Leaders in local journalism + AI
Hacks/Hackers is building a list of thinkers, innovators and builders who are thoughtfully navigating AI's impact on local journalism.
As newsrooms continue to grapple with rapidly emerging new technologies and a continuously shifting business landscape, Hacks/Hackers is building a list of thinkers, innovators and builders who are thoughtfully navigating AI's impact on local journalism.
If you or someone you know should be on this list, contact Burt Herman by email at: burt@hackshackers.com
Alex Rosen
Alex Rosen is the founder and Executive Director of See Gov, a nonprofit with a mission to expand thoughtful and consistent participation in democracy, starting with local government. He leads the organization in building technology that helps journalists and civic creators ensure residents are well-informed about their local governments, the issues shaping their community, and how their elected leaders govern. His work is driven by a career building businesses with emerging technology and a lifelong passion for strengthening democracy.
Darla Cameron
Darla Cameron is the chief product officer at The Texas Tribune. She guides product development and management, engineering and design, working closely across the organization to deliver the Tribune’s journalism in fresh and innovative ways that build trust with more Texans. Darla was previously the managing editor for visual journalism, overseeing the work of the photo, multimedia and data visuals teams. She also served as the Tribune's data visuals editor, leading a team of developers at the intersection of graphics and news applications. Before moving to Texas, Darla worked at The Washington Post and the Tampa Bay Times. She has served on the board of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
Emma Patti
Emma Patti is the Managing Editor overseeing digital, audience, visuals and regional coverage for The Baltimore Banner. Prior to joining The Banner, she led several news organizations’ digital and visual strategy including Education Week and The Baltimore Sun. During her tenure at The Sun, she helped the organization become a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize after the death of Freddie Gray and the riots in Baltimore. Emma has a degree in photojournalism and multimedia from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Baltimore with her partner, son, 2 dogs and 57 house plants.
Matt Boggie
Matt Boggie is the Chief Technology and Product Officer at The Philadelphia Inquirer. He is responsible for the technology and product strategy supporting The Inquirer's growth and sustainability, focusing on reaching young, diverse audiences and simplifying editorial workflow through better tooling. Throughout his career he has been a media innovator, serving as the second employee and founding CTO of Axios, Executive Director of the New York Times's R&D Lab, and as a consultant in Accenture's Media and Entertainment practice. Matt is a graduate of Boston University, where he earned a degree in computer science, and resides with his family in Brooklyn.
Mark Talkington
Mark Talkington is a retired Microsoft veteran who owns and operates a pair of successful community news outlets in Southern California’s Coachella Valley – The Palm Springs Post and Indio Post. In 2024, he co-founded and launched Satchel, an innovative platform designed to support local journalists by using AI to enhance the efficiency and quality of news reporting. He and his small staff use a variety of AI tools to streamline editorial operations, allowing them to produce 10 times the amount of content in 10% of the time it used to take.
Simon Galperin
Simon Galperin is an award-winning immigrant journalist, technologist, and organizer. He is the founder and Executive Editor of The Jersey Bee, a nonprofit local news provider, and CEO of Community Info Coop, a nonprofit leading journalism innovation in the public interest.
At The Jersey Bee, Simon leads product, editorial, and business development to meet the civic information needs of BIPOC and working-class communities in New Jersey. At Community Info Coop, he supports policy, organizing, and practice change programs to make journalism and media more representative of people’s needs.
Simon is a 2022 John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University, a 2019 Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellow at the University of Missouri, and received his M.A. in Social Journalism in 2016 from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
Vania André
Vania André is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Haitian Times. Under her leadership, The Haitian Times has evolved from a local weekly publication to a globally recognized brand, chronicling the vibrant Haitian community across borders. With over a decade of dedicated service, Vania oversees all facets of editorial, product, audience engagement, and business operations, collaborating closely with the executive team to drive organizational strategy and implementation. She specializes in AI and automation integration for newsroom operations, and is an assistant professor of journalism, media studies, and public relations at The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University.