In the past couple of months, the Project C Slack community has grown into a thriving space where 60+ journalists working in the creator economy (or planning launches) are connecting every day to discuss everything from editorial calendars to growing subscriber lists and lots of stuff in between (like hiring freelancers, how to do a TV spot or getting started with video.) Get the Creator Journalism Bundle and join us today!

watch these spaces

One of the coolest parts of my job is getting a front-row seat to the launch of new independent journalism projects — sometimes even catching early glimpses before they go live. Today, I want to spotlight three recent standouts worth your time (and inbox space):

🧠 Indicator - This newsletter from disinformation experts and fact-forward thinkers Craig Silverman and Alexios Mantzarlis is a big deal. Not only are they using their deep experience to uncover digital deception, but they’re also building a community of trained readers. Think: monthly workshops, a growing library of research and a DIY spirit for investigating what you see online. “Obviously, lies and deception are as old as time,” said Mantzarlis in this excellent Poynter interview, “but we’re at a turning point from both - kind of the field is under attack - and on a technological turning point that we’ve seen with generative AI making each bit of deception, whether it’s scams, whether it’s false information, impersonation, whatever it is, much, much easier.”

🌱 Fresh Ground - If ever a locally-focused newsletter was set up for success, it’s Fresh Ground, co-founded by Commoner Media’s Anika Anand, New Mexico Local News Fund vet Sarah Gustvaus Lim and Solutions Journalism Network’s Linda Shaw. The team promises to deliver the kind of local news that doesn’t just inform, but builds communities. The first post goes deep on the crisis in local news, then pivots to how Fresh Ground plans to build back some of that muscle in Washington with the help of a coalition of local voices.

⚡ E/lecrtrify - Veteran energy journalist K Kaufmann left her W-2 job to launch this bold, smart and occasionally funny newsletter about the clean energy transition. K cuts through the jargon to make energy policy legible – even engaging – for people who don’t think of themselves as policy wonks. Her writing is fueled by a belief that the rest of us can understand what’s really going on with decarbonization, pipelines and the competing priorities of government, big business and planetary survival. Bonus: she’s got a sharp sense of humor and a knack for clarity in a field that desperately needs it.

Let’s all go to ONA!

This September, creator-model journalism will have its biggest presence yet at the Online News Association conference and I’m thrilled to be part of it.

Not only are we bringing the Going Solo workshop back for another Saturday half-day session, but the just-released slate of programming has grown significantly. Ryan Kellett will be moderating a panel on the creator-led future of journalism, and I’ll be leading a conversation with three incredible independent journalists — Matt Kiser, Kiran Chawla and Caitlin Dewey — on what it takes to build and sustain ambitious solo projects.

We’re also organizing a Wednesday night meetup for creator-model journalists and anyone curious about the space. And throughout the conference, Project C will be tabling in the Midway, where we’ll be joined by a rotating cast of independent creators—come by and say hello.

Early bird registration is still open, and I’d love to see you there. 👋 

the latest

• This Teen Vogue piece about the rise of creator-model journalism (or where most of their audience is getting their news) makes the point that the news influencer model favors extroverts.

• Alex Goldman, late of Reply All, shares the very real struggles he’s having to make his new podcast project, Hyperfixed, reach cruising altitude. In a candid post about how its going, Goldman details challenges to grow the show’s audience, paying subscribers and what sounds like a tepid ad market.

• If the 2024 presidential election was “The Creator Election, apparently we all have “The Substack Election” to look forward to in 2028. The Bulwark details how Dems like Pete Buttigieg, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett are flocking to Substack as refugees from hate speech-filled social media platforms and increasingly irrelevant cable news.

  

know things

• Dan Oshinsky shares 12 tips and tricks for news publishers looking to grow their newsletter lists. We should all bookmark and refer to this often.