New platform connects news professionals: Audientia supports jobs, tools and collaboration

Audientia makes it easier to find the right people — whether you're looking for someone who has solved a problem you’re facing, a mentor in your specialty, or just a peer who gets what you're going through.”

Alexandria Luster, founder of the Audientia Institute

A Chicago-based developer is building a networking platform for news professionals with the idea that more connections will help solve problems.

Alexandria Luster, founder of the Audientia Institute, has been building the platform for more than a year.

Audientia was created to address gaps in networking and professional resources for news media professionals. The concept was inspired by developer-focused platforms like GitHub and Stack Overflow.

It serves two channels: one for executives focused on technology and revenue generation, and one for journalists looking to find and share information.

“It comes with a lot of features that are traditional in the sense of what you would expect from LinkedIn or other social media networks, and that’s because it’s specifically built for news media professionals. So, in Audentia, you join as someone who works in the news industry, regardless of where you’re located, your job title, or your role.

“In the tech world, in some parts of it, it’s much more open to new or novice people,” Luster said. “So, you have various forums and websites and places that you can go to to find help and the resources that you need to do your work and then become better at it. As an extension of that, I started looking at options for what I could do to build a tool that could not only help me because I was having difficulty, but also help other people who are new to the news industry and trying to find their footing.”

Like LinkedIn, Audientia asks users to fill out profiles to help connect news professionals based on their interests and deliver curated content tailored to expertise, interests and goals.

Browsing Audientia is free for everyone, but there will be paid membership tiers for contributors, fellows and a founder’s circle that include perks such as private forums, research reports and other exclusive access.

For journalists, Luster said she sees the platform as a way to increase professional development and discover job opportunities. There are also ways to share projects.

For executives, she said the platform will be a good way to share tools, software and resources, as well as provide pricing, make connections and build relationships.

“Audientia makes it easier to find the right people — whether you're looking for someone who has solved a problem you’re facing, a mentor in your specialty, or just a peer who gets what you're going through.”

Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in localnewsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.