Poynter-membership
Membership

Tuesday Buzz: Poynter Enters the Membership Space

A premier journalistic institution is broadening its reach to include a multitiered membership program. Plus: A sports nonprofit dedicated to combating racism makes its debut.

Originally founded as the Modern Media Institute in 1978, the Poynter Institute has gone through many phases in its history. Growing to encompass traditional media such as newspapers and broadcast journalism, the organization has become an educational leader for online reporting and social media best practices. Now, the longstanding conduit for best-in-class journalism is embarking on its next initiative: membership.

Today, the institute unveiled the Poynter Prepared Membership program, which features three tiers.

  • Poynter Perks: The lowest tier of membership gives individuals a 20 percent discount on training, access to one of the organization’s Master Class lessons, early event registration and three News U courses.
  • Poynter Plus: Everything from the perks tier, plus additional Master Classes and NewsU courses.
  • Poynter 365: All of the above, and four private coaching sessions with Poynter’s experts.

Regardless of the tier chosen, Poynter is certain that it can justify the cost of its membership by offering unique, tangible benefits.

“The Poynter Prepared Membership Program will give journalists, educators, students and storytellers access to a wide range of affordable training that will help them achieve their career goals,” Poynter President Tim Franklin said in a statement. “And, significantly, our highest membership tier will provide participants with one-on-one coaching sessions with our world-class faculty experts in areas like writing, editing, broadcasting, digital storytelling, social media and leadership.”

But, as all membership associations know, success ultimately hinges on follow-through, so keep an eye on Poynter’s efforts to see how a successful organization tackles the unique challenges of membership.

Framework of the Day:

The American Institute of CPAs may be all about helping accountants, but the lessons of the organization’s Chartered Global Management Accountant competency framework hold true for many other aspects of your association. For more up-to-date insights from the accounting realm, follow the #AICPAGC15 hashtag.

Other Good Reads:

Organizations waiting for the “social media fad” to pass may need to rethink their strategies. Small Business Trends reporter JoAnn McFarland has details from the Pew Research Center’s latest study on the meteoric rise of social media.

It’s been a bountiful membership season for one agricultural group. The National FFA Organization announced it has continued to set a membership records this year, with both new and alumni membership tallies continuing to grow.

A new sports nonprofit is getting ready to tackle racism. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross is leading a collection of big names in athletics in a new nonprofit that plans to go on the offensive against societal discrimination.

(Attendees of a Poynter event in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Jacob Kaplan-Moss/Flickr)

Eli Zimmerman

By Eli Zimmerman

Eli is studying Journalism at the University of Maryland. When not studying, he likes to relax with a nice book or a couple rounds at the local boxing gym. MORE

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