On Friday, September 15th, the News Product Alliance hosted a Zoom Info Session on the News Product Management Certification (NPMC), the program we developed in partnership with the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, and News Catalyst, with the support of the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund. 

Feli Carrique, the executive director of the News Product Alliance, and Kyle Plantz, the Senior Program Manager at CUNY, provided a comprehensive overview of the program, curriculum, and application process. 

Watch the recording from the presentation! ⬇️

Program Overview

The NPMC program is tailored for mid to senior-level news professionals who want to drive strategic decision-making, innovation, and operational change within the news industry. The program will bring together a diverse cohort of 25 to 30 participants across the global news industry.

While direct experience in a product role isn't a prerequisite, the program isn't introductory. It seeks candidates with some product experience from various organizational roles, including editorial, technology, audience, and revenue positions.

For instance, potential candidates might have:

• Worked on an email newsletter considering monetization or subscription strategies.

• Collaborated with the ad sales team to research new programming solutions.

• Partnered with editorial stakeholders to incorporate new features into a content management system.
  

The NPMC program is designed for professionals who:

• Aim to transition into a formal product role.

• Seek to enhance their product strategy and lead teams to achieve strategic outcomes.

• Want to lead with influence, manage change across news organizations, pursue higher leadership roles.

• Desire to deepen their technical understanding of digital products.

• Are eager to learn from industry experts and network with peers in the field.

Why Choose the NPMC Program?

The news product management landscape is complex, often requiring professionals to balance audience needs, technology, business decisions, and editorial ethics. The NPMC program recognizes these challenges and is uniquely crafted to teach participants how to apply product management principles within the context of news organizations. From understanding market trends and audience insights to mastering human-centered design and data analysis, the program covers it all.

The program boasts a roster of executive-level instructors and coaches from the news and technology industries, such as Chief Product and Technology Officers from multiple national and international publications, providing participants with unparalleled access to industry experts to learn from in each week’s Q&A session.

If you have additional questions, please reach out to npmc@newsproduct.org. To apply to the NPMC program, visit our website.