Hi, I’m Steve Burge. I run PublishPress, TaxoPress, and MetaSlider which produce publishing plugins for WordPress. You can find me on Twitter at @stevejburge.
I started KinshiPress to give you the most helpful news and updates for WordPress publishers. You’ll find posts here on everything from enterprise publishers to one-person operations.
In the last few months, I’ve taken a specific interest in new wave of WordPress-based publishers. For the lack of a better name, I’ve taken to calling them “Kinship publishers.”
More about Kinship Publishers
My work with WordPress publishing plugins has introduced me to an exciting new movement of publishers and journalists.
Because the movement is so new, I’ve struggled to define it and haven’t seen many other people talking about it.
As best as I can tell, this movement started to emerge between 2020 and 2022. I use the term “Kinship” because the defining trait of these publishers is that they build a genuine relationships with their readers.
Here are five key traits shared by the Kinship publishers:
- They aim to build community, rather than chase clicks.
- Their coverage is tightly focused one or two subjects or locations.
- They have range of revenue sources, including subscriptions, ads, donations, and events.
- Profit is important but not the only key reason for the publisher to exist. Some are businesses and owned by the journalists. Many are non-profits.
- Most of them build on WordPress because it gives them ownership of their platform.
If you’re looking for specific examples of these movements, let me share some links:
Check out publishers such as Block Club Chicago, Honolulu Civic Beat, Mississippi Free Press, Mountain State Spotlight, Defector, and The Narwhal. You’ll find many more here on this site.
Most of the examples I have are from the USA because that’s where I live, but there are similar publishers in Canada, Guatemala, the Philippines, Ukraine, and more.
In the USA, these publishers are supported by organizations such as INN (Institute for Nonprofit News), Newspack, States Newsroom, Lede, Paywall Project, and more.
Who is KinshiPress for?
- Publishers: People involved with new publishing ventures, and those working to move legacy publishers online.
- Developers: WordPress plugin and theme developers who create tools for publishers
- Agencies: WordPress agencies who are helping improve the publishing experience for customers.
