don’t want to wait for legacy media to fix itself. They want to build something new, rooted in their communities, with transparency and trust at the core.
But they can’t do it alone. We need to make it as easy to manage a comprehensive local news business as it is to start a podcast or Substack. That means lowering costs, streamlining workflows, and helping publishers earn a living through reader support, advertising, and grants—without compromising their independence.
The challenge? Scale and capital. Indiegraf is tackling that too—by partnering with venture funds, foundations, media groups, and investors who understand that a healthy democracy depends on a healthy information ecosystem—and that’s good business for everyone.
To coincide with Web Summit, indiegraf CEO Erin Millar is launching a brand new newsletter called Her Startup Life: The messy middle of building something that matters. Subscribe here.
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