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Laura Smythe

What I Do

As suburban newsletter editor, I edit and write hyperlocal newsletters for communities throughout The Inquirer’s coverage area, including Abington Township and Jenkintown. I help advise the Inquirer Local team on ways to deepen regional coverage and better meet the needs of readers in today’s social media and AI-driven world.

My Background

I am an award-winning journalist who has specialized in newsletters since 2022. I previously worked at Forbes, where I led the editorial overhaul of the flagship daily morning newsletter.

Before that, I covered tourism and hospitality at Philadelphia Business Journal and the region’s LGBTQ+ community at Philadelphia Gay News. My work has also appeared in publications including the Associated Press, WHYY, and Philadelphia magazine. In June 2026, I delivered a TED Talk about enhancing U.S. media literacy and how legacy newsrooms and new media can collaborate to enhance news infrastructure.

I have traveled to 29 countries and reported internationally in Sweden and South Africa. I graduated summa cum laude from Temple University with a journalism degree, and am proud to call Philadelphia home.