Program

Clarifying your story: Defining what makes your organization unique

A free series from the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network: What brands can teach us in journalism about building lasting relationships

September 23, 2026

Max Kabat at the 2026 News Philanthropy Summit. Photo: Hannah Yoon

We’re an industry that talks mostly to ourselves. To figure out a more sustainable path forward for local journalism, we sometimes need to look outside.

Max Kabat, who has built a successful ecosystem approach with The Sentinel Marfa, will host a series of conversations with brand leaders from outside journalism to discuss different ways to drive revenue and connections.

What does business have to teach us about building a lasting connection? How do brand leaders view building products that work into the everyday fabric of people’s lives? How do they build lifecycle marketing systems? How do they build community rather than an audience?

In this series, brand leaders will take us through some examples of how they grow their business and foster long-term relationships with customers by focusing on storytelling in all its myriad forms.