Sustainable journalism: A manifesto of sorts (what I'm up to)
If I hear one more analyst say this is a golden age of journalism, my head will explode. That's a terrible disservice to the thousands of former journalists who have been forced out of this noble profession in recent years. If you aren't scared about the future of journalism, and by extension the future of the republic, you are delusional.
But as the dust settles on the first part of the digital age, there are some pockets of opportunity. I'm trying to live inside one of those pockets, a pocket I am calling “sustainable journalism.”
My personal goal is simple. I just want to write and tell stories that matter. Several times in my journalism life I've made the mistake of accepting a promotion to editor or producer. It never lasts. I miss being a reporter. I got into this business because I love talking to people and sharing their experiences with others, and that's all I ever want to do. I've even looked into SEO companies like Victorious, just so I can get a better understanding of how this plays a part in journalism and how content reaches a larger audience. Anything I can do to pursue my passion and show people what I can do, I am willing to give it a go.
There are thousands and thousands of people just like me; far too many for major media companies to support nowadays. That’s forced a dreadful percentage out of the profession, and every remaining journalist is constantly looking over his or her shoulder for this grim reaper to arrive at their cubicle desk. Rather than wait for that seeming inevitability, I am making a go of it alone. As a solo journalist. As an independent journalist. As a “onetrepreneur.”
I have no desire to start a movement, and I'm certainly not leading one. But many of my journalist friends have expressed a lot of curiosity about what I'm up to, this "sustainable journalism” thing. So here goes. I'm hardly the first person with this idea -- "entreprenurial journalism" is already a field of study in some quarters. I just want to be a practitioner who proves it’s possible.
To that end, I do want to share how I'm doing with others. And if what I'm doing in some inspires others to try it (as others have inspired me), I'd be delighted.
Because I'm pretty sure this is the way we save journalism. Or at least it's one way. (Obviously, there are others.) I'm very dubious that large media companies will pay thousands of people like me a good salary to write difficult stories in the coming years. They certainly won't pay for people to write unpopular stories, media now being as enslaved as it is by the popularity contest.
About 'sustainable journalism'
I began my journalism career sitting in hard chairs deep into the night at school board and planning board meetings in tiny New Jersey towns, writing about the terrible things that go on in such meetings. It breaks my heart to think that at many such meetings today, not even a single journalist is there to observe. That alone threatens the Republic.
When I think about sustainable journalism, this metaphor comes to my mind again and again. The latest round of cuts sacrifices a veteran school board reporter in a town like Iowa City or Missoula or Dayton. That journalist faces the existential moment that thousands before her have -- "Must I go into public relations?" With a few decades of experience in her past, I want her to have another option.
I want her to hold on to her audience. For dear life.
This is the opportunity that I see. The digital age has done a lot to destroy journalism; chiefly by destroying its funding mechanism. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But the opportunity it has created is the incredible ability to gather up and connect with audiences as never before.
Is there a way to have the parents of Iowa City and Dayton or Missoula pay for the excellent school board coverage they are about to lose forever? Might they somehow get together and “hire” this experienced reporter, before her institutional knowledge disappears from the planet?
Keep an open mind for just a moment, please. It's conventional wisdom that only very, very famous journalists like Andrew Sullivan should try such a thing. And even he is only getting by. But let me talk about two strategies that I hope mean indy journalism isn't just for the most famous among us. First, the "1,000 fan" concept, and second, diversified revenue streams.
1,000 fans
My experience writing and marketing books has taught me a lot. One of the key lessons: mass marketing has limited success, and it's getting more limited all the time. In the old world, book publishers would fall over themselves to get authors onto the morning talk shows, desperate to get four minutes in front of 5-10 million people, hoping that 0.01 percent of them might run out and buy the book. That's a very hard way to sell books. Or to sell anything.
Folks who have paid attention to the marketing genius that is Tim Ferriss know about another way, the "1,000 True Fans” model. It was actually first articulated by Kevin Kelly back in 2008. The idea is simple. Forget mass marketing. Focus on "true fans." Whether you are a writer, a rock band, a cabinet maker....if you can find 1,000 people who are willing to pay you $100 per year for what you create, then you have a sustainable business. You won't need a big company to bail you out. You can simply create. You might not get rich. But you can create.
Play with the numbers if you like. Get 10,000 to give you $10. Live somewhere cheap, and get by with even less. But start thinking about a core base of fans, and giving them something they are willing to pay a little for, and you are well on the way to sticking with something you love.
Diversity
Of course, getting $100, or even $10, is ....shall we say...non-trivial. Even a heroic school board reporter under the most ideal circumstances would probably fail to get that number. But it's important to put a stake in the ground and start getting across the idea that what you do is worth actual money. And to create a simple mechanism for people to give you money. Is $20 a year from 100 families for a newsletter a more realistic number? I think so. That's obviously not sustainable. But as they used to say in dead-tree days, that money will probably cover the "print" costs -- the MailChimp subscription, the web hosting. So that's a good start. If you are interested in jumping on the Journalism bandwagon have a good web hosting site could be an excellent way to go, there are a lot of hosting sites reviewed by sitebeginner.com that could help you get started. One web hosting server that is talked a lot about for businesses is M247. M247 is a secure and environmentally controlled web hosting server. If you want dedicated servers for your business, M247 is the one for you! Again, the concept matters here: some people like your work so much they will be willing to give you money, as long as you give them an excuse and a simple mechanism to do so. Most of all, doing so will teach you that it's ok to ask people for money. Journalists need a new paradigm. Beaten down for decades by a culture which told them they had to suffer silently, fade into the background in every story, and god forbid they try to profit from their work. You can ask for money and not compromise your ethics. In fact, that's the only way anyone ever makes money.
That new attitude helps with the more important part of business planning.
The most important element of “sustainable journalism” is the understanding that you'll need lots of different income streams to make it work. Journalists who put on their entrepreneurial hat learn quickly there are plenty of ways to make money.
*Old-fashioned free-lancing
*Paid Speeches
*Organizing conferences or meet-up events
*Doing market research
*Becoming a paid expert
*Writing for corporations with embedded newsrooms
*Syndicating content
And last, and probably least, running a website. Yes, you can make money from a website. Google is still giving away Adsense money. It's not a lot, however (again, perhaps enough to cover hosting costs). It will, however, quickly teach you who those 1,000 fans are. It will give them a meeting place. It will give you a feedback loop. Most of all, it will keep your nose in the game. It will keep you feeling like a reporter who simply has to cover that big meeting or controversial event. It will act as a glorified, interactive business card -- most writers quickly find out the real value in the website is as a lead-generation tool.
The critical thing to realize is that every mix will be different. And there might be other ways to earn money. At the moment, without destroying my own privacy, my mix looks something like this:
5% website and paid newsletter revenue
5% Revenue from content partnerships
50% traditional freelance revenue
20% speaking revenue
20% new venture revenue
But my main message to anyone who might even vaguely be considering such an undertaking -- in fact, my message to anyone in media today -- is simply, “Gather your audience.” Every time you touch readers, collect them. Get them to follow you...good. Friend them....good. Get their email address, great. They liked *your* story, they trust *your* information, they are *your* reader. Capture them and take them along for whatever ride you are on. Your audience will be the most powerful line on your resume if you seek a traditional media job. And your audience is your on-ramp if you have any thoughts about going on your own. There will never be an easier time to gather your audience than right now. Start today.
When I was considering this leap, I spoke to Brian Krebs, who'd made the leap before me and is killing it. He's an example of another element that will smooth the way to sustainable journalism: Subject matter expertise. Brian has made himself into one of the world's most respected voices on computer security. When he breaks stories, he gets millions of readers. That gives him enough traffic -- and focused traffic – to interest sponsors. And it makes him a sought-after public speaker. I think it's critical for every journalist considering the leap to plant a flag in the ground and grab territory as a subject matter expert. In fact, I have several such flags in the ground, which helps me a lot -- personal finance, technology, credit card hacking, personal growth, etc.
Continuing the earlier metaphor, yes, the school board speaking circuit isn't as lucrative as the computer security circuit. But stretch your creative muscles a little, and couldn't our school board reporter become an expert in reading methods and give a few talks to parents' groups about that?
I know it's not for everyone. And I don't know if it will work. I do know the tools are out there, and it's never been easier to try. Yes, paid newsletters aren't that hard to set up. Yes, non-corrupting sponsorships are possible. Even writing or working with branded content can be part of your mix (hey, if it's good enough for the New York Times...)
So if you are thinking about it, do it. Dabble in audience collection. Feel out your audience and maybe some sponsors. Most of all, please do this one thing:
Even if you plan to leave journalism, don't lose your audience. Hang on to them for dear life.
OK, I want you to do two things. Before you leave the craft…or better put, before the craft leaves you…take the time to think creatively about options that might not be obvious. One of them, I hope, is sustainable journalism.