A WWE-style belt decorated with The Pilot logo, donned by a proud Southern Pines electrician, is a sight one could only bear witness to at the ‘Best of the Pines’ awards event.
From small town celebrations like this one to nationally-known annual festivals like that at The Texas Tribune, intimate information-based conversations hosted by Mirror Indy, and networking nights by Block Club Chicago, hosting events is increasingly playing a key role in publications’ audience and revenue strategies.
Like other local news organizations, these outlets are operating in a rapidly changing environment as social media algorithms and the use of AI tools sharply curtail digital traffic.
As these evolving consumer behaviors affect their readership and bottom lines, many local news leaders are moving aggressively to strengthen their direct, one-to-one relationship with their audience. And some of them are turning to events as one way to build trust, relevance and revenue for their news organizations.
“Events allow you to meet communities where they are,” Texas Tribune Senior Director of Events and Live Journalism Matt Ewalt said. “…Humanizing the work of an institution, of a newsroom, being present to listen to communities and their needs. That larger trust building is critical.”
The Texas Tribune derives 10% of its revenue from event-related sources. But income is only a part of the larger benefits these investments ultimately provide.
The annual Texas Tribune Festival, the publications’ largest event, hosts roughly 300 speakers over three days in Downtown Austin to discuss Texas-centered subjects that are important to the Tribune’s audience.
As it approaches its 15th festival in November, the event allows the public to engage with the publication’s journalists in person.
“Rather than just the website that one engages with, you begin to get to know those who are responsible for that work and the role of a journalist these days,” Ewalt said.
Additionally, the final day of the event includes Open Congress, a free street festival that mixes interactive activities alongside informational conversations. Ewalt said this inclusion serves as a way for the Tribune to reach a new audience and sample the subjects the Tribune covers.
The Tribune also hosts periodic discussions across the state, in which lawmakers speak about the impact legislative sessions will have on communities. For example, in April, Tribune reporter Eleanor Klibanoff moderated a discussion in Lubbock, Texas with experts regarding rural maternal health in the state.
Alongside these information-based events, The Tribune, like other news organizations, has introduced more casual experiences, such as trivia nights or happy hours, to promote organic conversation.
When determining the type of event to pursue, Ewalt said events don’t need to start as big as the Texas Tribune Festival. Smaller events that bring readers together can do just as much good at forging connections and establishing trust for a news outlet.
He also advised news organizations to consider their bandwidth when it comes to both expenses and staff, as these events require the work of teams across an organization rather than strictly the events team.
Expanding outside of strictly news-based events to include community-oriented events helps news organizations attract new audiences and promote brand recognition.
“(Community-centered events), let’s say a food festival, is particularly good in at least raising some awareness with people who may not be familiar with the outlet, and creates a positive impression… but of course doesn’;t exactly make much of a statement about the sort of highest level news that the organization can do, or [its] commitment to civic affairs,” Poynter Media Business Analyst and Leader of News Transformation Rick Edmonds said.
Block Club Chicago, the nonprofit news organization launched in 2018 that focuses on neighborhood coverage, hosts events ranging from book clubs and networking nights to a now annual block party.
Networking nights typically take place at local bars or restaurants and serve to connect local business owners and entrepreneurs alongside Block Club reporters and editors. The sales team organizes such events, using them as a tool to share how Block Club’s advertising could benefit the attending businesses. These events have a cost for admission.
“Our reporters are embedded in the communities that we cover…We want people to come meet with us and talk to us. We don’t want to hide behind our laptops or computer screens. We want people to know that we're Chicagoans just like you,” Block Club Senior Director of Development Maple Walker Lloyd said.
As a means of further forging community connections, Block Club joined in on Chicago’s summer festival scene last year with the Block Club Block Party.
More than 2,500 people attended the event, consisting of local entertainment, vendors and businesses. A second Block Club Block Party is planned for October.
Walker Lloyd said Block Club Chicago’s first two to three years were primarily reader funded. In 2024, Block Club hosted about 10 events, which along with merchandise accounted for 2% of the organization’s revenue. But Walker Lloyd said Block Club hopes to eventually increase event revenue to 25% of its total.
Also in the Midwest, Mirror Indy, a community-based nonprofit online news outlet in Indianapolis, utilizes events to expand the site’s audience, but also as a way for some people to consume news in a more accessible format.
“Overall, the goal is to use our events as a way to bring the news off of the page. Everybody’s not going to read and that be their way of consuming,” Market Director Ebony Chappel said regarding her event strategy. “Some people are going to read the article…some people are going to be engaged with what we are as a service through meeting us in person and going to events.”
Mirror Indy launched in December 2023, and Chappel said its first-year event strategy focused on sponsoring events that align with its mission. But the publication is more focused on hosting events in its second year.
Mirror Indy currently organizes a bimonthly event, called “Chat and Chew.” Each event is theme-specific based on newsroom coverage and community interests. For example, one focused on township trustees. Regardless, each Chat and Chew provides a space for facilitated conversation with community members.
Upcoming events include a ticketed variety show featuring local performers and artists and a documentary film screening featuring a Q&A with one of the publication’s reporters.
Chappel said the formation of deeper community connections is the primary indicator she uses to measure an event’s success.
But these connections aren’t just a result of these events. Instead, at Mirror Indy, these connections begin while organizing an event.
“We are handling the bulk of the logistics, but when it comes to the spirit of [the event and] what activities are going to be hosted, we try to collaborate with people in the community and do it together so that we are not parachuting in,” Chappel said.
In the much smaller town of Southern Pines, North Carolina, The Pilot newspaper hosts its annual “Best of The Pines” awards, bringing together community members and their businesses to celebrate each other.
Pilot Publisher David Woronoff said these awards increase relevance.
“There are a lot of [attendees] that don’t have any connection to us otherwise,” he explained. “…But when you ask them about The Pilot, they know we have this great event for them to come and celebrate their company.”
For news outlets looking to build or expand their event strategies, these publications and experts share suggestions– and precautions.
“I think the biggest thing is knowing the community that you wish to reach and serving them as well as possible. That is really what I think the crux of it comes down to,” Chappel said.
Edmonds advises newsrooms to conduct audience research before diving into events. He said news outlets should survey events already in their communities and consider gaps in coverage to ensure the type of event is something readers want.
Walker Lloyd said Block Club has learned to better manage expenses, especially hidden expenses, over time when it comes to events.
“Sometimes you have to use those first two events as lessons learned. You have to figure out what works, what doesn’t work,” she explained. “…You just have to do your homework and lean in on those who have done it right. They can certainly share those growing pains and challenges with you.”
“I think different news organizations’ goals for events are going to be based on where they are as an organization from their strategic plan [and] their larger goals, but there’s an aspect of community engagement that I think is critical to any news organization,” Ewalt said.
