lessons from launching npr stateimpact and the texas tribune

Five Things I Learned From LaunchingStateImpact amp

The Texas Tribune(WHAT I CAN REMEMBER ANYWAY)

Elise Hu | elisewho

Thursday June 7 2012

How I Spent 2009-2011Thursday June 7 2012

This is Evan Hersquoll explain

Whatrsquos The Texas Tribune


1Context Context Context

Knowledge Not Just News


Provide Unique Value

Mission-Driven Focus

ldquoIt wasnrsquot our story Should we have just been one more news organization rushing to Fort Hood I donrsquot think sordquo said Mr Stiles who joined the Web site from The Houston Chronicle


Wikipedia Style Topic Pages

Most popular long-tail content on StateImpact are topic pages

Perform strong with search


Topic Pages Target Different Audiences

Background for those who know nothing

about the topic

Key Links for those ldquojust joining usrdquo on a

running topic

Key StoriesLatest News aggregates all coverage for junkies


Data Journalism as Differentiator

Users want more than just narrative text stories They want data They want to search the data They want to see the data visualized Teach them how to use it

WITFrsquos Scott Detrow with NPRrsquos Matt Stiles


Searchable Databases and Interactives

Users can see every natural gas well operator and violationin PA Users can also explore by county or municipality


Resources Webinars

httpstateimpactnprorgteamblogThursday June 7 2012

Resources Documentation

Webinars and How-Torsquos available on StateImpact Team Blog


2Combine Original Content

with Smart CurationTrue for The Texas Tribune NPRrsquos Project Argo

and StateImpact


StateImpact Explanation is our franchise

Original Content to Cut Through the Clutter


THE OLD WAY Organizations covering the

same straight storyTHE NOW WAY

Curating aggregating the straight story so therersquos time for

your original take


Frequency Breeds Web Success

New York Magazine publishes content every six minutes

StateImpact reporters expected to post at least five times a day

NPRrsquos Two-Way Blog (the news blog) posts 12-17 times per day


ldquoDo what you do bestlink to the restrdquo

-Jeff Jarvis


Smart Curation Link Roundups

Curated by the reporters each morning as part of their post diets


Smart Curation Links Modules

These arenrsquot automated


Smart Curation Curated Posts

Attribute Attribute Attribute No one hoards news nuggets anymore


Publishing is only the beginning

Tribune Office March 2010


Everything is a discrete unit of news

Units of news exist out of context of a home page Audiences largely encounter news out of context


3Be Open

For Open Government For Open Source For Sharing


Open Government

This is still the core of what we do as journalists

ldquoYes journalists have made tons of mistakes and always will But without their enterprise to take a few representative recent examples we would not have known about the wretched conditions for our veterans at Walter Reed the governmentrsquos warrantless wiretapping the scams at Enron or steroids in baseballrdquo -Frank Rich


Open SourceAnything you build you should share Especially if it helps other newsrooms


4Events Are Journalism Too

(And Money Makers)


ldquoReal-Time Was The Original PlatformrdquoPromote public discourse and engagement

The Texas Tribune Festival 2011



5 Sustain YorsquoSelf

Diversify Your Revenue Sources


ldquoNon-profit is a tax statusnot a business planrdquo

-John Bracken The Knight Foundation


DiversifyMember + Major Gift + Philanthropy + Earned Income

Have a business plan as if you were for-profit


Events Can Raise Revenue

ldquoEven the free events including the TribLive speaker series have been money-makers They are cheap to produce for one thing and often underwritten by corporate sponsors

Smith estimates the Tribune raised about $650000 in corporate support last year which includes eventsrdquo -Nieman Lab


Diversity = SustainabilityThursday June 7 2012

Questionsehunprorgelisewho


How I Spent 2009-2011Thursday June 7 2012

















about the topic


running topic










Resources Webinars







and StateImpact








your original take








-Jeff Jarvis

















3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)






































about the topic


running topic










Resources Webinars







and StateImpact








your original take








-Jeff Jarvis

















3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)





























Resources Webinars







and StateImpact








your original take








-Jeff Jarvis

















3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)



























and StateImpact








your original take








-Jeff Jarvis

















3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)




























your original take








-Jeff Jarvis

















3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)




























-Jeff Jarvis

















3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)





































3Be Open



Open Government







(And Money Makers)






















Open Government







(And Money Makers)

























(And Money Makers)






















lessons from launching npr stateimpact and the texas tribune

News & Politics