This October 40 community and investigative news publishers will receive expert guidance on business and market challenges through an executive training program offered at [email protected]...

The Community Journalism Executive Training (CJET) program is being created by the Investigative News Network and [email protected], with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Patterson Foundation. It will be held October 18-20 at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism in Los Angeles.

The program will train 40 executives (20 from investigative sites and 20 from community news sites) in the practicalities of building sustainable community journalism organizations. Topics will include fundraising, business operations,  technology, community engagement and more.

Participants will work in small groups with expert coaches. The goal: to develop a 100-day tactical plan for building their businesses.

This training is offered to community news organizations affiliated with INN and the Block-by-Block initiative. Watch the News for Digital Journalists blog for updates for the application process.

“Our work during the last six months with 12 independent Super Camp publishers, supported by the Patterson Foundation, has shown that high-touch mentoring and coaching by business and revenue experts produces results,” said Vikki Porter, director of the [email protected]. “We think the executive training program will show how focused business skills and strategic planning can result in sustaining revenue streams for startup news organizations.”

The News for Digital Journalists blog is made possible by a grant to USC Annenberg from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.