Where Strategy Meets Self: Inside MTC @ Medill’s Defining Second Week

“In a field that constantly asks us to focus on what’s broken, being recognized for my work by a cohort of peers I deeply respect was something I didn’t know I needed until it happened.”

EVANSTON, IL (March 23, 2026) — MTC @ Medill Fellows gathered at Northwestern last week for its second full-week session focused on locking in performance challenge updates, learning temperament styles, deepening strategy, expanding wins, keeping score and – as always – connecting as a cohort.

Monday centered on performance challenge updates, the heart of the MTC experience. Fellows shared in-progress work in small groups, refining problem statements, gaps, and goals. 

Examples from across the cohort underscored the scope and ambition of the work

• A large U.S. newspaper chain is deploying enterprise-wide AI governance while protecting audience trust, subscriber data, and intellectual property.
• A legacy European business news outlet is defending and growing its corporate business while building a new consumer revenue engine. 
• A small Midwestern nonprofit environmental newsroom is simultaneously growing audience, driving civic action, and diversifying revenue.
• A growing nonprofit LGBTQ+ newsroom in the Southwest is tackling audience, revenue, visibility, and institutional durability.

Tuesday and Wednesday were anchored by understanding and exercising temperament styles with longtime faculty, Karen Gordon. After learning the four temperament types (Catalyst, Stabilizer, Theorist, and Improviser) and identifying their own, Fellows, in a time honored tradition, designed mock advertisements for the program through the lens of each.

“The highlight for me this week was the group project,” ABC News Vice President of Digital Media & Streaming Partnerships Dan Linden said. “The creativity, teamwork and rapid execution were insightful and fun – and useful back home.”

“Understanding my temperament has shown me that while I can create the master plan, my team’s types provide the diverse perspectives needed to build the structure,” La Prensa de Houston Publisher Evelyn Castro-Becerra said.

On Thursday, the focus shifted from defining challenges to designing strategy. Coach Danyelle White introduced tools to clarify not just what Fellows are trying to do, but how they will do it. 

Friday centered on momentum and measurement. Coach Fran Scarlett emphasized early wins as sources of energy, proof, and belief, while Danyelle focused on keeping score: how Fellows will track progress and sustain traction. 

Equally important were the informal moments – breakfasts, walks, coaching, and conversations – that built trust, candor, and connection. Leadership can be isolating; MTC creates space for both accountability and community.

“It was also a great week of networking and discussing the commonalities across the cohort,” Linden said. “I can see us forging relationships that will be beneficial on both the professional and personal level.”

By week’s end, Fellows left with sharper challenges, clearer strategies, and a stronger grasp of how individual leadership shapes collective progress.

“The most indelible part of this week was being truly seen,” Charlottesville Tomorrow Product and Technology Officer Ashley Harper said. “In a field that constantly asks us to focus on what’s broken, being recognized for my work — and my brilliance — by a cohort of peers I deeply respect was something I didn’t know I needed until it happened. Getting to know who everyone actually is, not just what they’re building, has been its own kind of gift. My biggest takeaway: I have significant work ahead to change how journalism builds. But for the first time, I know I’m not doing it alone.”