Creator journalism comes to campus
J-schools are adding creator-focused courses, majors and dedicated centers while curriculum plays catch up with the industry
When Brooklyn-based freelance journalist Nicole Abriam took a startup journalism course at The New School in 2021, the assignment was straightforward: Build a product that serves a specific audience.
Leveraging the surge of writers moving to platforms like Substack and a void in nuanced coverage of the Filipino-American community, she launched Kultura, a newsletter covering that exact niche.
What started as a classroom assignment evolved into a senior capstone project, and eventually, a professional endeavor that she monetizes today through paid subscriptions.
In five years, Abriam wants to grow her newsletter into a social enterprise to support and highlight Filipino culture.
Related Knowledge Center: Theoretical journalism
Journalism as a profitable product has been in decline for years, raising the questions of what the news is for and what people are willing to pay for.
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.