In a series of presentations and Q&A periods, these quick talks will provide concrete information on the state of local news — and tips on how to build your own membership program to grow your revenues.

Membership programs

Mary Walter-Brown of the News Revenue Hub talks about its effort to develop membership programs as a major revenue stream at local news sites across the country, and shares examples of what has worked and what hasn’t.

Digital trends in local news

Jesse Holcomb, formerly of the Pew Research Center and now a professor at Calvin College, will distill highlights from the latest research, and what it all means for community digital publishers. 

The state of small daily newspapers

Damian Radcliffe will speak on the plight and future of small-market daily local newspapers, from newly published, and unpublished research, produced for the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University and the Agora Journalism Center in Portland, including a survey of 400 journalists primarily working at local newspapers.