Five Dubs Podcast
In this episode, Rebecca talks with Zuri Berry, Montgomery County editor at The Baltimore Banner, about the organization’s expansion into one of Maryland’s largest and most underserved news markets. Zuri explains how the new Montgomery County bureau came together—from market research and community listening sessions to building a nine-person newsroom from scratch.
They discuss the challenges of launching coverage in a county of more than one million people, the importance of balancing breaking news with enterprise reporting, and how community engagement helps shape what the newsroom covers. Zuri also shares early lessons from the bureau’s first months, how the Banner approaches audience growth and social media, and what the expansion could mean for future regional coverage across the state.