Over the past 15 years, 20 percent of all newspapers in this country have shuttered, and more than 1,300 communities now are classified as local “news deserts,” fueled by a staggering decline in revenue and ad spending and the advent of non-traditional news sources. Data also shows there are 47 percent fewer journalists in the U.S. than in 2005, and consumer trust in the media is fading like newspaper bureau offices. To combat this decline, the Boston-based advertising agency Allen & Gerritsen launched Protect Our Press, in partnership with Boston Globe Media. The initiative aims to reinvest ad spending in local newsrooms and have agencies, brands, and publishers pledge their participation or commitment. In this episode of Beyond Profit, a podcast of the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, host Ken Beaulieu welcomes three guests to discuss the state of local journalism and the advent of Protect Our Press: Andrew Graff, CEO at Allen & Gerritsen; Kayvan Salmanpour, chief commercial officer at Boston Globe Media; and Chris Scott, enterprise editor at The Lowell Sun in Lowell, Mass.