Mark Briggs is an author on a mission to teach journalists how to change in today’s digital influx. His latest book, ‘Entrepreneurial Journalism’ details the key aspects that will lead to a successful start up publication.
“The barriers to get published are obliterated,” Briggs said. The internet allows journalists to embark on a self-led venture to publish their own voice. “You can shoot your own videos, you can publish on WordPress, and pretty much everything is free, so there’s really no reason to not get going.”
Tips for the Entrepreneurial Journalist:
1. Understand the new ecosystem
2. Get inspired by success
3. Go where the money is
4. Don’t wait, innovate
5. Turn your idea into a business
6. Build you business know how
7. Harness Technology
8. Go to market
“If you’re a journalist, you should be creative and have great ideas. Know what you’re interested in and passionate about covering. Don’t wait for someone to hire you to cover, just go start doing what you love and proving yourself. Maybe it parlays into a job, maybe it becomes a business in its own right,” Briggs said.
To attract a strong, loyal audience, Briggs said the key is to find a niche or location. He said the web favors narrowly comprehensive topics, unlike newspapers which are a platform for a wide variety.
Look at successful startup publications that Briggs said navigated the entrepreneurial trail and now have an audience and support from advertisers:
