From curation and aggregation to longform and multimedia, this panel features founders of journalism startups and innovators at news companies describing trends in the never-ending drive to reinvent the news. Panelists: Rob Malda, chief digital strategies and editor at large, Trove (formerly WaPo Labs); Trina Chiasson, CEO and co-founder, InfoActive; Mark Potts, founder, Newspeg. Moderated by Leslie Walker, visiting professor in digital innovation, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Slides are from Mark Potts

1. Media Startups
A Love Story
Mark Potts
Journalism Interactive Conference
April 4, 2014

2. “Why do you keep doing this?”

3. Two Things to Know About
Media Startups
1. They’re very easy to do
2. They’re very hard to do

4. Why Media Startups Are Easy
• Cheaper than ever to get started
• Off-the-shelf technology
• Business tools for dummies
• Quickbooks, etc.
• Collaboration tools
• Marketing head start
• Social media
• Media covering media

5. Why Media Startups Are Hard
• You have to find an audience and get traction
• In search of the hockey stick
• You have to have a sustainable business
model
• Advertising usually isn’t enough
• You have to make money
• PS: Non-profit is a tax-status, not a business model
• You have to raise money
• Most startups FAIL

6. • A “pop-up startup”
• Startup costs: <$1,000, volunteer labor
• Marketing via social media, press
• Collaboration with Reynolds
Journalism Institute

7. • “Pinterestfor news”
• Saving, sharing news stories
• Social news curation
• Emphasis on headlines, news brands
• Potential for publisher partnerships
• Business model: Ads, data,
partnerships

9. Member Profile Page

10. Pegging a Story
NewspegBo
okmarklet

11. Now the Hard Part
• Fine-tuning the product
• Building the audience
• Proving Newspeg can be a business
• Finding partners
• Raising money

13. Media Startups
A Love Story
Mark Potts
Journalism Interactive Conference
April 4, 2014