Nonprofit news outlets have a unique advantage. They can innovate and experiment with new strategies more freely, benefitting from their size and mission-driven focus. For nonprofits, marketing, ad sales, audience development and fundraising are the different sections of an orchestra. When each area is in sync and adapting to changing circumstances, they create a powerful performance that resonates with audiences and drives sustainable growth.
This year, The Marshall Project celebrates its 10th anniversary. Founded by Neil Barsky, the nonprofit newsroom’s name honors the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Its stirring reporting is focused on the criminal justice system and the people impacted by it.
NPR’s Next Generation Radio project is both a unique professional development opportunity and a talent pipeline for audio journalism and the broader journalism field. It’s an intensive five-day boot camp for aspiring audio storytellers funded by NPR member stations. Not only is it free, but participants receive a stipend to help cover their costs for the week.
As the 2024 election cycle heats up, a new buzzword is making waves in media circles: “sanewashing.” The term refers to how some media outlets sanitize Donald Trump’s often incoherent and erratic remarks, presenting them as more polished and conventional political discourse. Critics argue that by reshaping Trump’s rambling responses into digestible news bites, journalists unintentionally protect him from scrutiny, failing to fully expose the chaotic nature of his statements. This phenomenon, which has sparked widespread discussion, highlights the ongoing challenge of how the press covers politicians whose rhetoric increasingly defies the norms of political communication.
The best salespeople have innate talents. They have figured out what brings them to the playing field and what their blind spots are. There are some things at which they don’t excel as well as others, but they don't let this deter them. Instead, they zero in on their areas of excellence so they can perform at high levels.
As local media grapples with the challenges of digital transformation, there may be an overlooked opportunity that bridges the gap between traditional print and modern technology: digital news dailies. These innovative products merge the familiarity of print-style newspapers with the convenience of digital distribution, delivered as PDFs or e-editions designed for easy reading on tablets or simple printouts. By maintaining traditional ad rates and subscription models without the costs of physical printing and distribution, digital news dailies offer a sustainable solution for publishers seeking new revenue streams.
Almost 10 years ago, the combination of Jayne Burns' community spirit and artistic eye caused her to notice the ugly, plain and abandoned news racks on the streets of Sebastopol. She didn’t just want to paint the racks but, as they became obsolete, give them a new life as free little libraries, working on the principle that you take a book and replace it with another.
Many of the journalistic skills we learn are from veteran colleagues we work with, not at home in our jammies batting out tomorrow’s front-page stories. There’s no better way to learn than by listening to those who do it well. And you can’t cover the cops, city hall, the legislature or almost anything else well that way either.
In the good old days, news products were bundled. Bundled products were how distributors could deliver most things to most people. If there’s one thing digital technology is good at, though, it’s destroying distribution monopolies ... and those distribution oligopolies on which our media businesses were built were blown to smithereens. But like any trend, de-bundling has probably gone too far. Maybe there’s a chance to rebuild some of the bundles of the past.
Funding and creating journalism in the Bay area of California is challenging. But it’s not impossible. Lance Knobel and colleagues Tasneem Raja and Tracey Taylor started Berkeleyside.com in 2009. They filled a news desert with Oaklandside when the Oakland Tribune shut down. Now, they’re expanding into Richmond with Richmondside.
The popularity of newsletters with readers and the revenue-generating opportunities for publishers have increased substantially since E&P’s February 2022 Revenue Round-Up article. A new study of monthly newsletter readers released in July from MAGNA Media Trials and Sherwood Media found 41% said it was their preferred news source — topping a list of 12 sources. The study also found that one-third of newsletter readers don't use news websites as their regular news source.
Since its inception, the National Press Photographers Association has worked with photographers across traditional film-based and digital photography and video on topics such as freelancing and understanding First Amendment laws. Advocacy is the centerpiece for the NPPA.