“We can do better as an industry,” we wrote this summer. Four sites are doing just that in designing membership programs that are far from typical or transactional. Learn what they have to share about their process, progress, and travails—and why new programs must incorporate member voices.
Read moreHow growing an independent news site is “like punk rock with a blog”
Creating new membership relationships can feel like being in “a band that has to create a fan base without a record label,” as WTF Just Happened Today founder Matt Kiser said. Hear from him and staff at another independent site, Honolulu Civil Beat, about launching their programs.
Read moreWhat your site can learn from 100 news organizations with robust membership programs
We’ve just released our Membership Models in News Database with details about the wide range of member-supported journalism sites. Here we dig into that data and show followers of and contributors to our research what makes for a strong, flexible, and participatory membership program.
Read moreIntroducing the Membership Models in News Database for your use and contributions
We’ve spent three months researching news sites that have membership programs. Today we’re releasing a database that collects what we found. Here we describe some of the key characteristics of the more robust models for member-supported journalism.
Read more“Behavior first, rules second” & other learnings from membership organizations outside news
In studying seven domains from co-working spaces to gaming communities, we’ve seen how organizations are being creative in designing membership. We share how they’re bringing immersive tryouts, personalized contracts, and flexibility to current and potential members.
Read moreTalk to me like I matter. Changing how news sites interact with supporters
We’re looking forward to a future with membership programs that audiences co-design with publishers, rich member participation opportunities to benefit journalism, and a clearer shared vocabulary. Today that starts with clear thinking regarding how we talk about and to potential members as inspired by Latino Rebels, The Intercept, and other sites.
Read moreWhat European investigative news startups can teach media worldwide about memberships
European news startups share what their audiences have told them about the breakdown in believability – and how they’re counteracting it with small team investigations and member involvement in their storytelling.
Read moreHack our user research materials
This summer and fall we’re interviewing members to understand why they support media organizations and what other sites might do to entice them. You can use and remix the materials we bring to this work.
Read more“You get the feeling they really looked into it.” What members say about why they support De Correspondent
Members made a moral decision: this is something I should support. They placed a high value on transparency and the kind of in-depth journalism that shows them how things got this way—and how they could be different.
Read moreThe time is now. Three things we’re hearing from media orgs about membership
In conversations with publishers, we’re hearing that membership is an imperative part of their growth strategy but one that is fraught with resource constraints and audience limitations on capacity to care.
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