Online news startups explore revenue sources beyond advertising

Revenue was very much on the agenda when more than 100 local news entrepreneurs gathered at the LION Summit in Chicago Oct. 1-3. There were encouraging, if fledgling, signs that some sites are looking beyond banner display advertising. Supplemental sources include crowd-funding, membership programs, sponsored content, and events. For now, however, banner display advertising is … Continued

The future begins with P: Privacy, personalization and payment

What will sustain journalism in service of democracy? Because of the rise of the Internet and the financial challenges faced by legacy media organizations, that question tugs at those who write and produce the news. Conferences, reports and columns run through the same checklist: Advertising going digital and mobile and increasingly controlled by technology platforms … Continued

2012: What we know now on building public trust, raising money and a free press

Was 2012 prosperous for publishers? The four-part series continues, with this third installment offering key lessons from three well-respected practitioners known for thinking outside the box. Mike Fancher, veteran news business strategist and 2008–2009 Reynolds Fellow; Lila LaHood, director of operations and development at San Francisco Public Press; and Keith Hammonds, director of Ashoka’s Knowledge … Continued

Want news?

Listen to more interviews conducted for the Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst. Download an MP3 podcast for offline listening. Audio: Bill Densmore interviewed at KTRS St. Louis about IVP Can news organizations figure out a way to increase the value they receive for journalism on the World Wide Web? McGraw Milhaven, talkmaster on KTRS … Continued

Building new ad revenues could start on the obit page

An interview with Stephanie Padgett as she begins her fellowship year. About five years ago, Stephanie Padgett was doing market research to help smaller, Midwestern newspapers and radio stations. It was quite clear that her research on how to reach more consumers would be useless if the media companies didn’t change their old habits. For … Continued