The Business of Local Pride: How Native Ads Fund Nebraska's Travelogue

LINCOLN, NE – October 27, 2026 — The traditional local newspaper business model is broken, but regional media conglomerates are finding innovative, if ethically complex, ways to patch the holes. Enter "GO FIND IT! Nebraska," a new 60-minute video special and subsequent episodic series produced by Lee Enterprises’ Brand Ave Studios. Slated to premiere in December 2026, the project is part travelogue, part state pride initiative, and entirely a masterclass in modern native advertising.

The special, hosted by Nebraska filmmaker and entrepreneur Mike Smith, will take viewers across the state to explore destinations, businesses, and community stories. From the distinctive landscapes of Toadstool Geologic Park to Husker Harvest Days and live entertainment at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the series promises a deep dive into the Cornhusker State.

However, for business leaders and media analysts, the most compelling story isn't just what's on the screen—it's how the screen is being funded. By explicitly combining editorial travelogue-style storytelling with paid corporate and tourism brand integrations, Lee Enterprises is signaling a bold, accelerated shift in how local news chains monetize their audiences.

Native Advertising Reimagined for Local News

For years, media companies have grappled with the long-term decline of print advertising. In response, SEC filings and quarterly earnings reports from legacy publishers like Lee Enterprises have consistently highlighted a strategic pivot toward digital subscriptions and diversified digital advertising. Brand Ave Studios, the custom content and creative production arm of Lee Enterprises, is the tip of the spear in this transition.

The studio's model relies heavily on native advertising—content designed to mimic the look, feel, and editorial tone of the platform on which it appears, but paid for by a sponsor. "GO FIND IT! Nebraska" represents a highly ambitious iteration of this strategy. Rather than a simple sponsored article, it is a high-production, multi-chapter video series distributed across Lee's extensive network of Nebraska news websites, including the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, and Grand Island Independent.

“At Lee Enterprises, our tagline is ‘Where Your Story Lives.’ We tell those stories every day through our newspapers and digital platforms and Go Find It! Nebraska gives us an exciting new way to bring them to life and reach audiences far beyond our borders,” said Ava Thomas, regional vice president for Lee Enterprises.

Yet, this aggressive integration of commerce and content raises perennial questions about journalistic independence. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics emphasizes the critical need to distinguish news from advertising to avoid misleading the public.

"The survival of local media depends on revenue innovation, but that innovation cannot come at the cost of reader trust," noted one journalism ethics researcher familiar with regional media trends. "When a local newspaper's website hosts a travelogue funded by the very businesses it covers, the labeling must be unmistakable. Transparency isn't just a best practice; it's the only currency these outlets have left."

To its credit, the initial press release is remarkably transparent about the commercial nature of the project, openly listing sponsors and offering "integration into relevant storytelling" for future partners. The true test will be the execution on the consumer-facing news platforms this December.

Rethinking the 'Flyover' Myth

To ensure the content resonates with audiences and doesn't feel like an hour-long commercial, Brand Ave Studios made a calculated choice in its host. Mike Smith is not a traditional corporate spokesperson. He is an award-winning filmmaker, travel keynote speaker, and the founder of Rabble Mill and The Bay—a Lincoln-based non-profit facility featuring an indoor skatepark, music venue, and entrepreneurial education programs for underserved youth.

Smith has a documented history of bridging the gap between grassroots community building and public-private partnerships. His involvement lends the project immediate street credibility and authenticity, crucial elements for engaging a younger, digitally native demographic.

“A wise person once told me, there’s no such thing as boring places, only boring people,” Smith said. “And that’s why I’m here, to show you around a little bit. Take you to the places off the beaten path. Places you can’t find on Google Maps. Those places that only a local can show you.”

Smith's stated mission to find the “weird, the hyper-local and the stubbornly authentic parts of the state that don’t make it into mainstream travel brochures” serves a dual purpose. Editorially, it makes for compelling viewing. Economically, it directly combats the "flyover state" myth, a narrative that has historically hampered Midwestern states in their efforts to retain young talent and attract new residents.

The Corporate Forces Driving the Narrative

The roster of sponsors backing "GO FIND IT! Nebraska" reveals a fascinating cross-section of the state's modern economy. The project is presented by Kawasaki, a global manufacturing giant with a massive footprint in the region, and LOVB Nebraska Volleyball, representing the state's booming interest in professional women's sports.

Other partners include tech startups like Lincoln-based CompanyCam, agricultural and construction heavyweights like Chief Industries, and regional service providers like Allo Fiber and Pump & Pantry, the project's "Official Fuel Partner."

This is not merely a tourism initiative funded by state agencies; it is a corporate branding exercise for the state itself. For companies like CompanyCam and Kawasaki, the challenge of the 2020s is workforce recruitment and retention. By investing in a high-quality production that showcases Nebraska as a vibrant, culturally rich, and economically diverse place to live, these corporations are effectively underwriting their own talent acquisition marketing.

"Businesses in the Midwest are realizing that they can't just market their jobs; they have to market their communities," explained an economic development consultant based in Omaha. "When a tech company or a manufacturer sponsors a show highlighting local culture, they are sending a message to prospective employees that this is a place worth putting down roots."

A New Blueprint for Regional Media

Following the December premiere, "GO FIND IT! Nebraska" will release six individual chapters in early 2027, supported by short-form videos, social content, and targeted digital advertising across Lee Enterprises' footprint. This multi-platform, episodic rollout is designed to maximize sponsor visibility and audience engagement over several months, a stark contrast to the fleeting lifespan of a traditional print advertisement.

For Lee Enterprises, the financial upside is clear. By leveraging its existing audience and distribution channels, the company can command premium rates for custom video production and integrated storytelling. It allows the publisher to tap into entirely different marketing budgets—corporate branding, economic development, and state tourism—that would otherwise bypass local news organizations in favor of social media platforms or national lifestyle brands.

As the media industry continues to fragment, the success or failure of "GO FIND IT! Nebraska" will be closely watched by publishers nationwide. If Brand Ave Studios can thread the needle—delivering genuinely entertaining, hyper-local content that satisfies corporate sponsors without alienating news readers—they may have just authored a viable new chapter in the playbook for regional media survival.