I took a 100-day Entrepreneurial Journalism Course. These are My 5 Biggest Lessons.
The idea of launching Mundos Paralelos, a digital magazine that explores the Puerto Rican identity everywhere, was in my head for three years before it was completed. Lack of time, insecurities, doubts, and overthinking about whether it would be a good idea led me to delay the process of building and publishing my first online magazine.
It wasn’t until March 28, 2021 that I finally published my “journalistic son.” Without a doubt, it was the best decision I could have made. The response to the project has been wonderful. Not only have I received support from friends and family, but also from international organizations and journalism groups.
One of the most fulfilling opportunities for me was being selected for the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY). This intense 100-day education program provides tools and classes with professionals to develop newsletters, podcasts, local sites, and other niche news products that serve communities around the world. In addition to developing my project, I was studying with an exquisite group of entrepreneurial journalists from all over the world.
The time has come to reflect on the learning that I obtained in this program. After finishing it, here are my five biggest lessons:
To listen
The needs of your audience and their response to your work are, on many occasions, the foundation of your project. Learning to listen and doing it is important to become a solution.
To plan
To launch a journalism project, you have to plan. Launching a project, more than any whim, is a responsibility to offer what you don’t see, fill a space with your product and not become ‘more of the same thing.’ It is being different and independent with the ethics and creativity as a North Star.
To launch
When you launch a project, everything (or almost everything) must be ready: Edited and published content, tested links, and active social media. Those are the first steps. For many, launching will be pressing a button. For those who do, it is like opening a parachute and crossing your fingers, hoping that it works. One of the phrases I repeated to myself in the course was “it is better done than perfect.” This helped me visualize my completed project and build on it.
To share
It takes magic (or something viral) to make your project known in cyberspace. The idea of sharing your project with the people you have in your immediate circle is to offer an opportunity for it to grow. Be proud of what you have achieved and share it. It is your creation!
To try
The possibilities of entrepreneurial and independent journalism are endless. From a small team to just one person (as I am), the opportunity to deal with new platforms is key. One experiment at a time can help you build a new audience, bring your project to more people, or simply share your story with more readers. For example, now Mundos Paralelos has its own newsletter!
There is much to learn, and being open to new lessons is also part of this process. Avoiding burnout, knowing how to distribute and manage time, and maintaining a certain consistency in your actions will also be key to continuing to develop a project and acquiring new skills along the way.
Let’s keep learning!
