For the fourth year in a row, J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism, presents a half-day of conference workshops that focus on the specific challenges confronting entrepreneurial news start-ups. Sessions will examine the nitty-gritty of how to sell ads, audience-engagement strategies, collaboration models and university-news entrepreneurship models.
Member price: $50
Non-member price: $60
The Art of the Close
1 - 2:00 p.m.
Bayview A
Journalists are great at producing content and covering stories. Ask them to sell an ad, though, and generally they can’t close the deal. But more and more news entrepreneurs are developing strategies and getting coaching in how to do it.
Engaging Audiences
2:00 - 2:40 p.m.
Bayview A
Just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come. A new J-Lab/McCormick Foundation survey finds that online news start-ups can use social media tools to distribute content, market their sites and track users. But most say they can’t lasso data to track whether they are turning users into supporters who will help their sites survive. A discussion of the four strata of engagement and successful engagement strategies.
Collaboration vs. Competition
3 - 3:45 p.m.
Bayview A
When should a news start-up partner with a mainstream news outlet? A look at collaboration models, do’s and don’ts and guerrilla marketing. With new results from nine Knight/J-lab funded Networked Journalism projects and copies of the report.
The Rise of the University News Startups
3:45 - 4:30 p.m.
Bayview A
J-Schools are launching news sites as outlets to teach students both reporting and entrepreneurship skills. Hear about several models that are working.
Entrepreneurial Pop-Ups
4:30 - 5:15 p.m.
Bayview A
Have a challenge? Work with our presenters for one-on-one consults in which they lend their expertise to help you solve your biggest struggle.
