Life & Work with Tim Hofmann of Hilliard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Hofmann.

Hi Tim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In early 2023, Franklin Street Creative launched the Hilliard Beacon to fill the local news gap created when the local print newspaper ThisWeek Hilliard shut down.

Since then we’ve published news for our neighbors covering local development, city and township government issues and Hilliard City School District happenings. We publish written articles weekly and also produce the Audio Companion, a weekly podcast featuring news analysis and a variety of guests that shed light on issues important to the people of Hilliard and beyond.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Once we got into the rhythm of publishing regularly (which did not take long) our readership grew quickly. The growth slowed after the first year but we continue to add subscribers at a steady rate.

The struggles come from outside the Beacon; the three of us working on the project have very busy full-time careers.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work a lot!

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Local News is on the ropes in 2026.

Over the preceding decade or so, widespread media consolidation has resulted in the demise of hundreds of local news sources, especially local print edition newspapers.

Sensational and outrage-based news cycles have left local news behind- it’s difficult to make the daily events of local governance interesting to a populace addicted to scrolling.

In the Central Ohio region, many large communities have no dedicated local news provider.

Local news providers in the form of print or electronic publications are disappearing faster than projects like the Beacon are popping up. I hope that trend eases or reverses; time will tell.

My experience indicates there is a very limited number of people interested in engaging with news on the local level unless something urgent and impactful pops up.

Pricing:

• $5/month or $55 annually

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com