Blog

Scholars have given careful thought to the relationship between journalists and the people on the receiving end of their work: the audience, the public. Here, we review what this literature might teach us now, especially as journalist + audience interactions evolve.

Our research approach for more audience-engaged design: 1. Listen to members around the world. 2. Map their needs. 3. Turn those needs into practical questions for news sites. 4. See and share what comes out of sites’ own brainstorms. Question, encourage, celebrate.

We interviewed supporters of news sites around the world to learn what they need and want from the organizations they contribute their money, time, and expertise to. We heard that they pay more for unique news value than utility or perks. Supporters also said that they must have more spaces for quality interactions and non-traditional…

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.