By Marissa Campo and Carol Gillis, AWC Detroit Marketing Committee

Major news corporations are our dominant media source today, consistently reporting high viewership numbers, being quoted as official sources in online articles and featuring top public figures to discuss trending topics. It’s nearly impossible to sit in the waiting room at a doctor’s appointment or eat lunch at a restaurant without the news playing in the background.

So, where does that leave local papers and online publications? The small, independent news outlets are working even harder to make a difference in their cities despite advertising challenges and changing audience preferences for news sources. They understand that local newspapers are critical to our democracy and maintaining strong communities.  Joni Hubred, founder and publisher of the Farmington Voice has dedicated the last seven years of her career to bringing valuable pieces to the Farmington and Farmington Hills communities.

 Finding her voice

 In the mid-1980s, Hubred landed a job at a small-town weekly newspaper in Minnesota, which set the stage for her 30-year career as an award-winning reporter and editor.  Just before the turn of the century, she moved to Michigan to work with Observer & Eccentric newspapers and won journalism awards for breaking news, column and editorial writing.  Joni then spent a few years in public relations and marketing and jumped at the opportunity to get involved in online news when she launched the AOL Patch.com local news and website in Farmington and Farmington Hills.  In 2014, amidst massive company layoffs, Hubred was inspired to independently launch FarmingtonVoice.com and serve the same communities.

Over the past seven years, “The Voice” has gained a solid following, with an average 40,000+ unique visitors each month. In 2020, Farmington Voice broke 1 million total page views due to locally focused COVID-19 reporting funded by a $25,000 Facebook Journalism Grant. And income from a solid core of advertisers allows for continued growth.

Hubred is a multi-talented entrepreneur, communications advocate, award-winning journalist and author of the thrilling Nikki Nielsen mystery series.

“When I started the Farmington Voice, monetizing scared me the most,” said Hubred. “Every person doing independent news back then struggled with the same thing. I joined LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers for support but it took one local person encouraging me and pledging advertising dollars to make a difference. He helped me see that the Farmington Voice was a community partner, not just an advertising vehicle.”

An ever-evolving industry

Recently, we’ve witnessed historic shifts in the public’s perception of news coverage and the fight to keep local journalism alive. For an experienced journalist like Hubred, these changes are exciting, but leave some lingering concerns.

“Almost 35 years ago, I heard computers and PDFs would transform the news industry. Who knows what’s coming 30 years from now?! I do worry about careless journalism and media consolidation and disinvestment in local news.”

When asked what her thoughts are on the next generation of journalists, Hubred was enthusiastic about the possibilities: “I’ve watched scores of passionate entrepreneurs succeed with nonprofit, for-profit, and B corp news websites. They inspire my optimism about the future of news.”

Joni recently moved back to Minnesota for family reasons but continues to operate Farmington Voice with the help of freelance creators and a deeply supportive community. 

Congratulations to Joni on her well deserved Media Room Spotlight recognition!