Lookout Local is celebrating its five-year anniversary after launching in November 2020 during a period of exceptional disruption for local journalism and American communities.
Founded by longtime newsroom leader Ken Doctor, Lookout Santa Cruz began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, following devastating wildfires in Santa Cruz County and amid nationwide protests after the murder of George Floyd. Despite those conditions, the digital-only newsroom has grown into a multi-market operation with 38 full-time employees and national recognition for its reporting.
Building a newsroom with scale and intention
Doctor founded Lookout after decades of experience in traditional and digital newsrooms, followed by years as a media analyst, consultant and writer covering business models for journalism. He said frustration with declining local news coverage in his own community pushed him to act.
Rather than launching a small experiment, Doctor said Lookout required real investment and professional staffing from the beginning.
“What it needs is really good capital,” he said. “‘Because it’s a business, it needs investment capital. It needs to be big enough, and it needs to be really important, journalistically good enough, and it needs to be a serious business.”
Lookout raised $2.4 million in its initial Santa Cruz fundraising round, allowing it to hire reporters, editors and business staff capable of producing comprehensive daily coverage from launch.
Pulitzer recognition for breaking news
In 2024, Lookout Santa Cruz won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of catastrophic flooding and storms across the region. Doctor said the award was the result of preparation, staffing and sustained reporting over several months.
“Everybody worked their tails off for a really three-month period,” he said. “It was both the words, the speed of reacting, of telling people about community resources and the visuals, the photography that really captured the moments, all of that.”
Community-first distribution and visibility
Ashley Harmon, Lookout Local’s chief of staff, joined Lookout Santa Cruz when it was about six months old and was the first hire on the business team. She said community connection has been central to both editorial and business decisions.
“We call our business team, ‘Community and Commerce,’” Harmon said. “So we really are focused on those two things of being as fiercely mission-driven and business-driven to make this a sustainable enterprise, keep it going for generations to come.”
Harmon said Lookout does not rely solely on audiences coming to its website.
“We don’t expect people to come to our site or come to us,” she said. “We need to be able to go to them.”
That includes newsletters, Instagram updates, short-form video and a proprietary mobile app.
The newsroom also emphasizes strong reporter visibility across platforms.
“You’re not just getting your news from Lookout,” Harmon said. “You’re getting it from Hillary. You’re getting it from Tania, and you’re getting it from Max.”
Expansion into Oregon
Earlier this year, Lookout launched Lookout Eugene-Springfield, marking its first expansion beyond California. Doctor said the choice of Eugene came from both timing and opportunity.
“It was somewhat serendipity and, and somewhat maybe foretold,” he said.
Doctor said Eugene fit a familiar pattern: a college town with a strong journalism audience and a diminished chain-owned newspaper.
He added that Eugene benefited from lessons learned in Santa Cruz.
“We saw a ramp of two to four times faster in Eugene than Santa Cruz,” he said. “That’s because we had learned a lot.”
Profitability and growth ahead
Doctor said Lookout Santa Cruz became profitable in 2025, supported primarily by reader revenue and advertising.
Looking ahead, Lookout plans to add three more news organizations over the coming years, supported by a national team focused on product, revenue development, and content systems.
Doctor said he believes local journalism is entering a new era.
“It’s an unprecedented opportunity to recreate what local news means in a community,” he said.
Harmon said optimism comes from the people joining the organization.
“There are really amazing people out there who are going to add so much to the teams,” she said.
Five years after launching in crisis, Lookout Local now stands as a working model for how community journalism can grow, scale and succeed — with ambition, investment and local trust at its core.
**
FAQs
What is Lookout Local?
Lookout Local is a digital-only local news organization founded in 2020 by media veteran Ken Doctor. It operates newsroom sites in Santa Cruz, California, and Eugene-Springfield, Oregon, focused on community reporting, reader revenue, and sustainable local journalism.
When did Lookout Local launch?
Lookout Santa Cruz launched in November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lookout Eugene-Springfield launched in early 2025 as the organization’s second newsroom.
Who founded Lookout Local?
Lookout Local was founded by Ken Doctor, a longtime journalist, newsroom leader, and media analyst with decades of experience in digital journalism and local news business models.
Why is Lookout Local considered a model for local journalism?
Lookout Local combines full-scale professional newsrooms, diversified revenue streams and strong community engagement. Unlike many startups, it launched with significant capital investment to support daily coverage and sustainable growth.
Is Lookout Local a nonprofit?
No. Lookout Local operates as a for-profit public benefit company. Its mission centers on producing high-quality community journalism while maintaining a sustainable business model.
How does Lookout Local make money?
Revenue primarily comes from reader subscriptions or memberships, local advertising, and sponsorships. Philanthropic funding supported initial launches but is not the organization’s primary long-term revenue source.
Has Lookout Local won any major journalism awards?
Yes. Lookout Santa Cruz won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2024 for its coverage of severe flooding and storms in California.
What role does community engagement play at Lookout Local?
Community engagement is central to both editorial and business strategy. Lookout emphasizes reporter visibility, attends community events, partners with local organizations, and distributes news through newsletters, social platforms and a proprietary mobile app.
Why did Lookout Local expand to Eugene-Springfield?
Eugene-Springfield presented strong audience demand for local journalism following the decline of its legacy newspaper. The market’s university community, civic engagement levels, and community support made it a strong fit for Lookout’s model.
Is Lookout Local profitable?
Lookout Santa Cruz reached profitability in 2025. The organization expects different timelines to profitability across markets based on community size, investment levels, and local conditions.
How many people work at Lookout Local?
As of 2025, Lookout Local employs approximately 38 full-time staff members across its Santa Cruz and Eugene-Springfield operations.
What technology does Lookout Local use?
Lookout Local is digital-only and uses newsletters, websites, mobile apps and short-form video to distribute its journalism. The organization is also exploring AI tools to improve workflows, product development and audience retention.
What are Lookout Local’s expansion plans?
Lookout Local plans to add three additional newsrooms over the coming years. Future growth will be supported by a national team focused on content systems, product development, and revenue strategy, while maintaining local autonomy in each market.
What lessons can other publishers learn from Lookout Local?
Key lessons include launching with sufficient capital, investing in professional staff, prioritizing community trust, diversifying revenue and designing operations for digital distribution from the start.
**
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7j9V1imhujwJq4nYWh9QCV
🎧 Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-lookout-local-is-proving-local-journalism-can-work/id1808196993?i=1000740413178
🎧 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE1F8f1f6IY
If you’ve listened to and enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review. That helps platform algorithms surface the content so that it can benefit other newsrooms.
Editor’s note: Artificial Intelligence was used to transcribe and create an initial summary of this article, which was then edited by LMA staff.