The program consists of weekly online training sessions led by product leaders from around the world covering every phase of product development and management in a news setting. It is designed for journalists in small to midsize local news organizations with an interest in taking a product approach to better serve their audiences and find new paths to sustainability.

The program grew out of an original partnership between J+, GNI and News Catalyst which organized a pilot of the program in 2020, followed by three cohorts in 2021-22 and three more cohorts in 2022-23 with our new partner, the News Product Alliance. So far, the program has trained 175 journalists on the American continents, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Alumni have reported that the program has helped them transition into product development and management roles in their newsrooms, launch news products, improve team communication and collaboration, embrace an audience-first ethos, prioritize data, and explore new revenue streams. 

Instruction takes place online in English, following our tested curriculum, and includes asynchronous and live lectures, discussions, and small-group coaching.