From the American Journalism Project:
This summer, we announced the four teams participating in the American Journalism Project’s local news incubator, an 18-month program to support the buildout of new ideas to bring local news to communities. In July, we kicked off our work with incubator participants, bringing talent and experience from across the AJP team to set a strong foundation for their new organizations. When we launched the local news incubator, we began a first-of-its-kind program to support a diverse and thriving local news nonprofit movement. With support from the Google News Initiative, we’re giving incubator participants the tools, resources and investments they need to advance their concepts for new local news offerings in their communities. This program embodies our belief that the local news field thrives when we invest in all stages of the organization-building cycle, including the conceptual stage. During this kickoff, our staff and consultants shared their expertise on programming, revenue building, and community engagement. These workshops introduced incubator participants to the core steps to launching a local news nonprofit, offering guidance on business strategy, community research and engagement, donor cultivation and program planning. We began with the framework for creating a value proposition, including a business model canvas. We then outlined market research and community engagement strategies, and strategies for scouting new donors. We also shared steps to map a program strategy that includes guiding principles and audiences, news delivery formats, partnerships and staffing, and a timeline.