Guide

Introducing the Beyond Print Diagnostic: A new tool to help your print-to-digital transition

By Tristan Loper

July 29, 2025

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism today launched the Beyond Print Diagnostic, a free online tool designed to help local newspapers navigate the complex process of transitioning from print to digital models.

Recognizing the challenges many newspapers face in shifting their business models, The Lenfest Institute developed the Beyond Print Diagnostic to provide clarity and strategic direction. The Lenfest Institute is deeply committed to ensuring that newspapers can continue to serve their communities for years to come. Knowing where to focus your efforts as you navigate your print-to-digital transition can be challenging, and this tool was designed to help publishers self-assess.  

The diagnostic will direct news organizations to the most relevant sections of the Institute’s comprehensive Beyond Print Toolkit, offering tailored guidance for their unique needs.

To use the diagnostic, you answer a handful of questions about your current place in the print transition journey — including if you haven’t started yet. Once you complete the diagnostic form, you will receive a personalized email directing you to the sections of the Toolkit that will be most useful.

The diagnostic’s 12-question survey evaluates your newspaper’s performance across four critical categories essential for a successful print-to-digital transition:

• Digital Revenue and Financial Health: Assessing your publication’s capacity to generate sustainable digital income.
• Online Presence and Content: Evaluating the effectiveness of your digital platforms and content strategies.
• Audience Management: Examining how well you engage and retain your online readership.
• Teams, Workflows, and Technology: Reviewing the internal structures and tools supporting digital operations.

The launch of the Beyond Print Diagnostic also precedes an upcoming community of practice and a grant open call, both of which the Institute will launch in 2025, to further support news organizations in their digital transformation journeys.

Lenfest Institute Program Manager Tess Zekeria led the development of the diagnostic. The Beyond Print Program originally launched in 2022 in partnership with the American Press Institute.