Success is different for everyone – often a mix of tangible & personal:
*Making work to feel good about & not having to check a bank balance if wanted to order takeout
*Impact/scaling journalism & ability to travel
*Creating impactful work & putting a few things on autopay
Creator journalism requires creativity, in the work & in making the work work as work. @MattBrownEP (@extrapointsmb), Rahim Jessani (Bottom Up Media) & @Amberisms_ (@MLK50Memphis) shared insights at #ONA26 for newsroom & and the real-talk of running their own businesses
You also need community & a supportive infrastructure that helps you to not tie “your happiness or identity to the subscriber numbers going up or down. Growth is seldom linear” and “can mess with your head” Matt said.
3) On training newsrooms: Provide tools and lo-fi but polished templates. “Being flexible is helpful and lean into strengths – don’t force someone to do something they don’t want to do,” - Devin
3 newsrooms, 3 different approaches to adding in creator strategies. There are many permutations in between but thought these #ONA26 examples were worth revisiting in light of continued discourse over how “creator model journalism has moved from the margin to the mainstream.”
2) “Creators & journalists have a lot to teach each other. Creators know engagement, algorithms, & journalists know journalism. You don’t have to choose between these three models, just figure out what you want to start with & the resources you have to start with,” - @sarakgoo