#77 - The Biggest Deals Get Made When Nobody’s Paying Attention.

Award-winning journalist Miranda Spivack joins the show for a conversation about why local journalism matters now more than ever. We discuss how the consolidation of media ownership by billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and others is reshaping news coverage, why strong local reporting remains essential to holding power accountable, and what happens when communities lose their watchdogs. We also explore the growing impact of AI data centers on local communities, the challenges citizens face in making their voices heard, and why some of the biggest national stories begin with reporters covering city halls, school boards, and neighborhood issues. Miranda is the author of Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back, a timely look at the local journalists and citizens working to expose corruption and fight for transparency. If you care about accountability, democracy, and the future of journalism, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. @michaelregilio