Journalism That Matters

What Journalism That Matters does

Journalism That Matters (JTM) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that convenes journalists, community activists, civic engagement practitioners, and technologists to reimagine the relationship between communities and journalism. The organization operates through three interconnected programs: Event Facilitation (signature unconference gatherings using Open Space Technology, World Café, Appreciative Inquiry, and Bohm Dialogue), Engagement Corps (coaching, workshops, and a community of practice that develops local engagement capacity), and Accelerate and Thrive (collaborative developmental evaluation for journalism projects). It also maintains the Engagement Hub, a peer-to-peer exchange platform developed in partnership with the American Society of News Editors.

JTM is funded primarily through donations, membership contributions, and tiered event registration fees ($175 nonprofit / $250 regular for the 2010 Pacific Northwest event, with a $40 discounted day pass). Its GTM is event-driven: signature multi-day unconferences in different U.S. cities serve as both community-building and participant-acquisition mechanisms, supported by a blog (now on Medium), email/RSS, social channels, and institutional partnerships with the Knight Foundation, Microsoft, the Reynolds Journalism Institute, the Agora Journalism Center at the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, NCDD, and the Media Consortium. More than 1,800 people have participated in JTM-sponsored events over its 20+ year history, seeding ventures such as the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and influencing initiatives such as the Information Trust Exchange Project. In August 2023, president Ashley Alvarado and the board stepped down and former president Michelle Ferrier assumed leadership with a newly formed board.

Name

Journalism That Matters

Legal name

Journalism That Matters

Website

https://journalismthatmatters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Journalism That Matters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that convenes journalists, community activists, and civic practitioners through unconference events and capacity-building programs to strengthen relationships between communities and journalism, funded by donations and event fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Journalism Convening Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Civic engagement
• Journalism innovation
• Nonprofit convening
• Community dialogue
• Media ecosystems

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: JTM operates as a nonprofit that generates revenue through donations and membership contributions. The organization hosts events and programs supported by charitable contributions from individuals and organizations invested in journalism innovation and civic engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Journalism That Matters designs and facilitates participant-driven convenings (unconferences, regional gatherings, and a signature summer institute) that bring together journalists, civic practitioners, community activists, educators, and researchers to reimagine relationships between communities and journalism. Its portfolio also includes the Engagement Corps fellowship, the Accelerate and Thrive leadership program, and the Engagement Hub, an online repository of dialogue and engagement resources.

Product overview

Journalism That Matters operates as a nonprofit organization offering three interconnected programs: Event Facilitation (signature unconference hosting method for transformative conversations), Engagement Corps (community capacity building through coaching and workshops), and Accelerate and Thrive (developmental evaluation for project assessment). The organization also developed the Engagement Hub platform for peer-to-peer exchange on community engagement. Together, these offerings support the organization's mission to transform relationships between communities and journalism for a strong, inclusive democracy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signature Unconference / Summer Institute
• Regional Convenings
• Engagement Corps
• Accelerate and Thrive
• Engagement Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,800 people have participated in JTM-sponsored events that have inspired new ideas, projects, partnerships, and journalistic ventures
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2016JTM's Executive Director Peggy Holman organized and moderated a journalism panel for NCDD's conference, exploring partnerships between journalists and civic engagement practitioners.
• Agora Journalism Center at University of Oregon's School of Journalism and CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2015Key academic partner for multiple JTM events including Experience Engagement (2015) and Elevate Engagement (2017). The Agora Journalism Center, directed by Andrew DeVigal, has co-hosted these signature unconferences.
• The Media ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2015Nonprofit journalism network that adopted racial equity as a guiding strategic goal following the Pocantico conference. JTM helped facilitate connections and conversations around diversity in journalism.
• American Society of News Editors (ASNE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2014JTM partnered with ASNE to improve the Engagement Hub platform through a three-question survey. ASNE and JTM collaborated to enhance peer-to-peer exchange about community engagement in journalism.
• Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2009Additional sponsor of JTM-Pacific Northwest event. The Reynolds Journalism Institute has collaborated with JTM on various initiatives including supporting Bill Densmore as a consulting fellow.
• University of Washington Department of CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2009Academic partner hosting the JTM-Pacific Northwest event at the University of Washington's Haggett Hall. Partnered on the Masters of Communication in Digital Media program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Report for America: Report for America places journalists in local newsrooms to address coverage gaps and media deserts. Comparable as a nonprofit working at the intersection of journalism sustainability and community information needs, overlapping with JTM's mission.
• City Bureau: City Bureau is a Chicago-based civic journalism lab that trains community members in reporting and convenes journalists and residents around local information needs. Highly comparable to JTM as a community-engaged journalism nonprofit using participatory practices.
• Solutions Journalism Network: Solutions Journalism Network trains journalists and newsrooms in solutions-oriented reporting and partners with journalism schools. Comparable to JTM as a journalism-innovation nonprofit that builds field capacity and convenes practitioners around new editorial practices.
• National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD): NCDD is a nonprofit network advancing dialogue and deliberation practices across civic life. Directly comparable to JTM as a convening nonprofit using participatory facilitation methods (with overlap on the World Café and Open Space toolkits) to address civic and community issues.
• Center for Media Engagement (University of Texas at Austin): Center for Media Engagement researches and promotes engaged journalism practices that connect newsrooms to communities. Directly comparable to JTM's focus on strengthening the relationship between journalism and civic participation.

Broad incumbents

• Lenfest Institute for Journalism: Lenfest Institute is a major funder and innovation incubator for local journalism, supporting the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newsrooms. Comparable as a larger, well-resourced journalism-innovation nonprofit; JTM operates in adjacent field-building space with smaller scale.
• American Press Institute: American Press Institute is an established journalism education and research nonprofit serving newsrooms nationwide. Comparable as an older, broader journalism-capacity-building nonprofit; JTM focuses on the narrower engaged-journalism niche.
• Reynolds Journalism Institute (Missouri School of Journalism): Reynolds Journalism Institute researches and funds journalism innovation, and has sponsored JTM events and housed JTM-affiliated fellows. Comparable as a larger, established journalism-innovation institution; JTM operates as a smaller field peer.
• Agora Journalism Center (University of Oregon): Agora Journalism Center is an academic center focused on engaged journalism that has co-hosted JTM events. Comparable as a peer organization pursuing engaged-journalism research and convening; JTM's academic partners effectively serve as field peers.

Emerging players

• Spaceship Media: Spaceship Media is a newer nonprofit that bridges journalists and communities through participatory engagement projects. Comparable as an emerging community-engaged journalism player; JTM has a longer track record and broader facilitation toolkit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/jtmstream
• Facebookfacebook.com/JournalismThatMatters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Journalism That Matters