Category Archives: Resources

Succession planning is a crucial aspect of ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of your news startup. It involves identifying and developing talent within your organization to fill key roles when needed. Earlier this week, Evelyn Hsu, Co-Director of the Maynard Institute spoke with Jane McDonnell, CEO of Free Range Media, Sahan Journal CEO and Publisher, Mukhtar M. Ibrahim,Continue reading “Succession Planning Tip Sheet for News Startup Entrepreneurs”

As journalists, we are historians and the fourth pillar of democracy. Our coverage has consequences, shapes narratives and sparks action. Our headlines will define this moment in time. Our words matter. Covering conflicts, communities and countries with the care, respect and sensitivity they deserve is critical, and so is centering the voices of those mostContinue reading “Covering Conflicts”

Publisher-reporter Robin Kemp announced last month the closure of The Clayton Crescent, a nonprofit news outlet in Clayton County, GA. Kemp singlehandedly ran the site for over three years, providing an essential resource and information for her primarily BIPOC audience and gaining national recognition for her reliable accountability reporting.  In an open letter, Kemp transparently recounts herContinue reading “Lessons learned from the demise of a hyperlocal news outlet”

Elizabeth Galarza is the first to tell you that she doesn’t have professional journalism skills. So she acquired them. In March, Galarza’s Savannah-based Pasa La Voz merged with Nuestro Estado, a community news outlet located two hours up the road from her in Charleston, SC. The merger came with Fernando Soto, a professionally trained journalistContinue reading “One Way We’ve Learned To Scale Grassroots Community News”

Grant agreements are an important part of the grant-giving (and getting) process.  As part of her video series on nonprofit infrastructure design, A. Nicole Campbell, founder, and CEO of Build Up Advisory Group, shared four critical components to include in these agreements.  “For funders, the more efficient and robust your grant process and grant-making are, theContinue reading “4 Things You Need to Know Before Signing That Grant Agreement”

Join us on Tuesday, May 16 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m ET for an intimate conversation with Wendi C. Thomas, founder of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, and Amethyst Davis, founder of The Harvey World Herald, as they discuss overcoming doubts and finding value-aligned funders to support community-centered journalism that makes a difference. This event is sponsored by The JohnContinue reading “Overcoming doubts and finding value-aligned funders”

Just last month, trailblazer Andrea Faye Hart was promoted to MLK50’s top leadership team as the newsroom’s Chief Strategy Officer.  I first met her in Chicago when she was building out City Bureau, a journalism lab helping to reimagine our approach to local media, as a co-founder. It’s been a pleasure to witness Andrea’s leadershipContinue reading “Four fast facts with MLK50’s new Chief Strategy Officer”

This week I attended a webinar hosted by Bank of America at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (of which I am a stakeholder), where bankers delivered advice on how small businesses and nonprofits can prepare for an economic downturn. Their conversation echoed an earlier discussion The Pivot Fund hosted last month with news leaders about actions they areContinue reading “Seven Steps To Recession-Proof Your News Business”

Economists are forecasting a “mild” recession in 2023. That’s driven by inflation, higher interest rates, and a tight labor market. What can news publishers and entrepreneurs do to prepare for an economic downturn?  Listen for an assessment of the current economic climate and advice on how small and bootstrapped newsrooms can survive a recession.  PanelistsContinue reading “How to Recession-Proof Your News Business”

S. Mitra Kalita, the publisher of Epicenter-NYC, discusses how her company monetizes its popular newsletters in a conversation hosted by The Pivot Fund.  Kalita talked with Liz Alarcón, the founder and executive director of Pulso, and Tracie Powell, the CEO of The Pivot Fund.