ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This weekend, at the Poynter Institute, the Media Transformation Challenge Class of 2024 transitioned from Fellows to Alumni in the final session of the yearlong program.

In a final round of updates, the twenty-five Fellows from some of the biggest media brands and cutting-edge nonprofit and collaborative news organizations around the world shared the outcomes and impact of their year-long performance challenges.

Notable outcomes driven by 2024 Fellows include:

• An urban nonprofit newsroom reduced its reliance on grant funding by launching a mission-aligned advertising and sponsored content strategy that tripled sponsored revenue year-over-year.
• A West Coast news org grew web traffic 20+ percent, doubled name recognition and exceeded individual membership goals by more than 115 percent.
• A two-year-old startup newsroom increased its subscriber base 50 percent year-over-year by expanding its mission from urban to regional.
• A weekly Black-owned newspaper serving a major metropolitan area grew paid support 140 percent year over year by transforming its newsroom from print-oriented to digital-first, audience and enterprise-centric.
• And an international newsroom blew away its annual subscriber goals by embracing a new focus on audience.

“MTC came as I was stepping into a new role at a new organization,” CalMatters Editor-in-Chief Kristen Go said. “It gave me the tools and confidence to implement change in a way that helped our organization increase its reach and impact in our state.”

Less measurable but equally evident and impactful was each Fellow’s personal growth, as well as the class’ spirit of mutual support.

“It has been such a game-changer for me,” The Philadelphia Inquirer CMO, Darya Ushakova said. “It completely shifted how I think about business, giving me a strategic toolkit I know I’ll be using for the rest of my career.”

“On top of that, it’s been a huge boost for my personal growth – the coaches were incredibly supportive, and the camaraderie with my cohort was amazing. I’ve come away with not just new skills but a group of friends I know I can count on.”

“The MTC fellowship helped me successfully navigate my challenge of transforming the New York Amsterdam News from a legacy print focused news organization to a audience first digital publication,” Executive and Investigative Editor, Damaso Reyes, said.

“Just as importantly, MTC gave me the critical tools, support and coaching to grow as a newsroom leader, giving me the confidence I needed to navigate a challenging year in my career.”

Congratulations to MTC’s newest Alumni Fisnik Abrashi, Saeed Ahmed, Arturo Carmona, Jos Duncan-Asé, Kristen Go, Kimberly Griffin, Andale Gross, Ben Hallman, Karen Hawkins, Amanda Hickman, Lauren Johnston, michael kreisel, Kensey Lamb, Karen Mahabir, Leigh Munsil, Mirta Ojito, Alberto Orso, Emma Patti, Anna Pogarcic, Damaso Reyes, Erica Schopmeyer, Maryse Sulimma, Darya Ushakova, and Hannes Vollmuth.