So you want to start your own news site…

Amidst all this uncertainty at the some of the biggest media players, there are big things happening in the journalism startup space.

The media headlines this year have said it all. Buyouts at McClatchy and layoffs at GateHouse. Layoffs at Buzzfeed and downsizing at Vice. But there are good things happening in journalism startups. $300 million committed by the Knight Foundation to local news initiatives. $42 million raised by the American Journalism Project. New journalism models being developed by countless startup newsrooms around the country.

Is now the time for you to leave that big media job with all that uncertainty and strike out on your own, with a news startup? Maybe — but it’s definitely more complicated than just telling great stories to an audience that cares. You have to think about revenue models and membership funnels. Do you know your 501c3s from your 990s? Are you going to be for-profit or not-for-profit? And these are just the questions to answer before you launch.

In this session, you’ll hear from people who have launched startups and who help small newsrooms survive and thrive every day. You’ll get concrete information about where to turn if you decide a startup is for you — and you’ll hear stories about what it takes to be successful. If you’ve ever thought about being a journalism entrepreneur — or if you’re interested about the innovation happening at the startup end of the journalism spectrum — this session is for you.

Suggested Speaker(s)

  • Jonathan Kealing (@jkealing)
    Chief Network Officer, Institute for Nonprofit News
  • Fran Scarlett
    Chief Knowledge Officer, Institute for Nonprofit News