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The Texas Tribune, launched 10 years ago, was born from business plans scribbled on napkins and whispered wooings in the bowels of the Texas State Capitol. Poynter managing editor Barbara Allen has the backstory of how it all came to be.
Her deep dive includes helpful tips for newsrooms, entrepreneurs and media leaders, including:
- Have a “promiscuous revenue model.”
- Build a “no-a**holes” culture.
- Find your niche, even if it’s the size of Texas.
- Roll with the unexpected — and fail fast.
- Hire women leaders and prioritize diversity.
- Invest in your business and tech teams like you do your reporters and editors.
Read her full article for inspiration and how-to’s. And keep scrolling for upcoming training opportunities:
ACES In-Depth Editing Online Group Seminar (Fall 2019)
Online Group Seminar, Nov. 10—Dec. 15, 2019
This in-depth editing online group seminar is for experienced editors who are seeking to move their work to a new level. You’ll hone your skills and edit strategically, going beyond editing for style, grammar and punctuation.
When you’re done, you will have expertise in substantive editing and know how to use critical thinking skills across multiple platforms and disciplines. You’ll also get coaching and feedback from the experts at the ACES: The Society for Editing.
Cost. $449. Last chance to enroll!
Leadership Academy for Women in Media
In-person seminar at the Poynter Institute, Feb. 23-28; April 19-24; or Oct. 4-9
Now in its sixth year, this highly competitive and transformative program focuses on the skills and knowledge needed to rise to the highest levels of digital media leadership. Sessions will cover how to develop effective management styles, handle difficult conversations, manage burnout, master negotiation tactics and find newsroom allies. We will host three women’s leadership academies in 2020, each open to 30 participants.
These programs are structured to encourage open and candid discussion, exploration of issues unique to women, and hands-on mentoring. Participants will walk away with strong leadership skills, feedback from their colleagues, individualized career plans and a built-in support system of peers.
Cost: $1,095. Travel stipends and tuition scholarships are available.
Deadline: Nov. 30. Apply now.
A Journalist’s Guide to Covering Jails — Dallas
Regional seminar at WFAA-TV, Dallas, Texas, Jan. 22-23
This intensive two-day workshop will focus on understanding the causes and consequences of local jail incarceration and explore some ways that communities are addressing the issue. Poynter’s experts and experienced journalists will help reporters find engaging stories and reliable data so they can provide aggressive and thoughtful coverage of this vitally important topic. The sessions will be practical, inspiring and non-political.
Cost: Free for selected applicants.
Deadline: Dec. 2. Apply Now.
The Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) Program: A Poynter Institute Executive Fellowship
In-person seminar at the Poynter Institute, Jan. 2020 – Jan. 2021
Fellows in the executive-level Media Transformation Challenge, which began in 2007 as the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program at Columbia University, will come to Poynter in 2020 for week-long sessions and year-round coaching to improve the sustainability and profitability of their news organizations.
“Taking part in (this program) was challenging and inspiring in equal measure,” said Sue Brooks, former director at the Associated Press and MTC Fellow. “It helped turn a back‐of‐a‐napkin idea into a reality which is now generating many millions of dollars annually and gave me skills that I still use daily.”
Apply now to get the help you need to lead your media organization into the future.
Deadline: Dec. 1. Apply Now.
LEADERSHIP
Media Innovation Tour
In-person, Oct. 26-30, 2020
In this weeklong tour, you will get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of major media organizations in Washington D.C. and New York City. Apply by Aug 1. Cost: $8,250. Apply Now.
Poynter Leadership Academy
In-person, Sept. 20-25
This is Poynter’s premier seminar for high-potential managers to refine their leadership styles and update their understanding of management trends. Apply by Aug 3. Cost: $1,750. Apply Now.
BROADCAST
Poynter Producer Project
Online: March 10-April 7; In-person: March 27-29
This unique seminar will help you expand your expertise as a TV producer with new writing, storytelling, coaching and ethical decision-making skills. We’re combining the best of online learning with in-person coaching and mentoring to help you tell stronger stories and make those tough calls on deadline. Apply by Feb. 17. Cost: $550. Apply Now.
TV Power Reporting Academy
Online: Sept. 8-Oct. 6; In-Person: Sept. 25-27
In this hybrid online and in-person training, you will get individual feedback on your work, hone your critical thinking and learn to find the stories that others miss. When you’re done, you’ll have a toolkit full of practical skills and a roadmap to move your career ahead. Apply by Aug. 17. Cost: $550. Apply Now.
REPORTING, WRITING, EDITING
How Any Journalist Can Earn Trust
In-person seminar at the Poynter Institute, Feb. 10
In this one-day workshop with the leaders of Trusting News, you’ll hear what we’ve learned about the most common causes of mistrust. You’ll see what newsrooms are already doing to address mistrust, and how we know it’s working. And, you’ll leave the workshop feeling more optimistic about your relationship with your community and be ready to empower your colleagues to take ownership of the problem of trust. Cost: Free. Enroll Now.
A Journalists Guide to Covering Jails — Baltimore
Regional training in Baltimore, Maryland, March 5-6
This intensive two-day workshop will focus on understanding the causes and consequences of local jail incarceration and explore some ways that communities are addressing the issue. The sessions will be practical, inspiring and non-political. Deadline: Jan. 10. Cost: Free for selected applicants. Apply Now.
Trusting News Webinar Series
Webinar No. 3, April 8, at noon Eastern
Empower your journalism organization to demonstrate credibility and earn trust with this series of five webinars led by Trusting News founder and director Joy Mayer. Cost: Free. Enroll Now.
Summit for Reporters and Editors
In-person, May 3-8
In this week-long specialized training, you will learn to use digital approaches and narrative writing techniques to transform your work, whether it’s a daily story or a major project. Apply by March 27. Cost: $1,550. Apply Now.
Teachapalooza: Front Edge Teaching Tools for College Educators
In-person, June 5-7
This seminar will get you up-to-date on the technology and trends that shape journalism, show you the latest ways educators are using innovation in their classrooms, and focus on data storytelling and new storytelling platforms. Apply by April 30. Cost: $350. Early-bird pricing: $299 for first 50 registrants. Apply Now.
A Journalists Guide to Covering Jails — Memphis
Regional training in Memphis, Tennessee, June 24-25
This intensive two-day workshop will focus on understanding the causes and consequences of local jail incarceration and explore some ways that communities are addressing the issue. The sessions will be practical, inspiring and non-political. Deadline: April 24. Cost: Free for selected applicants. Apply Now.
The Power of Diverse Voices
In-person, Nov. 12-15, 2020
This transformative four-day seminar will help journalists from a wide spectrum of backgrounds find their voices and build skills for writing opinion pieces and personal essays. Apply by July 31. Cost: Free for selected applicants. Apply Now.
Investigating Jails
Self-directed course
This course is organized into three, one-hour lessons each centered on an area of great importance in covering jails: mental illness, financial injustice and mistreatment. Each lesson features one or two journalism projects as a driving vehicle for learning, breaking down the reporting process for each with the help of the journalist behind the piece. Cost: Free. Enroll Now.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- SEO Analyist — U.S. News & World Report, Washington D.C.
- Editorial Writer and Columnist — San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, Texas
- Managing Editor — Ayre Media, Global
Click here for more jobs.
MORE FROM POYNTER
Tips, program follow-ups and more on Poynter.org
- PBS to critics: It’s not 1973 | Don Cherry is out | The Atlantic gets a major facelift. By Tom Jones.
- Fact-checkers met at Facebook for a two-day closed event. By Cristina Tardáguila, Daniel Funke and Susan Benkelman.
- How this Pulitzer-winning California paper covered the Kincade Fire. By Kristen Hare.
- This AI text generator can replace human writers. The semi-coherent ones, at least. By Ren LaForme.
- I live with chronic pain. Someone you work with does, too. By Chelsea Cirruzzo.