How to outsmart traditional funding models
Less than 1% of global funding goes to women’s and feminist organisations in the global south. This figure is mirrored in charitable donations, where less than 2% of individual donations go to organisations supporting women and girls. South Africa has over 200,000...
Secrets for successfully monetising newsletters
The trick to monetising newsletters and podcasts is to find creative ways to leverage your engaged audience to meet your client’s brand objectives. “Remember, commercial clients are not buying your journalism, they are paying for access to the audience you have...
Business strategy for media start-ups
Seasoned marketing and strategy coach, Claire du Preez, was the trainer for a virtual ‘Business Strategy for start-ups” workshop hosted by SAMIP, sharing tools and specialist expertise, having been part of a start-up journey that achieved a billion-rand exit....
Niche publications – the future of media?
According to a 2019 Reuters Institute Digital News report, niche publications are growing twice as fast as their more general counterparts, with audiences increasingly seeking out specialised content to suit their needs and interests. There are clear advantages to...
Digital strategy for newsrooms on a budget
First be clear on who you are and what you want to achieve, advised Verashni Pillay, founder of explain.co.za, during a virtual training on Digital Strategy 101, attended by over 40 participants from SAMIP, NAMIP and the regional cohort. The two-hour session was...
Evidence-based storytelling: Where do good stories come from?
Despite the fast pace of the daily news cycle there is still high demand for good longform narrative feature writing. Feature stories take an in-depth look at a subject and offer a tool to make difficult information enjoyable and accessible. While is it is important...
Developing a product thinking mindset
The concept of product thinking has had a lot of hype as the solution that will save news journalism, yet its definition is nebulous as it incorporates ideas from many different sources and disciplines. In a series of virtual workshops tech journalist and entrepreneur...
Thinking of applying for the GNI Innovation Challenge? Here are some tips on how to
The Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge 2022 has officially opened applications for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa where selected innovation projects will be eligible to receive up to $150 000 each in funding. As applying for funding can be a...
Sales success comes from sticking to the science of selling
Developing a successful media sales strategy from scratch is daunting. How do you identify potential clients and price your content to sell? How do you secure a sales meeting and ultimately land the deal? According to digital sales guru Carl Davis, a successful...
Good writing is simple writing
Early-career writers often make the mistake of thinking they need to impress their readers with poetic eloquence and linguistic gymnastics. The truth is that readers – particularly in the short-attention-span digital space - want information quickly and...