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SXSW Successful Journalism Startups: Global Lessons

by Pekka Pekkala

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Research project "Sustainable Business Models for Journalism" has interviewed these brave journos that have actually made the move to entrepreneurship _and_ are making living out of it. 30 very ...

Research project "Sustainable Business Models for Journalism" has interviewed these brave journos that have actually made the move to entrepreneurship _and_ are making living out of it. 30 very different cases from around the world - from international success stories (ArsTechnica) to small hyperlocal sites serving just 10.000 strong communities (DavidsonNews). What are the key elements for sustainability and how they are building a whole new ecosystem of news? The future of journalism is not built on grants, 401k's or VC funding. It's built on single individuals that are not afraid of long hours and wearing multiple hats.

See also Storify session briefs:

http://storify.com/sam_piroton/sxsw-successfull-journalism-startups-global-lesson

http://storify.com/EmilieMutert/sustainable-business-models-for-journalism

http://storify.com/edwonkkimmy/successful-journalism-startups

And blogs
http://stephenrobertmorse.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/blogging-sxsw-successful-journalism-startups-global-lessons/

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SXSW Successful Journalism Startups: Global Lessons Presentation Transcript

Successful Journalism Startups:Global LessonsWelcome to the new ecosystem#SXsubmojour@pekkapekkala Pekka Pekkala 3/11/2012 University of Tampere, Finland USC Annenberg, CA, USA annenberg.usc.edu

Post-presentation note:Did you record my session at SXSWi? Please send it (or a link) to pekka.pekkala@gmail.com Thanks!

•  Find financially sustainable journalism startups around the world•  Create a database at submojour.net•  What makes them successful -> help graduates / unemployed

39/63 submojour.net cases ready so farUS (7/10) GER (2/3) JAPAN 10/10•  Artsjournal.com •  netzpolitik.org •  Videonews.com•  BargainBabe.com •  perlentaucher.de •  Sankei Digital•  WestSeattleBlog.com •  OurPlanetTV•  DavidsonNews.net UK 6/10 •  Niwango•  TheBatavian.com •  Alderley Edge •  Natalie•  ArsTechnica.com •  Women’s Views on News •  Livedoor•  TechnicallyPhilly.com •  Talk to the Press •  JB Press •  Not on the Wires •  GigazineFI 9/10 •  Landscape Juice •  CB News•  Afterdawn.com •  Audioboo •  47 News•  Stara.fi•  Rantapallo.fi FRANCE 2/10 SLOVENIA 1/1•  Uusisuomi.fi •  Citizenside •  Piano Media•  Ampparit.com •  This French Life•  Jatkoaika.com SPAIN 1/1•  Arctic Startup •  ITALY 0/8 •  Portal Parados•  Tilannehuone.fi

Top 8 findings so far

1. This is not a new thing In US, Japan, Germany and Finland the average age of sites was 6+ years.

Oldest sites

2. Advertising rules75% said banner advertising makes more than 75% of their profit.

West Seattle Blog

Gone consultingDouglas McLennan, Artsjournal.com (video)

Other: events, syndication

3. Be frugal Learn basic tech skillsTurn digital pennies into newsroom dollars

•  “I used to be a fulltime reporter, and when you’re a reporter you have the luxury to report and write all day long, you know. There are very few meetings and if you’re going out to meet a subject you really are in this ‘cush spot’ which I realized after I started Bargain Babe because I had to do all of the business stuff, deal with advertisers, you know, get my site listed, work on SEO, network with people, learn everything I needed to know about running a business, filing my taxes, you know, all this stuff that, as a reporter, you don’t have to deal with. And it shifted but basically, I spent anywhere from a third to half of my time writing and the rest of the time, on all the business stuff.”

4. Be entrepreneurial Nobody else will do it for you. Think about money from day one, not “year three it will magically appear”

David Boraks, Davidsonnews.net (video)

50 / 50Time spent creating content / business Between 90/10 to 30/70

5. People don’t pay for content But they are happy to support a cause. (US)

6. Find your nicheIt might be based on geography, taste, interest or point of view Ken Fisher, Arstechnica.com

7. Pay your contributors “Free” citizen journalism is the exception, not the norm.

8. It’s about community Not about you.

Bonus: The Future Stranger things has happened.

Publishing revolution! Lessons from globalization

Future model of networked journalism compared terrorist networks (my idea) Terrorists or Governments and military or Blogs, online communities, Twitter Newspapers and traditional news organizations Leaderless Formal Sprawling Stand-alone Loose Hierarchical Disperse Doctrines Small groups Strategies Non-state, transnational, subnational State, national Dispersed nodes Central node Swarms Units, agencies Ideology Institutional interest and habits Rand Report Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy (Arquilla 2003)

Kiitos! Thank you!@pekkapekkala pekka.pekkala@gmail.comSubmojour.net #SXsubmojour annenberg.usc.edu