News Entrepreneur Boot Camp 2010

May 16 - May 21, 2010
Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California
In partnership with the USC Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Center for Communication Leadership and Public Policy, and the Online Journalism Review

About | Agenda | Speakers | Fellows | Resources

About the Seminar

The Knight Digital Media Center (in partnership with the USC Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, the Center for Communication Leadership and Public Policy, and the Online Journalism Review) held a special News Entrepreneur Boot Camp from May 16-21, 2010, in Los Angeles. This expenses-paid intense one-week boot camp was designed for 20 competitively selected digital entrepreneurs with great ideas for community news and information initiatives in the public interest. Topics to be covered included:

• Identifying the best business model for sustained success.
• Developing a feasibility plan.
• Audience development and customer acquisition.
• Developing and implementing revenue and advertising strategies.
• Successful social networking models.
• Understanding and using analytics.

Traditional news organizations are floundering as business models collapse and audiences are increasingly turning to alternative news and information sources. This special boot camp was designed for digital journalists and others who are passionate about new ideas for serving the information and news needs of their communities but who lack the grounding in business and startup skills.  Expert faculty from both academia and the private sector provided intense instruction, coaching and mentoring on developing marketable business plans for providing news and information in the public interest.