
What If Your Runway Is Weeks, Not Months? with Olivia Messer
From Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle by Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle
May 20, 2026 · 51 min
About this episode
Olivia Messer discusses the challenges and realities of running an independent Texas newsroom.
Olivia Messer, journalist, novelist, and editor-in-chief of The Barbed Wire, joins us to talk about what it actually looks like to run an independent Texas newsroom. We get into why virality and revenue have essentially no relationship to each other, what she learned sitting on the management side of a union negotiation for the first time, and what happens to your own creativity when every single day is a budget meeting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Hosts: Ana Marie Cox, Open Mike Eagle
Guest: Olivia Messer
Topics covered
- independent journalism
- Texas newsroom
- union negotiation
- creativity
- budget management
Keywords
- journalism
- virality
- revenue
- union
- creativity
- budget
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Barbed Wire
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