National Trust for Local News Launches Digital Agency to Diversify Revenue and Grow Impact

As the National Trust for Local News works to transform community news assets to grow the reach and impact of local journalism, the nonprofit today announced the launch of its new digital marketing agency, Switchline Digital. Led by experienced executives at the National Trust, Switchline will provide human-led, AI-driven marketing strategies for businesses across every industry.

“Switchline Digital represents one example of the National Trust for Local News’s enhanced focus on diversifying and growing earned revenue, which enables us to reinvest in our newsrooms and in the quality journalism that defines our local news organizations,” said Ross McDuffie, chief portfolio officer for the National Trust.

McDuffie, along with the National Trust’s CEO Tom Wiley and agency principal Jeff Mason, saw an opportunity to build a modern, digital agency aligned with a larger mission: to help local businesses thrive and strengthen the news that holds communities together. The Atlanta-based agency will have a national reach, with a product stack designed to drive results in any market.

“As news and marketing industry veterans, we understand the needs of business owners and advertisers for accelerated digital marketing tactics,” said Mason. “We believe high-quality digital marketing should be accessible to everyone. Switchline Digital exists to bring AI-based growth strategies to large brands as well as the small businesses that keep local economies running.”

Switchline relies on a proven model that drove $1 million in incremental topline revenue for the Maine Trust for Local News over 24 months.  

“This is another great example of how we can channel innovations across the National Trust’s three-state footprint to drive new opportunities for transformative advancement across the organization,” said McDuffie.

In a nod to its homebase, Switchline Digital’s name is inspired by the historic railroad switchyards of the American South. The idea that in a switchyard, every connection matters and every route has a destination, translates well to how Switchline Digital approaches marketing strategies for its customers.

As AI reshapes how customers discover and choose brands, and how businesses interact, Switchline’s strength will lie with personalized account service that leverages the power of AI to assess a company’s current marketing efforts, identify high-value strategies and build a digital marketing roadmap with measurable outcomes. 

“Switchline Digital is built for organizations that are curious about AI but lack a clear path to integrating it into their marketing operations,” said Mason. “We’re excited to offer that expertise to our clients – helping them grow their businesses, while also supporting the continued advancement and impact of our nonprofit local news operation.”