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CCJN 5301: MEDIA ENTREPRENEURSHIPHow To Chart Your Own Path in the News Business

Spring 2013 preview syllabus T/TH, 2-3:20 p.m. Pre-req: Instructor consent

InstructorsJake Batsell , Assistant Professor, 2012 Scripps Howard Journalism Entrepreneurship fellow Mark Vamos , ONeil Chair of Business Journalism, former editor-in-chief of Fast Company

Theres never been a better time, I tell students, to be a journalistic entrepreneur to invent your own job, to become part of the generation that figures out how to produce and, yes, sell the journalism we desperately need as a society and as citizens of a shrinking planet. -- Dan Gillmor, director, Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship

You dont have to go work for some company that is trying to get journalism on the cheap by paying you $30,000 a year. Start something on your own. Report and dont just repeat. And dont be afraid to fail. Failure is good for the soul.

-- James OShea, former editor of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune

In Media Entrepreneurship, well explore how you can combine your creative passion and versatileskills to shape your own media career. A generation ago, young journalists could aspire to master oneskill or platform and work for the same company for decades. No more. The job youll have in 10years may not even exist today. Youll likely change jobs frequently throughout your career, and youllneed to create your own job. Heres the good news: the Web eliminates barriers to entry and givesyou more control over your fate. In this hands-on class, youll learn how to develop a new mediabusiness plan in a loose, experiential atmosphere, bouncing ideas off your instructors and classmates.

Youll also learn the basics of freelancing and self-employment, and youll be introduced to ideas fromleading entrepreneurial journalists and guest speakers. We hope youll take what you learn from this

class to become your own boss. Maybe now, maybe later when opportunity knocks, youll be ready.Learning outcomes are expected in three main areas. You will:

Understand the entrepreneurial landscape of the changing media industry Discover the startup culture as a possible career pathway. Analyze the editorial mission and business fundamentals of a media startup. Realize that you can deploy entrepreneurial ideas to become an intrapraneur within a

larger organization, boosting your appeal as an employee.

Grasp the basic principles of freelancing and self-employment Understand the professional, financial, legal and regulatory framework of self-employment. Develop and polish a freelance pitch. Strengthen your personal brand through social media and your online portfolio.

Conceive, develop and pitch an entrepreneurial project Distinguish between an idea (something youd like to do) and an opportunity (something

the market needs); clearly state a value proposition. Understand the pros and cons of different types of startup funding. Develop a business plan bolstered by rigorous market research and competitive analysis. Construct and deliver a pitch.

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Text: Entrepreneurial Journalism: How to Build Whats Next for News

by Mark Briggs (CQ Press/SAGE Publications, 2012)

Well also track the latest developments in entrepreneurial news via blogs, video and social media.

Grading:Class and online participation 20 percent(Attendance, in-class exercises, guest speakers,reactions on course blog and social media)

Written and oral presentation on a news startup 20 percent

Freelance pitch 20 percent

Create (or optimize) your Web portfolio 10 percent

Final Business Plan and Pitch 30 percent

PRELIMINARY CLASS SCHEDULE

Week One: Introduction | Understanding the past and present of the news ecosystem.

Week Two: Get Inspired | Traits of successful news startups. (Startup presentation assigned)

Week Three: Think Big | Conceive, craft and pitch your initial idea.

Week Four: Painkillers, Not Vitamins | Does the market need your idea? Your value proposition.

Week Five: The Freelancer as Entrepreneur | Breaking into the freelance market.(Freelance pitch assigned)

Week Six: You, Inc. | The nuts and bolts of self-employment. (Web portfolios assigned)

Week Seven: You.com | Strengthening your personal brand. Work on Web portfolios.

Week Eight: Show Me the Money| Pros and cons of different types of startup capital.

Week Nine: Due Diligence | Sharpening your target audience and analyzing the competition.

Week Ten: Show Me the Su$tainability | Identifying revenue streams; crafting your business plan.

Week Eleven: Taking Care of Business | Work on your business plan.

Week Twelve: Demos, Not Memos | Create your prototype.

Week Thirteen: The Art of the Pitch | Work on your business plan and pitch.

Weeks Fourteen and Fifteen: Showtime! | Final pitches.