Table Stakes
Mastering the new essentials of
sustainable journalism
The program teaches modern change management skills to develop new leaders and business models for local news
Key Questions
What is the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program?
Local news organizations assemble cross-departmental teams to take on a major challenge core to their businesses. They receive support from expert coaches who teach pragmatic concepts of strategy, innovation, organizational change, and personal leadership.
Who is the program for?
The Table Stakes program works for news organizations of any size who are ready to tackle ambitious challenges and manage continuous change.
How will we benefit?
News organizations can grow subscriptions, improve trust, expand to new platforms, reorganize the company, and more.
What are the
“table stakes”?
The term table stakes refers to a set of critical skills and capabilities that modern news organizations must master to survive today.
How do we participate?
There are various iterations of the program, hosted at schools and institutes, each with their own specialties.
“Table Stakes is preparing news leaders to create a vibrant, diverse future for local journalism.”
The Table Stakes programs are underwritten by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and the John S. Knight and James L. Knight Foundation. The program began in 2015 and was principally designed by Douglas K. Smith.
The American Press Institute manages the core activities of the program and the major market version. For more information or to contact us: