Top three takeaways from Mega-Conference 2023

The mood was energetic and upbeat at the 2023 Mega-Conference, hosted by America’s Newspapers at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, April 2-4. Over 350 attendees from member news publishers and the vendor/sponsor community took part in a robust agenda, including general and break-out sessions, solutions showcases and roundtables, and ending in afternoon sessions — and ultimately, with a final-day reception held at The Dallas Morning News. There was a lot of information unpacked during the three-day event, but E&P chose three exciting takeaways to highlight here.

Print and digital go hand-in-hand in a transformative organization.

John Garrett, president of Community Impact, gave a lively, information-packed speech: "Going ‘Phygital’: Transforming Your Organization." We followed Community Impact’s 18-year journey from inception through “Phase 1” of its transformation. Although there was mainly dialogue about growing digital revenue from most other speakers, Garrett said that Community Impact’s print revenue is growing double-digits. In addition, its digital revenue is up 7% this year, without any detraction from print.

A focus on high-quality journalism and design, being a talent-centered organization and encouraging an entrepreneurial and experimental mindset in the company has helped Community Impact continue to grow when others are struggling. And Community Impact is already looking at “Phase Two” of its transformation by considering how print will be valued in the future. They’ll be looking hard at processes, creating structures for tasks and, whenever possible, “keeping it simple.”

Garrett said Community Impact’s “superpower” is: “We make the complex compelling.”

Audience connection amplifies growth.

Rob Curley, editor of the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, delivered a riveting and entertaining message about audience connection. “If you follow the pack, you’re only going to be as successful as the pack” seems to be Curley’s motto, because he continues to blaze his own trail. His “Five Ps” for audience connection — Passion, Practical, Personal, Playful and Pleasure — all speak to the information and experience Spokesman-Review readers find important. Curley said, “It’s more about being the paper of record; it’s about being the paper of interest” when telling the story of how the Spokesman-Review approaches the paper and audience.

Book-club events, which now draw anywhere from 250-750 people, have differentiated the Spokesman-Review and given the paper another avenue for audience connection. And that connection is working — with sold-out crowds at their events highlighting interesting writers, serving beer and wine and spurring community funding. Last year, 28% of the Spokesman-Review newsroom payroll was paid via community donations. At the top of each community-funded story is a statement about that funding. And each community-funded story exists under a creative commons copyright — with the ability to be run by anyone in the community and never behind a paywall. Curley’s take: “When you make things useful and answer questions and problems, people will gravitate to you.”

A new study provides audience estimates for local news.

Leaving possibly the most exciting for last — America’s Newspapers, along with marketing and media research and consulting firm Coda Ventures, released the results of a representative study of the American population regarding how they interact with and what they want from local news. The study, which showed that 218 million Americans access news and information from local newspapers every month, was extensive and measured according to the nine U.S. census regions. This will allow the results to be broken down and customized for use by local media organizations. Without spoiling the results, which will appear in a section of next month’s issue of E&P, Americans believe that local newspapers should market and advertise!

Again, for a larger look at the results of this important study, read the May 2023 issue of E&P. The results are exciting and informative; the challenge for all will be how to monetize those 218 million monthly visits.

Robin Blinder is E&P's editor-in-chief. She has been with E&P for three years. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com.