Cover Image for Journalism Creator Summit

Journalism Creator Summit

Hosted by CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, Jeremy Caplan & Mariana Janjácomo
 
 
Virtual
Registration
Past Event
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About Event

Join us online November 10 for the first-ever Journalism Creator Summit. We’ll focus on revenue, featuring talks and discussions with an exceptional group of journalists about creating newsletters, podcasts and niche sites. You’ll hear from funders, investors, researchers and others advancing the future of new niche media ventures. Join us for this deep dive into sustainability for Journalism Creators.

Journalists forging their own paths as entrepreneurs, potential creators on the brink of developing something new, investors, and academics immersed in advancing the future of new media ventures are all invited.

The summit is hosted by CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and sponsored by the Facebook Journalism Project.

Check out our virtual session lineup and speakers 👇:

💸 Behind the Scenes: Making Money as a Journalism Creator - 11 am ET 

Which revenue streams are working? What are the key steps to converting readership into revenue? In three lightning talks by journalism entrepreneurs who have money-making ventures, you’ll learn how money gets made in the evolving creator ecosystem. You'll hear from:

  • Jeremy Caplan, Director of Entrepreneurial Programs at CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. 

  • Carlos Maza, YouTube video journalist and creator of the Vox "Strikethrough" video series.

  • Michael Rothman, Co-founder and former CEO of Fatherly, the leading digital lifestyle brand for dads.

  • Amanda McLoughlin, CEO of Multitude, a podcast collective and production studio.

📈 Supporting the Creator Ecosystem: How Organizations are Helping Creators Become Sustainable - 12 pm ET 

Over the past year, several organizations and initiatives have stepped up to support niche media entrepreneurs and creators. You’ll learn about their offerings, resources and new support structures for the journalism creator ecosystem with:

  • Anita Zielina, Director of Strategic Initiatives at CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

  • Graham Watson, Senior Director of the News Revenue Hub, helping local news outlets create strategies to become profitable and sustainable. 

  • Pauline Tillmann, CEO and editor-in-chief of DEINE KORRESPONDENTIN, a digital magazine with female correspondents covering interesting stories about women worldwide. 

  • Anika Anand, Deputy Director of LION publishers and previous cofounder of The Evergrey

  • Julia Bain, Strategic Partner Development at Facebook Journalism Project and partner lead for Bulletin Programs

  • Lillian Ruiz, Co-Founder & Managing Director at the National Trust for Local News, an initiative that aims to support local news through a community powered investment fund and team member of the Tiny News Collective.

☕ Networking and Espresso - 1 pm ET

Have a virtual coffee/lunch and meet other attendees in small group conversations. It's time to mingle! 

📚 Case Studies: Unpacking Creators’ Lessons Learned - 2 pm ET 

In a frank conversation about what worked, what didn’t, and what has changed since the pandemic began, a Membership Puzzle Project expert debriefs with two journalism creators about entrepreneurship misconceptions, surprising lessons learned, and new, emerging experiments. Featuring:

  • Ariel Zirulnick, KPCC and LAist Senior Editor of Community Engagement and Former Fund Director at the Membership Puzzle Project.

  • Brian Morrissey, Founder of The Rebooting, a weekly newsletter focused on the methods of building sustainable media businesses. Former president and editor-in-chief of Digiday Media

  • Bola Awoniyi, Co-founder & COO of Black Ballad, a media & data company building the ultimate lifestyle experience for black women in Britain & beyond.

🚀 Creator in Residence: What can WE do for YOU? - 3 pm ET

As the journalism creator ecosystem matures, what are the key needs that we should address in the months ahead? Join us for a conversation with our new Creator in Residence at CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. We will collectively map out core themes for the year ahead with:

  • Hillary Frey, Creator in Residence at CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, former Executive Editor at HuffPost.