WHY SPIRITED MEDIA?

“Changes aren’t permanent – But change is.”

If there’s one quote that’s always summed up the constant tumult of digital journalism for me, it’s that lyric from Rush’s rock classic “Tom Sawyer.”

That constant tumult has forced those of us serious about the craft to stay sharp or become dull. For me, the result has been a wild and exhilarating career with all the requisite highs and lows. 

I’ve spent 34 years in journalism, almost 27 of those in digital, so the list of people who’ve worked longer in digital journalism is quite short. I’ve worked in print, broadcast and online operations. I’ve led editorial, product, technology and revenue teams. I’ve been an intrapreneur and entrepreneur. I’ve been through three mergers, two bankruptcies and dozens of reorganizations. I most recently successfully created three brands at Spirited Media that were acquired by quality buyers. I may not have seen it all, but I’ve definitely seen most of it.

— Jim Brady

STORIES ABOUT SPIRITED MEDIA

• Talking with Spirited Media’s Jim Brady on Media Revenue (CJR, December 2o19)

• Talking with Jim Brady of Spirited Media on the Future of Local (CJR, November 2019)

• 5 questions with Jim Brady on his consulting business, and the future of the industry (Local Media Assn., November 2019)

• From Legacy Newsrooms to Digital Media Startups, Lessons in Adaptability (Wharton/University of Pennsylvania, August 2019)

• These are the 7 things Jim Brady learned with Spirited Media (Local Media Association)

SPIRITED MEDIA SERVICES

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Many legacy newsrooms remain tied -- both operationally and psychologically -- to the way they’ve traditionally done things. We can help you embed digital into your habits and processes by bringing an outsider’s eye and decades of digital publishing experience to bear. We don’t come in and yell, “Be digital-first.” That’s simply not realistic when your legacy products are more tied to firm deadlines. Instead, we will help you become “digital always,” in which digital is central to everything you do. Among the topic areas we can help you with are current product set, new product development, overall editorial quality and strategy, editorial workflow, business models, organizational structure, technology and more.

EDITORIAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Every editorial product you launch creates a fresh opportunity to engage your audience. But each requires a unique approach. Your home page and email newsletters should be as different in tone as they are in delivery, for example. We can help you brainstorm and develop a wide range of products, whether it’s your mobile or desktop site, email newsletters, podcasts, video series or reader engagement efforts.

MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS

With advertising dollars largely gobbled up by the platforms, growing revenue streams predicated on loyalty is proving to be a strong path forward for local media. At Spirited Media, we successfully launched membership and events programs on all three of our sites; Billy Penn, The Incline and Denverite before selling the properties. But it was not easy. Converting reader engagement into membership and throwing well-attended, lucrative events requires a different relationship between you and your audience, one that takes time and skill to build. We can help you plan, launch and execute successful membership programs, and also develop an events strategy that builds the loyalty necessary to turn attendees into members.

new local NEWS site development

There’s never been a time where communities are more desperately in need of strong local journalism. If you’re interested in launching a new site in your community but aren’t sure what to do, we can help. We can help you with the administrative work required to form a company, product conception, branding, hiring, developing a launch plan, setting up payroll or anything else related to launching a new site.

editorial voice development

With reader revenue on the rise, connecting with your audience is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. Developing a lively, personal voice is an essential step in building the relationship necessary to generate reader revenue. But legacy newsrooms struggle with this transition. We can help you develop the appropriate editorial voice for your products without compromising traditional journalistic values.

editorial analysis & reports

While you may feel good about where you are in your digital transformation, it’s incredibly easy to fall back into old habits. So it never hurts to have someone outside your organization keeping an eye on things. We provide regular analysis and feedback on the quality of your overall editorial product, headlines, social media efforts, email newsletters, site design, user experience and anything else that helps determine your newsroom’s overall digital success. These action-oriented analytical reports can be done weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

NEWS COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT

We believe the future of local media requires news organizations -- even those who have traditionally been competitors -- to find ways to work together to increase the collective power of their journalism. We’ve worked in and on various news collaboratives, including Solving for Chicago, the Oklahoma Media Center, Word in Black and Resolve Philly. We can share our learnings on what makes for a successful and impactful news collaborative.

TESTIMONIALS