This journalist left a comfy job at Meta to launch two Substack titles that bring essential news and updates to local audiences. The formula has proved a hit, and many others now follow suit
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Andrew Patterson / Michael MacLeod
Michael MacLeod writes two daily newsletters called The Edinburgh Minute and The London Minute, sent to a combined mailing list of 25,000 free subscribers, and thousands of paid subscribers.
These ‘Minute’ newsletters offer a comprehensive run-down of all the latest local updates, from what's on events to the big news stories, in an easy-to-read, 60-second digest.
What’s more, many other people are copying or adapting Michael’s ‘Minute’ format of late, like Sam Shedden’s The Melbourne Snap down under in Australia, or closer to home in The Early Line, covering the whole of Scotland by former Scotsman editor Neil McIntosh.
MacLeod discusses the decision to walk away from a comfy job with Meta to start his solo endeavour, his tried-and-tested growth tactics, and the frosty reception his titles have gotten at times from the news industry.
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