Nov 12, 2019 - Economy

Struggling media companies pivot to non-profits

Sara Fischer

illustration of a paperboy dropping trail of dollars — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Media companies are looking to transition into the non-profit world for survival, as non-profits can accept donations while still selling advertising space, like AARP.

Driving the news: A small Quebec newspaper called The Gleaner, facing near collapse, was salvaged by a community that instead worked together to pivot the for-profit media company into a non-profit, Nieman Lab reports.

A similar scenario played out in the U.S. last week, when the Salt Lake Tribune became a non-profit so that it could start soliciting donations.
"The current business model for local newspapers is broken and beyond repair," said Tribune Publisher and former owner Paul Huntsman."We needed to find a way to sustain this vital community institution well beyond my ownership, and nonprofit status will help us do that."

Yes, but: While non-profits like AARP and Smithsonian have major media presences, others have struggled to maintain strong media footprints.

The Center for American Progress, for example, shut down its media outlet ThinkProgress earlier this year.

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Struggling media companies pivot to non-profits

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