Nonprofit Model Development
by Jake Batsell
Summary
This chapter will explore revenue strategies that have worked for nonprofit news outlets in the digital age. It begins with an in-depth look at The Texas Tribune, which over the past decade has gained a reputation as a national model for nonprofit news. The chapter also explores best practices in revenue strategies as pursued in recent years by the Tribune and many of its peers in nonprofit news.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how nonprofit news organizations are different and similar to for-profit news enterprises.
- Through the lens of a case study on The Texas Tribune, familiarize yourself with some common ways nonprofit news venues generate and diversify their revenue streams.
- Learn which of these strategies have led to success and sustainability for other nonprofit news organizations in the United States and abroad.
Inside this Chapter
- Nonprofit Model Development
- From the Field: The Knoxville Experiment, by Coury Turczyn
- Exercise: Being a Media Nonprofit
Jake Batsell is an associate professor at Southern Methodist University’s Division of Journalism in Dallas, where he teaches digital journalism and media entrepreneurship. His book, “Engaged Journalism: Connecting with Digitally Empowered News Audiences” (Columbia University Press, 2015) was one of three national finalists for the Tankard Book Award administered by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Reach him on Twitter at @jbatsell.
