Suggested Speakers
- Melanie Deziel | @mdeziel
Mdeziel Media
Church & State come together to discuss the relationship between journalism and sponsored content
Session Description
As newsrooms across the country look for new revenue streams and the number of freelance journalists grows, curiosity about branded content has never been higher. While branded content requires the same skills editorial journalists use every day and provides income opportunities for organizations and individuals willing to embrace it, there are also differences, challenges, concerns and risks. This session will address some of those, using case studies and examples from across the industry, offering a primer on what branded content is all about and offering insights on what to expect during a transition from editorial to branded content writing and production. The session will be interactive, with show-of-hands polling and live Q&A throughout that allows attendees to ask questions and walk away with the information they need to decide if branded content production is something they are comfortable and interested in pursuing.
How does your submission contribute to the diversity of the conference?
This session offers an "outside" perspective by addressing new means of monetization of newsrooms, fostering understanding between journalists and the sales, marketing and advertising teams that help fund the important work that they do. It also addresses a somewhat controversial issue, giving attendees a chance to weigh in and participate. As someone who was trained (and still teaches) in the world of editorial journalism, but works in the world of branded content and advertising, I'm able to bridge the gap and foster meaningful conversation where those worlds meet. I'm also a first time ONA speaker, a woman and likely younger than many of the other speakers.