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The Lenfest Audience Community

The Audience Community of Practice is a group providing support for audience development news professionals.

The Lenfest Audience Community of Practice supports news professionals working to grow and engage audiences. Through peer connection, expert-led programming, and shared documentation of best practices, members explore strategies for audience development, team structure, and sustainable growth. Originally launched in 2016 at the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, the community is now housed and managed by The Lenfest Institute.

Upcoming events

Mastering qualitative audience insights with Ariel Zirulnick

A four part workshop series from the Lenfest Audience Community to help news organizations develop a structured, actionable approach to collecting insights that can strengthen their audience strategies. Join us for the next session on May 5 at 2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT.

Inside the news desert: A conversation with Nick Mathews

Join the Lenfest Communities of Practice on May 7 at 3 p.m. EDT / 12 p.m. PDT for a candid conversation with Nick Mathews, author of upcoming book “Deserted: Life Without Local News in Rural America,” about what happens when local news disappears, and what that means for the journalists still doing the work.

Walking the news: Building walking tours to engage audiences and generate revenue

Join the Lenfest Communities of Practice on Thursday, June 11 at 2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT to learn how walking tours can function as storytelling platforms, engagement tools, and revenue streams. We’ll also explore practical guidance for designing and piloting a tour in your community.