Deep South Today is three years old, and its trajectory offers a case study in how nonprofit news can scale. The network now includes Mississippi Today, which began modestly a decade ago: on Adam Ganucheau's first day, the office had no Wi-Fi and he used an upside-down cardboard box as a desk. That same newsroom has since earned a Pulitzer Prize.
The network's current position sits between two goals: remaining lean and mean, as the Nieman Lab article puts it, while also pursuing aggressive expansion. Deep South Today is described as one of three such operations, though the excerpt does not name the others. The contrast between its humble beginnings and its present status suggests the growth has been deliberate but not without tension.
For the broader society of local news, the lesson is that nonprofit models can produce both journalistic recognition and regional reach. The challenge, as the source indicates, is threading the needle between staying efficient and seizing opportunities to grow.