Why an entrepreneurial expert turned to the Journalism Creators Program to help launch his new venture
For Justin Hendrix, the 100-day program provided just the help he needed to expand his start-up, Tech Policy Press
Justin Hendrix was no stranger to start-up programs when he joined the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. As the former director of the NYC Media Lab, he had run several media entrepreneurship programs of his own.
But when he wanted to develop his own journalism start-up, Tech Policy Press, he turned to the Creators Program for its unique position in the world of journalism, calling it “the most fit for purpose thing I’ve seen out there for someone who’s trying to do what I’m trying to do.”
“I was looking for a program that would force me to do the kinds of diligence that I know I’ve required of participants in the programs that I worked on,” Hendrix said. “And would also surround me with other individuals working on like minded projects.”
Newmark’s Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program is a 100-day online course. It provides a springboard for a cohort of creative thinkers from around the world building their own microventures.
In January, Hendrix launched Tech Policy Press, which he describes as a “mission-oriented exercise.” The goal of the publication is to address the types of problems that the world faces as technology becomes a bigger and bigger part of everyday life.
“How do we continue to incorporate new technologies, especially new communications technologies, or new technologies that change the way that we interact with each other, with government, with business — how do we how do we continue to incorporate this technology in a way that preserves our liberties and creates a more just and equitable society and advances democracy, as opposed to the alternative?” Hendrix said.
When starting at Newmark, Hendrix was looking to professionalize and advance the project. For him, that meant ramping up on the amount of content and launching a podcast. The program, he says, offered a mix of big-picture thinking about how journalistic ventures can appeal to a niche audience with granular help on practical issues like which podcast distribution platform makes the most sense for a specific publication.
He says despite his years working in entrepreneurship, he came across new concepts in the program, such as the feminist business model canvas, which gave him tools to think about the social goals of his project as well as the business model. He also found the camaraderie of his cohort helpful. He and fellow creator Priti Patnaik of Geneva Health Files have set up monthly “accountability checks” to keep them focused.
Hendrix said that for him, the feedback that he received from instructors and lecturers has proven particularly useful. The notes that he got from journalist and editorial consultant Kabir Chibber were particularly helpful, he says, describing them as “tough but fair.”
“To have somebody assess my work is always useful, and it’s actually what I felt I was paying for,” Hendrix said. “That’s why I did the program, and wanted to go through the curriculum, was primarily to get scrutiny on what I’m doing. Because the worst thing you can do, of course, with anything, is just barrel ahead, thinking that your idea is great, and not getting critical feedback. Have people who are willing to invest time in you, but also willing to tell you the truth.”
Elise Czajkowski is a writer/editor who regularly writes about the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s executive and professional education programs. Based in New York, she was previously a Tow Knight Fellow in Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Newmark J-School. She launched a non-profit called Sidewalk News, which uses outdoor advertising to distribute local news.
