NEWSROOM LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Prepare for success in your newsroom - and your career.
In today’s fast-changing media landscape, newsroom leadership is more demanding than ever. Editors, producers, and managers are expected to innovate, adapt, and lead—while staying true to journalism’s core mission. But few are actually trained for this high-stakes balancing act.
That’s where the Newsroom Leadership and Innovation Program comes in.
This intensive online program is designed to fast-track early-career newsroom managers into confident, capable leaders. In just over five months, participants gain real-world skills in management, business strategy, innovation, and audience growth—equipping them to lead change, drive progress, and create impact.
At a Glance
- Modality: On-demand online with weekly real-time meetings
- Timeframe to Complete: 5 months
- Price: $10,000 for program, or $2,000 per course if purchased individually
- Registration: Opens in October 2025
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Program Outcomes
The curriculum in the full program is focused on:
- Equipping managers to foster inclusive, adaptive newsroom cultures while navigating technological, organizational, and editorial change.
- Helping managers understand the financial underpinnings of journalism, from revenue diversification to strategic budgeting and growth.
- Training leaders to interpret audience metrics responsibly, prioritize engagement, and design audience-centric content strategies.
- Preparing managers to assess, adopt, and lead innovation in AI, automation, and newsroom tech without compromising core values.
Who Should Enroll
This program is designed for:
- Early-career newsroom managers looking to build confidence and sharpen their leadership, strategy, and innovation skills.
- Professionals in non-editorial roles at media organizations who want a deeper understanding of newsroom operations and journalistic practices.
- Aspiring media entrepreneurs preparing to launch their own journalism ventures or independent platforms.
Registration Update
Registration for this program will open in October 2025.
Program Courses
Business Strategy for Sustainable Newsrooms
Strong journalism alone doesn’t sustain a newsroom; it requires a reimagined business strategy. Learn why certain revenue models work while others fail and how to think critically about advertising, subscriptions, memberships, and philanthropic funding as essential tools for keeping strong reporting alive. By the end of this course, you’ll be better prepared to tackle the new economic realities threatening newsrooms today.
Law and Ethics in a Changing News Landscape
Understand First Amendment principles at a deeper level. Learn how to navigate increasingly complex traditional issues like libel and privacy, but also the shifting threats of mis- and disinformation and emerging technologies. This course provides more than just a legal overview — it can give you the confidence and ethical grounding to make sound decisions when the pressure is high, and the consequences are real.
Newsroom Leadership in a Time of Change
Sustainable newsrooms rely on strong leadership that can manage and inspire change. This course is built for those who want to create inclusive, resilient, and high-performing newsroom cultures that can thrive amid digital disruption and shifting audience expectations. Beyond techniques for crisis management, talent development, and communication, you’ll explore why these skills are critical to sustaining trust and innovation in your organization.
Audience and Analytics for News Leaders
Understanding your audience is key to sustaining meaningful journalism. This course helps you use data not just to track clicks, but to build trust, loyalty, and lasting connections. You’ll learn how to interpret metrics responsibly, segment audiences, and apply insights that strengthen both editorial choices and newsroom strategy. By the end of this course, you'll have a clear understanding of data, its uses, and limitations.
Innovation and Entrepreneurialism in Newsrooms
The future of journalism depends on innovation. This course helps you develop the mindset and tools to experiment, test, and launch new ideas with confidence. You’ll learn how to pitch effectively, navigate innovation pipelines, and adapt practices from both startups and legacy newsrooms — equipping you to shape new products and revenue streams that keep journalism sustainable.
Emerging Technologies and the News
Journalism is being reshaped by emerging technologies, from AI and automation to social media and AR/VR. This course shows you why understanding these tools is critical to your newsroom’s future. You’ll explore how to use emerging technologies responsibly, address ethical challenges, and collaborate across teams, preparing you to harness technology in ways that strengthen reporting and advance strategic goals.
Program Instructors
Becca Aaronson
Becca Aaronson is Chief Product Officer at News Product Alliance and a co-founder of the organization. A former product leader at Chalkbeat and The Texas Tribune, she brings deep experience in journalism, product strategy, and cross-functional collaboration to support innovation in the news industry.
Emily Dresslar
Emily Dresslar is the Chief Operating Officer of The Assembly, a non-profit news site in North Carolina. Before joining The Assembly, Emily was the Director of RevLab at The Texas Tribune, Head of Business Operations for The Compass Experiment at McClatchy, and Head of Strategic Partnerships for Calkins Digital.
Don Heider
Don Heider is the Executive Director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and a tenured professor in communication at Santa Clara University. Formerly, he held leadership roles at Loyola University and the University of Maryland and was an Emmy-winning TV journalist. He has authored seven books on ethics.
David Nather
David Nather is Managing Editor of Policy at Axios, where he leads editorial strategy for Axios Pro Policy newsletters. A veteran health policy journalist, he previously held senior roles at Politico, STAT, and Congressional Quarterly, and is the author of The New Health Care System and co-author of Getting It Done.
Aimee Rinehart
Aimee Rinehart is the Senior Product Manager for AI Strategy for The Associated Press. She previously led misinformation research at First Draft and managed the Comprova project during Brazil’s 2018 elections. A digital journalism pioneer, she began her career at The New York Times and later edited for The Wall Street Journal Europe.
Amanda Zamora
Amanda Zamora is the founder and principal of Agencia Media LLC, a consultancy that partners with organizations to drive narrative change and civic engagement. Prior to this role, she was the founder and publisher of The 19th, a national nonprofit newsroom covering gender, politics, and policy. Zamora has over 20 years of experience as a journalist and editor.