During COVID-19, we collectively needed local journalists more than ever. What’s open? Who is delivering? Where are the outbreaks? Thing is, at the same time local newsrooms were hurting bad; slashed advertising budgets meant furloughs, job losses, and closings.

Google, in partnership with Local Media Consortium and Local Media Association, sprang into action. They marshaled a $20M ad budget and bought print and digital ads in publications nationwide, big and small, across the political spectrum, and serving diverse communities.

The Support Local News advocacy campaign urged readers to subscribe, companies to bring back their advertising spends, and citizens to donate to the newsrooms that work in their communities.

It was a heck of a challenge to manage all the different placements, languages, and modifiable toolkits for publishers. Couldn’t have done it without Selman Design leading the production rollout of our creative.