“As a newsroom leader… live on your toes, on the balls of your feet, which makes it a lot easier for you to pivot. When that ideology permeates an entire shop, it becomes very easy to move. Because everybody is basically casting pebbles into the same lake – all of those pebbles ripple, and the ripples connect, and so you’re seeing the transformation spread, which is very exciting because cultural transformation is hard to make it stick. If you don’t do it right, then the movement stops when we leave where we are. And so cultural transformation only happens when people individually decide to commit and you hit a critical mass of those agents of change across one organization.”

– Samantha Ragland, American Press Institute

Guests: Samantha Ragland and Elite Truong, American Press Institute

What is cultural transformation, and how do publishers know if they’re doing it right? How can publishers cultivate real and lasting cultural change in newsrooms? How does cultural transformation in the newsroom translate to the content produced and thereby the relationships newsrooms have with members of their communities? 

In this episode of News Take, News/Media Alliance VP, Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank sits down with Samantha Ragland, Vice President of Journalism Programs and Elite Truong, Vice President of Product Strategy, both at the American Press Institute, for a candid and fascinating conversation about the work API is doing with news publishers to help them look at their organizations with a critical eye and evolve to better reflect the communities they serve and respond to their needs. They talk about their work with newsroom leaders on DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), promoting and fostering a sustainable news organization from the inside out, and encouraging a culture of experimentation in the newsroom. Finally, they share lessons learned from API’s Table Stakes program and Inclusion Index, as well as their data centric tools for publishers, Metrics for News and Source Matters, and offer tips for how other news publishers can use data and related guidance at their own organizations to spark transformation.

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“We want to encourage folks who understand that if you want to get anything out of working with other folks and learning all of these lessons… you have to put some work in to be able to see some rewards, which is not revolutionary, but … it’s difficult to try to make space for all of the different things when you’re responsible for so much, but I think there’s always a little bit of room to look at ‘What can I let go of so I can invite more modern strategy in, or think about the long-term strategy once in a while.”

– Elite Truong, American Press Institute

Speaker bios

Samantha Ragland is Vice President of Journalism Programs at the American Press Institute. Previously, Ragland was a member of the faculty at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies where she also served as director of the Leadership Academy for Women in Media. As VP of Journalism Programs, Ragland leads API’s efforts to promote cultural transformation and business sustainability in media, helping news organizations serve diverse readers and communities more effectively. She leads API’s journalism programs portfolio, including The Table Stakes Local News Transformation program, Beyond Print, API’s work on diversity and inclusion in newsrooms and change management coaching for news companies of all sizes. While at Poynter, Ragland created custom workshops based on newsroom needs, including trauma and resiliency training developed in collaboration with clinical psychologists. She was also co-director of the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship program for early-career reporters. Ragland previously led digital content strategy at the USA Today Network and managed digital storytelling at The Palm Beach Post. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Kentucky University. She’s an active member of and coach for digitalwomenleaders.com.

Elite Truong is Vice President of Product Strategy at the American Press Institute. She manages the existing API product portfolio, which includes Metrics for News, an analytics tool that aligns journalism metrics with an organization’s editorial values and business model, and Source Matters, a tool that allows publishers to track and improve the diversity of their organizations. As head of the Product Strategy team, she helps strengthen and expand the product portfolio, while also serving as a product coach and thought leader for the news industry. Elite is also the board secretary of the News Product Alliance, a nascent community of support and practice for news product thinkers. Elite most recently worked as director of strategic initiatives at The Washington Post, where she led the newsroom R&D team to create projects and products driven by emerging technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and 3D and augmented reality. Before joining The Post, Elite spent four years at Vox Media, three as the product manager for off-platform storytelling. Elite has been an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, where she created and taught an entrepreneurship class for journalism students. Elite earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Roosevelt University. She is a member of the Asian-American Journalists Association and the Online News Association, where she taught as guest faculty and coached participants in the Women’s Leadership Accelerator.

Related Links:

Inclusion Index report: Assessing the Pittsburgh news ecosystem’s commitment to DEIB

Metrics for News

Source Matters

Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program

Watch the previous episode of News Take

View all episodes of News Take

Send us your suggestions

Send your suggestions for future News Take guests to Alliance VP, Research & Insights Rebecca Frank at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org.

News Take Production Team:

Host and Executive Producer: Rebecca Frank, VP, Research & Insights, News/Media Alliance

Production Support, Editing & Distribution:

Georgi-Ann Clarke, Social Media & Content Manager, News/Media Alliance
Rachel Fox, Manager, Membership & Events, News/Media Alliance
Lindsey Loving, Director, Communications, News/Media Alliance

Audio & Video Engineer: Current Media Group

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The post News Take Episode 202: How the American Press Institute is Inspiring Cultural Transformation in News Media appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

John Murray

Arlington, VA – The News Media Alliance has named The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead (North Dakota) (Small category), the Detroit Free Press (Medium category), the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Medium Category) and Newsday (Long Island, NY) (Large category) as the recipients of the 2021 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development.

A selection committee of Alliance and American Press Institute (API) staff members selected the four recipients (with a tie in the Medium category) for their exceptional innovation and sophistication in understanding content strategy as part of audience development. Their effective use of multiple platforms and formats for sharing content; development of thoughtful, responsive content and programs to help readers navigate important issues (e.g., Covid-19 vaccines, local crime, etc.); livestreaming sports and virtual events; and leveraging social media, video, and newsletter products to introduce their brands to new audiences resulted in measurable positive impacts on audience growth, subscription and advertiser revenue, and print and digital subscriptions.

All four news publishers successfully applied one or more of the seven ‘Table Stakes’ capacities of modern news publishing, which were developed as part of the Knight Lenfest Local News Transformation program.

Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern, stated, “We continue to be amazed at the innovation and creativity our members have shown year after year in their submissions for this Award. While we received many impressive nominations again this year, these four news organizations showed some amazing results in growing audience and revenue for their digital products and services that exemplify what is possible when news organizations listen to readers and what they need, and meet them where they are. I know John Murray would have been really excited and proud to see the hard work news publishers are putting in that is paying off in the form of new and engaged audiences.”

Michael Bolden, Executive Director and CEO of API, said, “The four winners of the John P. Murray Award demonstrated successful applications of the transformational thinking news organizations must put into practice in the digital age to better serve their communities. The winners can build on their success, while their work offers useful case studies that other publishers can follow in their own markets. Putting such peer learning into practice is one of the most powerful tools we have in journalism to help move the industry forward.”

This is the third year of the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, which was established in memory of former Vice President of Audience Development John Murray, who was with the organization for over 20 years before passing away in 2018. Murray was known across the news industry for helping Alliance member news publishers improve audience development and engagement, and for convening members to share best practices.

In response to being named a recipient of the 2021 John P. Murray Award:

• Stephanie Schroeder, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer at Forum Communications said, “The Forum is beyond honored to be chosen as one of the recipients of this prestigious award. We believe that our audience is our most valuable asset, so we are proud to be recognized for our efforts in trying to better serve them. Our work is not yet finished – and it likely never will be – but it’s work we feel privileged to do.”
• Brian Manzullo, Social, Search & Audience Editor at the Detroit Free Press stated, “On behalf of the Detroit Free Press, it’s an absolute honor to receive this award from the News Media Alliance in memory of John Murray. It’s a testament to the efforts by our entire newsroom in not just engaging our audiences, but involving them throughout the newsgathering process to empower our journalism and deliver meaningful impact in our communities. Thank you so much to the News Media Alliance for recognizing our work, and most of all thank you to our readers who help push us to become better at serving them.”
• Dennis Francis, Oahu Publications, Inc. President and Publisher said, “Innovative audience development allows the Honolulu Star-Advertiser to focus on its core mission of providing the community with local news, sports, commentary and entertainment while spurring public discussions on the critical issues affecting the lives of our readers and the communities they serve across the State.”
• Debby Krenek, Publisher of Newsday, said, “We could not be prouder of what the team has achieved for our organization with Newsday LIVE events. We’re incredibly honored that their work is being recognized by our peers at the News Media Alliance.” Melissa Carfero, Newsday’s manager of event strategy and development, added, “It’s a tremendous honor to receive this award and to be recognized by News Media Alliance, especially for excellence in audience development. The success Newsday LIVE has seen year over year is undoubtedly attributed to the expertise, determination and unwavering commitment our team shares in making each event more successful than the last.”

All four recipients will receive an award to display at their property; a check for $1,000 to put toward enhancing their audience development and engagement efforts; and will be invited to present their success stories an upcoming Alliance member best practices webinar. The Alliance will also add this year’s recipients to a plaque that is displayed at its headquarters.

For more information about the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, click here.

###

Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print, digital and mobile publishers of original news content. Headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of news media through communication, research, advocacy and innovation. Information about the News Media Alliance (formerly NAA) can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

The post News Media Alliance Announces Recipients of 2021 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

So, what’s this award all about? See our breakdown of what we’re looking for and how to apply!

What is the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development?

Established in 2019 in memory of the Alliance’s long-time colleague, the award recognizes three Alliance member news organizations each year that have demonstrated exceptional innovation and sophistication in understanding content strategy as part of audience development.

What info do we submit?

Nominations can center around any audience development efforts you undertook in the last year. Share how you embraced the Table Stakes capacities of modern news publishing to achieve your goals. And don’t forget to share notable measurable outcomes! For example, the number of new members, subscribers, email registrations; percent increase in engagement; percent increase in subscriber retention; event attendance; number of new social media followers, etc. that resulted from your efforts. Links to examples of successful content and visuals are also great! Here are some questions to consider as you think about your efforts from the past year. 

Who is eligible?

Alliance newspaper members can nominate their own organization or other Alliance member news organizations for consideration for the award. Each nomination should be for an individual newspaper title – newspaper publishing groups should specify which newspaper they are nominating. The three recipients, one in each newspaper size category (small = 50 or fewer employees, medium = 51-250 employees, and large = more than 250 employees), will be announced in the Spring of 2022.

What’s new this year?

We have doubled the prize money! Each recipient will receive a $1,000 cash prize. In addition, each *qualifying nomination that is submitted before the January 28 deadline will be entered to win a $50 Starbucks gift card!

*Please note that you must be an Alliance newspaper member to be eligible. 

When is the deadline?

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, January 28, 2022. 

Can I submit the same nomination again this year?

Yes! We receive many great nominations each year and unfortunately, it is not possible to select them all. If you submitted a nomination last year and weren’t selected, we encourage you to submit again. Just update the submission with what has happened in the last year to move the program forward, and include metrics.

Who were last year’s recipients?

The Arizona Daily Star’s #ThisIsTucson (Small category), The Keene Sentinel (Keene, NH) (Medium category), and McClatchy (Large category) were the recipients of the 2020 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development. Read the details in our 2020 press release and get inspiration from their presentations on the John Murray Best Practices webinar (member login required)! 

Can I see the full rules?

Sure! Read more on our website.

Ok, this all sounds great! Where do we submit our nomination?

Complete this form! And make sure to hit “Submit” when you’re done!

The post Get the Facts on the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development! appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

John Murray

Arlington, VA – The News Media Alliance has named the Arizona Daily Star’s #ThisIsTucson (Small category), The Keene Sentinel (Keene, NH) (Medium category), and McClatchy (Large category) as the recipients of the 2020 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development.

A selection committee of Alliance and American Press Institute (API) executives selected the three recipients for their exceptional innovation and sophistication in understanding content strategy as part of audience development. Their effective use of multiple platforms and formats for sharing content; thoughtful content and programs to help readers navigate the events of 2020, including the coronavirus pandemic, protests against systemic racism, and the 2020 presidential election; and registration programs to introduce their brands to new audiences, among other major undertakings, resulted in measurable positive impacts on audience growth, subscription and circulation revenue, and print and digital subscriptions.

All three news publishers successfully applied one or more of the seven ‘Table Stakes’ capacities of modern news publishing, which were developed as part of the Knight Lenfest Local News Transformation program.

Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern, stated, “We have been really pleased with the response from our members to this award. Even in the midst of a global pandemic that threatened the livelihoods of many local news publishers, our members were able to show incredible growth.

Chavern continued, “While we received several impressive nominations again this year, these three organizations showed some amazing results that really demonstrate how far the industry has come, and how news publishers have innovated and are seeing great success in growing audience and revenue for their digital products and services. I know John Murray would have been really excited and proud to see the hard work news publishers are putting in that is paying off in the form of new and engaged audiences.”

Jeff Sonderman, Deputy Executive Director and Executive Vice President at API, stated, “As the United States and the world were rocked this past year by crises and major events, it became more important than ever that news organizations center their audiences’ needs in their reporting and expand to serve all types of people. This year’s award recipients provide inspiring examples of how growth is possible through refining content strategies to appeal to more people while improving business practices to grow reader revenue. It’s a pleasure to congratulate the winners and to know that the work they carry on serves the legacy of John Murray so well.”

This is the second year of the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, which was established in memory of former Vice President of Audience Development John Murray, who was with the organization for over 20 years before passing away in 2018. Murray was known across the news industry for helping Alliance member news publishers improve audience development and engagement, and for convening members to share best practices.

In response to being named a recipient of the 2020 John P. Murray Award:

• Irene McKisson, #ThisIsTucson team leader, said, “We’re honored that our team was chosen as an example of how a small team can make innovation and content strategy a central part of audience development.”
• Terrence Williams, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Keene Sentinel, stated, “We are delighted to receive a John P. Murray Award and be among the many prestigious past and current recipients. It’s been a total company effort to grow our digital audience while doing all we can to hold onto print subscribers, too. Being part of the Table Stakes program at Poynter in 2019-2020 provided us invaluable guidance and practices, and we continue to work at those daily. My praise goes to our staff members who have committed to this effort and to our readers for their support of our journalism.”
• Abby Reimer, Director of Consumer Product & Research at McClatchy, stated, “The success of McClatchy’s registered user strategy shows the impact of collaborative work, thoughtful design, and listening to research. We leaned on data analysis, and A/B testing to implement a holistic mid-funnel experience that has so far led to more than 1.75 million registered users and more than 20,000 new subscribers. We’re excited to continue this important work, which sustains local, essential journalism in our communities.”

All three recipients will receive an award to display at their property; a check for $500 to put toward enhancing their audience development and engagement efforts; and will be invited to present their success stories an upcoming Alliance member best practices webinar. The Alliance will also add this year’s recipients to a plaque that is displayed at its headquarters.

For more information about the John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development, click here.

###

Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
571.366.1009
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print, digital and mobile publishers of original news content. Headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of news media through communication, research, advocacy and innovation. Information about the News Media Alliance (formerly NAA) can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

The post News Media Alliance Announces Recipients of 2020 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development appeared first on News/Media Alliance.