In February 2022, KHOL partnered with a local newspaper, the Jackson Hole News&Guide, and the statewide publication WyoFile to host a night behind the scenes of local news. The event, called “Local Live,” featured print, radio and photojournalists from all three publications sharing the stories behind their reporting. The goal was to showcase the hard work of local journalists and build trust among our combined audiences. KHOL spearheaded the partnership, working with the national start-up Back Pocket Media, which provided the event template.
Local Live marked the first collaboration between the three newsrooms involved and helped cement KHOL’s place among local, reputable news sources. Our station was founded in 2008 but didn’t heavily invest in professionalizing our newsroom until 2019, so sharing a stage with two well-known Wyoming publications was a new milestone for our journalistic impact. We also made important connections for future stories at the event with several newsmakers who attended, courted new donors and reached a larger audience for our work.