Poynter has a very good write-up of the challenges facing three new publishers. All three of the publishers are on WordPress. That wasn’t on purpose – it’s just that almost all new publishers use WordPress.
Here are three publishers featured in the Poynter story:
The whole thing is worth reading in full, but here are some of my notes from:
- Website and email newsletters are not enough. Publishers are trying text messages, flyers, community meetings and even library hours.
- Online is not enough. A lot of outreach is in-person. The story is full of examples such as the Documenters program in Ohio an organization that pays community members to take notes at public meetings. Those notes can generate story ideas.
- One successful topic was voter guides for elections. Mountain State and Signal Ohio state constitution. Readers really do value having clearly explained information before they vote.
- Revenue is a real worry. At Mountain State Spotlight, for example, 75% of money comes from national foundations and 25% reader revenue. The journalists know that is a dangerous place to be in.
