Sam Hoisington is a Publisher Success Manager at BlueLena, where he partners with independent and community-focused news organizations to strengthen audience engagement, boost reader revenue, and advance long-term sustainability. In his role, Sam draws on deep experience in local journalism, audience strategy, and newsroom innovation to help publishers unlock growth opportunities and thrive in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
Before joining BlueLena, Sam built a career rooted in community-first journalism and entrepreneurial media leadership. He is the founder of The Bentonville Bulletin, an email-first local news outlet dedicated to delivering essential reporting for residents of Bentonville, Arkansas. Under his leadership, the Bulletin has rapidly grown its subscriber base and filled critical gaps in local coverage since its launch in 2024.
Sam’s journey in independent media began with co-founding Madison Minutes, a local newsletter in Wisconsin that he helped grow before its acquisition by City Cast. His work spans audience development, newsletter strategy, advertising partnerships, and reader support models — experiences he now brings to BlueLena’s publisher partners to accelerate impact and sustainability.
A Northwest Arkansas native, early in his career Sam gained experience with major outlets including National Public Radio and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He remains committed to expanding the viability and influence of local news ecosystems while supporting publishers in achieving both editorial excellence and financial resilience.
He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Arkansas Tech University, and a M.S. in Media Studies from Arkansas State University.