Tuesday, April 22, 12:00-1:15 p.m. ET
Free for WMG members; $15 for non-members (Zoom)
This discussion explores how digital newsletters on platforms like Substack and others have transformed the media landscape, creating new opportunities for independent journalists and content creators. Our panelists will examine the factors driving this shift—from declining trust in traditional media to new subscription models that allow direct creator-audience relationships. We'll discuss the economic viability of newsletter-based journalism, the challenges of building sustainable audiences, and what this trend means for the future of news, commentary, and specialized content. Join us for insights on how these nimble, focused publications are redefining what it means to be a journalist in the digital age.
Moderator:
Founder of Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations, Kathleen Schmidt, is a strategist who applies her in-depth experience in all aspects of the industry, including as a publicist, literary agent, acquisitions editor, and ghostwriter, to every project she takes on. Her career encompasses 30 years of creating and directing impactful and strategic global media, marketing, and branding campaigns for politicians, A-List celebrities, athletes, and high-profile personalities. To date, she has worked on 50 New York Times bestsellers, and her clients have continuously appeared in top-tier national print, broadcast, and radio outlets such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, Vogue, ELLE, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Sirius XM.
Panelists:
Marisa Kabas is a Brooklyn-based independent writer and reporter. After watching the journalism infrastructure crumble over the last decade, she decided that she needed to have a place where she could share her work and thoughts no matter what. Thus, her newsletter and website, The Handbasket, was born. She has deeply covered former Congressman George Santos, the police raid on a small Kansas newspaper, and Elon Musk’s antisemitism.
Jo Piazza is a bestselling author, podcast creator, and award-winning journalist. Jo is the national and international bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff, and How to Be Married. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries, and four books have been adapted for film and television. Jo's podcasts have garnered over twenty-five million downloads and regularly top podcast charts. Her new book, Everyone is Lying to You, will be published by Dutton in July. Her newsletter, Over the Influence, can be found on Substack.
Leigh Stein makes fun of what the internet is doing to us. She is the author of six books, including the critically acclaimed satirical novel Self Care and a gothic novel titled If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You, forthcoming from Ballantine in 2025. She has written culture pieces and personal essays for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker online, Airmail, Allure, ELLE, BuzzFeed, The Cut, Salon, and Slate. Her newsletter, Attention Economy, can be found on Substack.
Kat Tenbarge is an award-winning independent journalist. She writes Spitfire News, a newsletter covering internet culture, politics, and media. Much of her reporting focuses on gender, violence, and pop culture. Kat has broken major stories containing sexual assault and harassment allegations against influencers and celebrities. She covers AI and the growing impact of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes, as well as social media smear campaigns against abuse victims. Before founding Spitfire News, Kat worked as a tech and culture reporter at NBC News. Before that, she was a senior digital culture reporter at Business Insider.
All proceeds from this event support the Women's Media Group Educational Foundation.
Refunds available up to 24 hours before the event. No refunds for cancellations made within 24 hours of the event.
