Build Successful
Local Journalism
Businesses

One groundbreaking event, November 16-18, 2018, at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Apply to attend
Participants

What to expect

Arrive with passion and leave with a well-tested business model, a pitch deck, and the roadmap of where to go next to launch a new local journalism initiative.

News Foundry is a three-day, high-intensity workshop that provides people working in journalism the skills to start building a viable business. Drawing from the Lean Startup movement, the event teaches effective ideation, business model validation through customer interviews, and how to run small experiments that can be done in a weekend.

As a participant in News Foundry, you’ll receive expert coaching from other journalism entrepreneurs. You’ll talk to real customers about their information needs. And you’ll present your business plan to a panel of industry experts for candid feedback.

Put simply: You will forge a new local journalism business plan in the fires of coaching, mentorship, customer validation, and rapid iteration. You’ll leave ready to take the next step.

The opportunity

The business of local journalism is ripe for reinvention.

It has never been easier to start a business: the costs to publish and promote content have dropped to the point of being in reach to many people. The stories of successful digital upstarts are everywhere around us. Audience are looking for new voices to trust.

Yes, it’s true that a handful of companies beholden to hedge fund owners have gutted local newsrooms across the U.S. and Canada, leaving us with nations full of “news deserts.” It’s also true that more and more of what some news companies call “local news” is simply wire stories and rewrites of press releases. And yet it’s within our power try to fix these problems.

The time for disruption is now. Local news and information is desperately needed. This is a market opportunity for the wildly aspirational journalism entrepreneurs who are willing to take a shot at displacing the incumbents.

It’s happening all over the world. Are you ready to be a part of the movement?

Should you be at News Foundry?

Space is limited and priority will be given to those who are ready to attend the full event and give it 100%. Let us know why you’d like to attend and we’ll get back to you quickly.

Apply to attend

News Foundry Schedule

All sessions will take place at The Philadelphia Inquirer at 801 Market St., Suite 300 in Philadelphia

Friday, November 16
Reception & speed demonstrations
Idea pitching, voting, and team formation
Saturday, November 17
Full day of business model validation, coaching & experiments
Sunday, November 18
Coaching, pitch deck preparation, and pitch practice
Team presentations and feedback from judges
After party

News Foundry Sponsors

Community Champions

Knowledge Mobilizers