ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcing the Central and Eastern Europe Reader Revenue Accelerator
We’re excited to announce that applications for the Facebook Reader Revenue Program are now open for news organizations in Central and Eastern Europe.
Publishers from Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are encouraged to apply for this training opportunity by September 28.
This learning series, offered by the Facebook Journalism Project in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), is designed to empower up to 15 selected publishers with intensive training, individual coaching and $50,000 USD in grant funding to help participants supercharge their reader revenue models.
“It is hugely important that publishers in Central and Easter Europe - and around the world - can develop their subscription-based business models and create sustainable, long-term revenue streams,” said Marcin Hajek, News Partnerships Manager for Central and Eastern Europe at Facebook. “I am very much looking forward to working with the participants from the CEE region over the coming weeks.”
This program, which will begin in mid October and conclude in early 2022, features live virtual sessions led by expert coaches who will guide participants through rigorous and interactive lessons. These lessons come in addition to weekly expert coaching from industry leaders that will help Accelerator participants sharpen their reader revenue strategies.
“The need for independent media is more urgent than ever,” said Johanna Carrillo, vice president of programs at ICFJ. “This initiative will help news outlets in the region strengthen their bottom lines, so they can better serve the public well into the future.”
In addition, the program will provide an opportunity to explore Facebook advertising solutions. Selected publishers will receive strategic consulting support to grow subscribers on Facebook and Instagram through Facebook Ads/paid tools. Publishers may indicate their interest in this additional training in the application form.
To be eligible for this program, you must meet the following general eligibility criteria and apply by the September 28 deadline.
- You are a news organization of any type (digital, print, broadcast, etc.) located in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania publishing public interest news content on a regular basis.
- Your news organization has an existing reader revenue business (membership, subscription, donation) or plans to launch one within the next ninety days.
- Your news organization is willing to commit to the program’s requirements including:
- You are willing to commit a cross-functional team of two to five members to the program.
- You understand this team will commit roughly five hours per week to this program, including group sessions and your own team’s coaching calls.
- You have at least two team members who are able to communicate in English when translation is not available.
- You are willing to share the results of your organization’s tests conducted during the program openly with other program participants and keep the results of other program participants’ results confidential.
The application closes on September 28.
This program builds on other Facebook Journalism Project initiatives in the region including a recent Video Accelerator program, also in partnership with ICFJ, for publishers in Central and Eastern Europe that helped participants sharpen their digital storytelling skills.
"The series of presentations and meetings inspired us to change the structure of the video department, build new competences and new work-flow,” said Ewa Lampart CEO Grupa Super Express, TIME SA. “We will implement the new video strategy mainly based on the knowledge gained during the accelerator."
We look forward to similar successes for reader revenue-focused publishers from around the region in the latest version of the Accelerator.
The Accelerator Program
The Facebook Journalism Project’s Accelerator program helps news publishers build sustainable businesses. Funded and organized by the Facebook Journalism Project, each Accelerator includes a three-month period of hands-on workshops led by news industry veterans, grants administered by non-profit journalism organizations, and regular reports on best business practices. The Accelerator’s executive director is Tim Griggs, an independent consultant/advisor and former New York Times and Texas Tribune executive.
For monthly updates on the Accelerator program, sign up for the FJP newsletter.
The Facebook Journalism Project’s Accelerator program helps news publishers build sustainable businesses. Funded and organized by the Facebook Journalism Project, each Accelerator includes a three-month period of hands-on workshops led by news industry veterans, grants administered by non-profit journalism organizations, and regular reports on best business practices. The Accelerator’s executive director is Tim Griggs, an independent consultant/advisor and former New York Times and Texas Tribune executive.
For monthly updates on the Accelerator program, sign up for the FJP newsletter.
About ICFJ
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) empowers a global network of journalists to produce news reports that lead to better governments, stronger economies, more vibrant societies and healthier lives. ICFJ serves its community by providing training, mentoring, fellowships or financial support in five key areas: investigative journalism, critical-issues reporting, media innovation, financial sustainability and thought leadership.
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) empowers a global network of journalists to produce news reports that lead to better governments, stronger economies, more vibrant societies and healthier lives. ICFJ serves its community by providing training, mentoring, fellowships or financial support in five key areas: investigative journalism, critical-issues reporting, media innovation, financial sustainability and thought leadership.
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