It’s been a big week around here with the release of the Top 50 Creator-Model Journalists list, but there’s so much happening in this space, we’re popping into your inbox with a bonus Friday edition packed with good intel.

IMPORTANT THING: Project C is teaming up with The Video Consortium and Fordham University’s Dept. of Communication and Media Studies, to better understand how independent video creators work, fund themselves, and stay afloat. We’re looking for folks – journalists and non-journalists alike – who make video-first content that informs the public. If that’s you or someone you know, take (and share) the survey here. The results will help us to help you get the resources you need, so we appreciate your time and thoughtful responses.

P.S. Welcome to all our new subscribers! There are a lot of you, and we’re grateful for every single one. 👋 

the main thing: Jorgenson joins the rebel alliance

The equivalent of a compelling hero joining the rebel alliance happened this week when news broke that TikTok guy Dave Jorgenson left The Washington Post to launch his own stand-alone venture, along with the rest of the creative hive mind (former Post video heads Micah Gelman and Lauren Saks, plus long-time intern Chris V.) that made Jorgenson’s short-form vids a juggernaut for the WaPo – and neutralizing some early creator stress of going it alone and not having a second set of eyes, even googly ones, to vet content before posting.

"One of the great things is that Lauren Saks, who approved all my videos at The Post is coming with me,” Jorgenson says. “It's giving us an immediate leg up on quality control as we go independent."

Local News International debuted on Tuesday and the response from Jorgenson’s fiercely loyal audience has been immediate and intense. Per a LinkedIn post, the brand’s YouTube channel, which has been quietly building for a few months, reached 100K subscribers after the announcement dropped. The newsletter will drop twice a week and videos and other content will post to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Bluesky daily.

Jorgenson’s move comes as The Post is offering/actively pushing staffers to take a buyout. Jorgenson took it and the timing is nice – providing the LNI team with runway to start their own venture. As Simon Owens wrote this week, “I wonder if these payments are increasingly going to be treated as startup capital for launching independent media ventures?”

Yes, yes they are.

the latest things

• Speaking of crossing the rubicon, The Reuters Institute writes about journalist Christian Esguerra who was fired from the largest broadcaster in the Philippines and pivoted to launch is own YouTube channel, which has already racked up 591K subscribers.

• Local newsletter purveyor 6AM City acquired a problematic network of 350 AI-generated local newsletters, aimed at hundreds of small towns across the country.

• Are people really watching podcasts on YouTube? The NYT’s Joseph Bernstein isn’t so convinced.

• Speculation continues that Skydance is in talks to acquire Bari Weiss’ free press for a jaw-dropping $250M. Whether it happens or not, it feels very much like Free Press is outgrowing its home. Just this week, it launched a stand-alone app very much outside the bubble Substack has been creating around its own app.

• The Verge announced new features designed to let users personalize their experience by following specific reporter feeds – which still assumes users will navigate to The Verge website vs. just finding this stuff where they already are (X, BlueSky, YouTube, etc.).

• ICYMI, Top 50 list honoree Kyla Scanlon has been on 🔥 with recent appearances on both The Daily Show and Ezra Klein’s podcast.

  

useful things

• Stumptown Savings’ Bryan Vance credits Reddit with a surge in growth over the last month. Now he’s teaming up with other local publishers to offer a Portland starter pack.

• The Marshall Project reporter Alysia Santo is out with a new toolkit to help journalists get access to records the criminal justice system would rather keep locked away.

do something cool

• Google News Initiative’s Global News Gaps project is offering 300 “emerging news providers” access to training, funding and strategic support. Check it out and apply.

🚀 What’s coming up at Project C!

Lex and I have been adding more activities to the Creator Journalist Bundle (along with some cool sessions open to everyone.) Here’s a peek at what’s coming up in the next month or so:

Wednesday, July 30 | We’ll announce the Project C ONA25 cohort (applications closed). Look for the announcement in your inbox!

Thursday, July 31 | Part 3 of the winback campaign sprint - Winback campaigns work and now you know how they can work for you. So why not turn your winback into an automation? (Bundle members only)

Revenue Lab is underway. Lex is looking at the impact of race and identity on revenue growth (following up on their survey) and running some experiments this summer to break through these barriers. Lex convened a group that had their first meeting last week and they’re meeting again July 1. If you’re a journalist whose racial identity could be impacting your revenue, let Lex know if you’d like to join the conversation!

Tuesday, Aug. 19 | Your next milestone - Join Lex Roman and a group of fellow creator journalists to plan your next goal and how to get there. (Everyone)

👉️ Join the Creator Journalist Bundle to get access to all of the events above, the THRIVING Project C Slack community and the just-dropped guide to competitive set research. 🚀