Agenda
May 16, 2010, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Welcome and Introductions
Welcome and introduction of boot camp participants and their areas of interest
Presentation by:
- Vikki Porter, Director, Knight Digital Media Center, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism

May 16, 2010, 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Outcomes and Expectations for the Week
Overview of feasibility
Presentation by:
- Tom O'Malia, Professor of Clinical Entrepreneurship; Director Emeritus, Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, USC Marshall School of Business
- Robert Niles, Editor, Online Journalism Review and OJR.org

May 16, 2010, 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Cocktail Reception
May 16, 2010, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Dinner and Keynote Speaker
Presentation by:
- Geneva Overholser, Director, School of Journalism, USC Annenberg School of Journalism

May 17, 2010, 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Introduction to Project Management
A walk through the development of a feasible online news start-up: What’s part of initially putting together and managing a low-cost, boot-strapped news start-up.
Presentation by:
- Susan Mernit, Founder, OaklandLocal.com, Social Media Consultant


May 17, 2010, 7:45 AM - 9:15 AM
Discussion: Been There, Done That
A group discussion with people who’ve started news websites from scratch.
Presentation by:
- Susan Mernit, Founder, OaklandLocal.com, Social Media Consultant
- Kwan Booth, Senior Community Manager, Oakland Local
- Tracy Record, editor, West Seattle Blog

May 17, 2010, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Buffet Lunch
Work on today’s deliverables and pitch
May 17, 2010, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Entrepreneur Workshop / One-on-One Q&A with Faculty
Campers can sign up for one-on-one sessions with today’s faculty.
Deliverable: #6 - Create a list of what resources you will need to serve your community (technology, personnel, etc.?). Provide specific resource names, where possible.
PITCH: 30 seconds - Four “whys”
May 17, 2010, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM
Present Deliverables and Pitch
Campers present your deliverables and pitch one-on-one to Tom O’Malia and Robert Niles
May 17, 2010, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Working Dinner
Each day, campers will take feedback on the day’s deliverables and work them into a draft of the final deliverable and presentation.
May 18, 2010, 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM
The News Publisher as Community Organizer
Present the six stages of community organizing.
- Assessing the community (watching and listening).
- Creating an action team (relationship building).
- Developing an action plan.
- Mobilizing to action.
- Implementing the action.
- Evaluating what you’ve done, and applying those stages to community news publishing.
- What are some of the existing communities within your community that you can work with to build your relationship network?
- How can you assign roles with your community to address its identified pain?
- How can metrics help you evaluate?
Presentation by:
- Robert Niles, Editor, Online Journalism Review and OJR.org


May 18, 2010, 7:45 AM - 9:15 AM
Discussion: Expanding Upon the Morning Session
Delving deeper into how to identify potential advertisers, subscribers, funders and grant providers - then convert them into paying customers for your business. (Moderated by Niles)
Presentation by:
- Robert Niles, Editor, Online Journalism Review and OJR.org
- Tom O'Malia, Professor of Clinical Entrepreneurship; Director Emeritus, Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, USC Marshall School of Business
- Ben Ilfeld, co-founder, Castle Press LLC, Sacramento Press
- Susan Mernit, Founder, OaklandLocal.com, Social Media Consultant
- Tracy Record, editor, West Seattle Blog

May 18, 2010, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Buffet Lunch
Work on today’s deliverables and pitch
May 18, 2010, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Entrepreneur Workshop / One-on-One Q&A with Faculty
Campers can sign up for one-on-one sessions with today’s faculty.
Deliverable: #7 - Create a list of 10 potential customers within your community, with contact information. (Might need to revise deliverable #2 to complete this task, to draw a distinction between the needs of customers vs. needs of audience.)
PITCH: 30-second version to customers, 10-second version to audience
May 18, 2010, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM
Present Deliverables and Pitch
Campers present your deliverables and pitch one-on-one to Tom O’Malia and Robert Niles
May 18, 2010, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Working Dinner
Each day, campers will take feedback on the day’s deliverables and work them into a draft of the final deliverable and presentation.
May 19, 2010, 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Web Dev 101 for Journalists
Applying technology to customer acquisition channels to make your vision for a news business an actual functioning website. What resources (both external and internal - your time and skills) will you need to take this to the next sustainable level? Plus, making a commitment to open-ended learning.
Presentation by:
- Lisa Williams, Founder & CEO, Placeblogger.com


May 19, 2010, 7:45 AM - 9:15 AM
Discussion: Technical and Legal Issues
Delving into technical and legal issues that you will encounter as you set up your business. Logistical differences in running for- and non-profits. (Moderated by O’Malia and Niles)
Presentation by:
- Tom O'Malia, Professor of Clinical Entrepreneurship; Director Emeritus, Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, USC Marshall School of Business
- Robert Niles, Editor, Online Journalism Review and OJR.org
- Lisa Williams, Founder & CEO, Placeblogger.com
- Jeff Klein, chairman of the board, 1105 Media Inc., and executive in residence, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy
- Rita Hibbard, executive director and editor, InvestigateWest
- Christopher Schroeder, chief executive officer, HealthCentral

May 19, 2010, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Buffet Lunch
Work on today’s deliverables and pitch
May 19, 2010, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Entrepreneur Workshop / One-on-One Q&A with Faculty
Campers can sign up for one-on-one sessions with today’s faculty.
Deliverable: #8 - Decide which revenue model you will select to pursue the customers from deliverable #7. (Options are direct payment, advertising and donations. Might need to revise deliverable #7, based upon answers here.)
Deliverable: #9 - How will you reach and close these customers?
PITCHES: 30-second and 10-second versions to customers, 10-second version to audience
May 19, 2010, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM
Present Deliverables and Pitch
Campers present your deliverables and pitch one-on-one to Tom O’Malia and Robert Niles
May 20, 2010, 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Getting Serious About Expenses and Asking for Money
Present a checklist of expenses for a community news start-up, including staff, publishing tech, marketing, sales and support. Identify free and low-money cost options. What’s realistic here? And what will you need to bring when you ask for cash: Audience profile, publication mission, the pitch, rate cards, budgets and expectations.
Presentation by:
- Jeff Klein, chairman of the board, 1105 Media Inc., and executive in residence, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy


May 20, 2010, 7:45 AM - 9:15 AM
Discussion: Real-life Experiences
Real-life experiences as journalists move over to the money side. Camp wrap-up. (Moderated by Niles)
Presentation by:
- Robert Niles, Editor, Online Journalism Review and OJR.org
- Tom Davidson, vice president, business and partner development, GrowthSpur Inc. and digital journalist
- Jeff Klein, chairman of the board, 1105 Media Inc., and executive in residence, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy
- Julia Scott, founder, BargainBabe.com

May 20, 2010, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Buffet Lunch
Work on today’s deliverables and pitch
May 20, 2010, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Entrepreneur Workshop / One-on-One Q&A with Faculty
Campers can sign up for one-on-one sessions with today’s faculty. Meet in Popovich patio.
Deliverables: Final - Complete an advertising media kit/rate card (for-profits) or a grant application framework (non-profits).
PITCHES: 30-second and 10-second versions to customers, 10-second versions to audience and to reporters
May 20, 2010, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM
Present Deliverables and Pitch
Campers present latest draft of final deliverables and pitches one-on-one to Tom O’Malia and Robert Niles for final advice before presentations.
May 20, 2010, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Working Dinner
Each day, campers will take feedback on the day’s deliverables and work them into a draft of the final deliverable and presentation.
May 21, 2010, 6:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Presentation Pitches
Campers pitch concepts, with questions from panel.
May 21, 2010, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Wrap-up Lunch
Next steps, expectations