Meet the Sixth Cohort of the News Product Management Certification
The News Product Management Certification (NPMC) is welcoming its sixth cohort! The 29 participants bring experience from across product, editorial, audience, technology, and AI. They represent 7 countries and a wide range of news organizations and roles – including CEOs, COOs, Directors of Audience, Product Managers, Publishers, Membership Managers, and more, across organizations such as The Boston Globe, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), The New York Times, POLITICO, Swissinfo, Deep South Today, and The Atlantic, among others.
Over the next 3.5 months, they’ll strengthen the skills needed to make strategic product decisions and connect audience needs with organizational priorities, and learn how to respond to the unique pressures, constraints, and opportunities that define product work in journalism — especially as AI is rapidly reshaping the product field. The program combines live classes taught by experienced practitioners, hands-on exercises and activities, 1:1 coaching, and a capstone project based on challenges participants are tackling in their own organizations.
As the first certification specifically dedicated to news product, the NPMC covers topics including how to navigate AI as a product leader, ensure revenue sustainability with a clear monetization strategy, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and bridge the gap between product management and engineering teams.
“The needs of the news industry are changing quickly, and product leaders must be able to adapt. We’re constantly reviewing and updating the NPMC program to make sure participants get more than a set of tools or tactics. We want them to develop the strategic thinking and frameworks they can use to make better product decisions as their audiences, organizations, and the technology around them change,” says Becca Aaronson, Chief Product Officer at News Product Alliance.
The program also draws on the experience of its growing alumni network. More than 150 professionals have completed the NPMC across five cohorts, going on to launch products, take on new leadership responsibilities, lead AI and innovation initiatives, and apply product practices and strategies within their organizations.
“There’s something special about bringing together people who are doing this work in different organizations and markets, but facing many of the same questions. Participants keep exchanging ideas, sharing what they’ve learned, and turning to each other for advice long after the program ends. That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of watching the NPMC grow,” says Marie Gilot, Executive Director of J+ at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
The NPMC is run by the News Product Alliance in partnership with the J+ program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, this cohort also includes a group of participants from U.S. local newsrooms, part of a shared commitment to strengthen the product leadership pipeline that the industry urgently needs. Additionally, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is supporting one participant as part of its commitment to strengthening New Jersey journalism and advancing the news product field.
Applications for the next cohort will open in October 2026 – subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated! Newsrooms can secure spots by contacting npmc@newsproduct.org.
Meet the participants in the sixth NPMC Cohort
You can read about the participants’ experiences by clicking on the photos.
