🔶 News Alchemists #31: "Journalism needs a rebrand"

Hello and welcome back to the News Alchemists newsletter...

...a guide for journalism innovators who are creating a better news ecosystem,

...imagining and celebrating the news innovations that put audiences and communities first,

...sharing best practices and insights on how journalists are thinking (and need to think) about audiences, information needs and impact in different ways.

...it's much more than just a list of links.

That's how some of you described this newsletter through the reader survey I sent last week, and honestly: I love it! 😍

I'm so grateful to the many of you who filled out the survey – I have already learned a ton. Here are three things you said that made me think:

💡 What is your favourite thing about the newsletter? "The 'behind the scenes' you share: disclosing the person behind the newsletter."

💡 What improvement would make the newsletter better for you? "Creating a space for readers to interact creates community and provides value."

💡 What's one thing you've learned so far from the newsletter? "The value of perspective. Not everything has to instantly add up. Pausing and reflecting on the state of the industry and my place in it has value."

The survey is still open, and I'd love to read your thoughts and ideas too. As I said in last week's edition:

• There are ten questions – some are open and some are multiple-choice.
• Each question in the survey is accompanied by one line in which I explain why I'm asking that question. (WTQ? = Why this question?)
• No question is mandatory. You can browse the survey and decide that you only have time to answer one or two.

Ready? Here you go:

🤝 Let's work together?

Since you like getting to know the person behind the newsletter: I'm wrapping up the two big projects I've been working on this year, so I'm open to take on new work from September.

I'm an independent consultant and coach. I help people and organisations understand themselves, their audience and their purpose.

Do you have a project that needs thoughtful leadership or a fresh perspective? Here's what I can do for you:

Got a project this autumn that needs thoughtful leadership or a fresh perspective? | Mattia Peretti

Got a project this autumn that needs thoughtful leadership or a fresh perspective? Hello! 👋 My name is Mattia and I’m here to do the always-uncomfortable but often-necessary thing of announcing that… I’m open to taking on new projects from September 🤓 If we haven’t met before: I’m an independent consultant and coach, helping people and organisations understand themselves, their audience and their purpose. What I can do for you: 🪢 I manage complex projects effectively 🎢 I design learning experiences that people love 🤝 I help teams and communities organise, connect, and create value together (…and much more, but I’m told it’s better to keep these lists short.) 🪄 My approach is simple: I don’t pretend to have all the solutions; I listen deeply, ask the right questions, and guide you towards clarity – so you can move forward with confidence. By working with me, you’re not only bringing my own skills and expertise to your team: you’re tapping into a wide international network of experts and change-makers (and their own expertise!) that I’ve cultivated throughout my 12-year career in journalism and media. This year I’ve been working on two big projects that are about to wrap up: ☝ For the Daily Maverick, I managed #Revenue360, a 3-headed project designed to deepen reader engagement, grow the DM’s membership community (building a brand-new community platform that will launch soon), and demonstrate the real-world impact of DM’s journalism: https://lnkd.in/d6uei-EX ✌ With Northwestern University Knight Lab, I created #JR3 (short for ‘Rethink, Recenter, Redefine. Journalism in transition’): a project that aims to redefine, in a people-centric direction, what journalism is – starting with a deep collective reflection on what journalism should enable us to feel, think, and do: https://lnkd.in/dU3Zq9Qd Other clients I have worked with in the last two years include Internews, The Guardian, FACTA.eu, the Nordic AI Journalism Network, and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). As a coach, I’ve helped many other creators and organisations uncover what makes them distinct, who they aim to serve and why, and how to align their values, voice, and structure to grow sustainably. Oh, and I write the much-beloved News Alchemists newsletter, of course: https://lnkd.in/gnFy8eVT 📆 Book a chat with me if you have a project you’d like to discuss or an idea to brainstorm together: https://lnkd.in/dfe5Cc2r And if you’d like to share this post with your network, I’d be very grateful 🙏

LinkedInMattia Peretti

Journalism needs a rebrand 👉 LINK

Only one link today instead of seven because [insert here customary note about having lots of work, being too busy, etc.] and also because my parents have been visiting and I've been spending time with them between London and Cambridge.

It's a link worthy of getting the spotlight, though: 🧞Ross Maghielse (deputy managing editor for innovation and development at The Philadelphia Inquirer) wrote an excellent piece arguing that "it’s time for journalism to stop overselling its importance and underselling its value."

The whole thing is worth reading, but I found the comparison between the messaging about 'importance' and the one about 'value' to be especially impactful.

How journalism markets itself:

• "Journalism is essential to democracy.
• Journalism is crucial to society and vital to all information ecosystems.
• Journalism needs your support.
• Journalism is a calling.
• Journalism matters."

Ross: "I believe this approach bears significant responsibility for leading journalism to where it is now: an industry that thinks more highly of itself than anyone else does of it."

How journalism should market itself more often:

• "Journalism is interesting.
• Journalism is informative.
• Journalism is innovative.
• Journalism is helpful.
• Journalism is exciting.
• Journalism is entrepreneurial."

Ross (but also me): "We need to be saying, and showing, all of this more often."

Journalism needs a rebrand

It’s time for journalism to stop overselling its importance and underselling its value.

J+ at Newmark J-SchoolRoss Maghielse

And if you want more than just one link today, remember that there's a database with almost 200 links I shared so far that you can explore anytime.

One more thing before you go:

See you next week! 👋

P.S.: Ghost (the CMS I use to send this newsletter) just had a major upgrade. It shouldn't affect in any way your reading experience, but if you notice something strange, let me know.