Media bets on IRL for community building and growth

Driving the news: This week, The Atlantic is hosting three events across Texas in four days, with appearances by editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, staff writer Mark Leibovich and others as part of an initiative to reach all 50 states by the end of 2028.

• Meanwhile, nearly 5,000 people attended MS NOW's "Together in Texas" event last month in Arlington to see Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki and other on-air personalities.

The big picture: Both organizations are leaning into real-life experiences but from different angles.

• The Atlantic is using free, sponsor-supported events to build relationships in communities across the country, partnering with local organizations and tailoring programming to issues that matter to residents.

• For MS NOW, its separation from NBCUniversal has created an opportunity to reinvest in audience relationships built over decades, turning viewer loyalty into a direct-to-consumer membership business.

What they're saying: "Events are journalism. They're just journalism distributed across a different platform," Evan Smith, The Atlantic's managing director for events, told Axios.

• Smith, who co-founded the Texas Tribune and its annual festival, believes in-person events can help rebuild trust in journalism through proximity and accountability.
• The Atlantic is also working with local organizations, including Texas Public Radio in San Antonio, to help sustain conversations after its journalists leave town.

Zoom in: MS NOW uses audience data to identify membership growth opportunities and determine the best ways to reach different audiences.

• Research involving more than 18,000 survey responses identified two groups: loyal "super fans" and younger, digital-first "future fans" seeking trusted voices and community.
• Its television viewers watch an average of nine hours per week, according to Nielsen data the network cited. But less than 10% of its linear and digital audiences overlap, according to Comscore data cited by MS NOW.

Those insights are shaping its outreach. On-air promotions target existing fans, while creator partnerships and live experiences aim to attract new ones.

• MS NOW says it signed up nearly 500 new members at a Maryland music festival through an in-person lounge.
• The network told Axios it plans to bring the lounge to Crooked Con in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7, where attendees can meet anchors and experience its membership offering.

Between the lines: Both organizations see commercial opportunities in building community, but their strategies also reflect what they believe journalism should offer audiences.

• For The Atlantic, events extend its editorial mission, while introducing the publication and its staff to potential new readers and subscribers.
• "Don't misunderstand. We're happy to make money. That's not what this is about," Smith said, warning companies against "marketing dressed up as communication or conversation."
• For MS NOW, the goal is to turn "what has traditionally been a one-way relationship" between journalists and viewers "into an ongoing, two-way conversation," said Richard Hudock, the network's SVP of communications.
• "The MS NOW Membership is about strengthening the relationship between our newsroom and our audience while making our journalism more responsive and connected to the communities we cover," Hudock said.

Thought bubble from Axios' Sara Fischer: Amid declining search traffic and a saturated subscription market, media companies are looking to build high-touch products and experiences that can attract advertisers and sponsors.

The bottom line: The real test is whether these experiences build relationships strong enough to bring audiences back year after year — and keep them engaged between events.