The Membership Puzzle Project

As stated on the MPP website, "The top problem facing public service journalism has been the same for over a decade: the collapse of outmoded business models and the search for a sustainable path. At first it seemed that as readers moved online and the news went digital, the ad dollars would follow. Now we see that the big digital platforms - Facebook and Google - are capturing most of that money, because they own the data that allows for better targeting. Clickbait, ad blocking, invasive tracking, and fake news only add to the misery - and all take their toll on reader trust."

In that context, the project is built on the belief that readers who value a public service press are going to have to sustain it themselves - by contributing money, sharing knowledge, and spreading the word. This can essentially be defined as membership. However, membership won't work if it's just asking for money. There has to be a social contract between journalists and members that involves members giving "their time, money, energy, expertise, and connections to support a cause that they believe in. In exchange, the news organization offers transparency and opportunities to meaningfully contribute to both the sustainability and impact of the organization."

This public research project seeks to gather knowledge about, and to help support, the future of high-quality public service journalism by:

• collecting what is already known about making membership work by seeking out the people who have deep experience with membership models, including members themselves;
• researching the ways community members can contribute - not just their money, but their knowledge and expertise;
• funding innovative membership models that are being tested at news sites as part of a global experiment to identify best practices for sustaining independent journalism in the 21st century; and
• synthesising the key membership lessons learned by journalism organisations around the world.

Funding of innovative membership models is done through the Membership News Fund, which was launched in 2018 with US$700,000 supporting 23 membership experiments in 13 countries through grants between US$10,000 and US$60,000 each. Grant recipients received funding, targeted coaching, and an opportunity to join a global community of practice built around membership. In 2020, a further round of funding was launched with a total of US$400,000.

MPP has also developed a Membership Guide that offers practical, tactical advice on designing and implementing membership strategies and workflows. It includes step-by-step processes in the form of a handbook and case studies from around the world to help newsrooms at any stage of their membership journey, whether they are deciding whether to launch a membership programme or need information on how to grow their membership. A discussion space also allows for conversations about marketing strategy, membership programme design, and how to involve members meaningfully in the development of a strategy.

The website also hosts a Membership in News Database, which seeks to present information on wide-ranging news organisations and the ways they engage their audience members.

For more information, visit the MPP website and/or watch the video, below.

Media Development

The MPP was founded by New York University (NYU) professor Jay Rosen's Studio 20 programme and De Correspondent. The Studio 20 programme is a digital-first graduate programme at NYU with a focus on innovation and adapting journalism to the technology being used today. De Correspondent is a member-funded Dutch news organisation. Members follow correspondents who have self-defined beats or obsessions, varying from climate change to the future of education. Correspondents bring readers into the journalism process by sharing what they are reporting on and involving their knowledge during their reporting. In September 2020, the institutional home of MPP shifted from NYU to the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF).