MIAMI (Oct. 18, 2011) A new report offers a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at the country’s pioneer online local news ventures, providing data on how they are generating revenue, engaging users and cultivating donors.

“Even for people deeply involved in this field, there is still an air of mystery about just how local, nonprofit news sites are making a go of it,” said Michael Maness, vice president for Journalism and Media Innovation at Knight Foundation. “This report provides lessons and insights on emerging practices for both journalists the funders supporting them.”

Focusing on eight local, professional nonprofit sites, the report, “Getting Local: How Nonprofit News Ventures Seek Sustainability” includes:

• The sites’ efforts to experiment with new revenue sources beyond foundation support, including corporate sponsorship, events, syndication and membership programs.

• A detailed breakdown of the sites’ expenses, including budget percentages spent on editorial, marketing and technology – providing a look at each site’s approach to sustainability.

• The innovations the sites have created to attract and keep users – including data apps to track bicycle accidents and local immunization rates and to help residents imagine ways to plug holes in local budgets.

The report provides journalists and funders a framework for thinking about and assessing the organizations’ viability.  To achieve sustainability, revenue generation is as important as engaging users and as the capacity to develop and adapt to changing technologies, the study says.

“Creating a consistent and diverse set of revenue sources is key to any site that wants to thrive. But sites are three-legged stools – relying also on their ability to build a stronger user community and to invest in their own staffs’ capacity to adapt and innovate,” said Mayur Patel, vice president for strategy and assessment at Knight Foundation who coauthored the report with journalist and consultant Michele McLellan. “Sites that are close to their readers and their communities are having the most traction.”

“Getting Local” studied The Bay Citizen, Crosscut, MinnPost, the New Haven Independent, St. Louis Beacon, The Texas Tribune, Voice of San Diego and the now defunct Chi-Town Daily News. Knight commissioned Community Wealth Ventures to conduct the study in 2009-10, and McLellan later updated the figures.

To download the report and an illustration, visit knightfoundation.org/gettinglocal. Follow the conversation on Twitter with #infoneeds.

About Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

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Contacts:
Marc Fest, Vice President/Communications, (305) 908-2677, [email protected]