2025 - Spring

Media Startups & News Innovations

Course Number: JOUR-GA 1240

Day & Time: Tue | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Location: Online

Instructor: Adam L. Penenberg

Dream up the next hot media startup and pitch it to investors and entrepreneurs.

Female journalist wearing headphones doing online interview on the computer in home recording studio in the evening.

Journalists who can successfully navigate these turbulent media times must be equal parts journalist and entrepreneur. This course is two-pronged. We’ll look at the business of journalism, the latest trends in revenue strategies, and the growth in not-for-profit publishing. We’ll consider which strategies are failing and which are succeeding (for now) by looking deeply at examples of media companies’ business plans, financials, and reputations. We’ll also walk through the steps of conceiving of your own media startup. You’ll learn about seed and venture capital, marketing and tracking traffic. All along the way you’ll be workshopping ideas for a business. The semester will culminate with the drafting of a business plan and pitch to a panel of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists for feedback.