Reflecting on Six Months of Transformation, Growth, and Innovation

As the curtains fall on the first News Product Alliance Mentor Network Program, we take a moment to reflect on the journey and cherish the incredible accomplishments of our mentees. Launched in September 2022 with the generous support of the Google News Initiative, we received applications from over 300 emerging product thinkers in nearly 50 countries. This overwhelming response proved the need for professional support for news product thinkers.

Our mission was to increase the number and diversity of product professionals in the journalism industry, leveraging community support to build a more equitable media landscape. From the 300+ applications, we selected 150 mentees with diverse backgrounds and professional trajectories: 48% identified as part of an underrepresented group, and another 35% self-described complex identities at the intersection of race and ethnicity.

"We are immensely proud of the achievements and impact of the Mentor Network Program. It has been an incredible journey, witnessing the growth and transformation of our mentees as they navigated the challenges of the news product discipline. The dedication and support from our mentors have been instrumental in shaping the future of this industry. This program has not only empowered individuals but also fostered a community of collaboration and innovation. We are grateful to all who made this program possible and look forward to the continued success of our mentees as they make their mark in the industry”, said Feli Carrique, Executive Director for the News Product Alliance. 

The initiative aimed to cultivate emerging product thinkers by pairing them with seasoned mentors from the news product industry. To connect mentees with their mentors, we created an algorithmic model that factored in various criteria, such as regions, time zones, and personal experiences.

The 150 mentees were matched with 50 mentors from globally recognized organizations such as The New York Times, Netflix, Vox, CNN, and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ). Over the course of six months, these mentors provided +350 hours of Mentorship and invaluable guidance, shaping the future of the news product industry.

Together, the mentor-mentee pairs tackled challenges across a range of product-related themes, from change management and product philosophy to team leadership, diversity, and inclusion. Mentees received personalized guidance, gained knowledge, and expanded their understanding of news product. However, the program extended beyond learning - it was about building a global network of change-makers and support. 

 “My mentor has been a constant source of enlightenment and inspiration throughout this entire journey. Her unwavering support has been invaluable, and she has been there for me every step of the way. I couldn't have done it without her advice! I'm incredibly grateful for this amazing mentorship opportunity, which has allowed me to learn and grow tremendously. Her  guidance and support have been instrumental in my success, and I couldn't have done it without her ”.

Mentee Alejandra MargffoyTuay, Audience and Revenue Consultant

Mentoring resources

During the mentorship program, NPA also hosted workshops covering technical topics with product professionals to provide additional support to mentees. These sessions included the “ABCs of Product” with Mentee Coach, Shannan Bowen, “Getting Started with strategic planning and goal setting" with Susannah Locke, and "Choosing the product development method that works best for your team" with mentor Paul Rissen. 

Furthermore, NPA offered a mentoring outline, resources, and templates, to support mentees during this path and the various challenges and goals they worked on.

“Throughout the mentorship program, I used various tools and frameworks like business model canvas, prototypes, focus groups and more…My mentor inspired me to constantly iterate and encouraged testing my ideas throughout this process, which is not something I typically make time for in my day-to-day job.”
Mentee Mel Grau, Senior Product Specialist at the Poynter Institute

In our commitment to creating a holistic learning experience, we ensured that mentors received the resources they needed right from the outset, with the invaluable support of Mentor Coach Upasna Gautam and team member Emma Carew Govrum. We firmly believe that mentorship should be a two-way street, providing an enriching experience for both mentors and mentees. To foster a vibrant and supportive community throughout the program, we facilitated engaging Community Calls, where mentors also came together to share insights, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful connections.

“The mentees were all great. The training and materials were amazing. And I learned a lot from the process and the discussions.”

Mentor Damon Kiesow, University of Missouri School of Journalism

I had the opportunity to connect with mentees in different latitudes, engage with diverse problematics, the English mentoring challenge which for me, is a brand new experience.

Gastón Serralta, Co-Founder and CEO at Dosunos.

Showcasing the Mentorship Journey 

In a changing and challenging industry, we reach the end of the program with diverse experiences from emerging product thinkers. An optional learning resource of the program was to create an artifact, in any format chosen, with the only aim of supporting their growth, understanding, and capabilities as news product professionals. 

The projects undertaken during the Mentor Network Program spanned an impressive range of topics, reflecting the diverse interests, and expertise. From exploring subscription models and developing internal communication strategies to designing user surveys and creating new report formats, the mentees embarked on challenges to bring about meaningful changes in their professional lives and the organizations they represent.

“This program was super essential for me and my organization, to be able to do several things in a short time. Because I was receiving mentorship from an excellent mentor,  I was able to launch my organization, a project called Efficient Careers, which connects people with disabilities to the labor market, I made a partnership proposal…I was very happy to be able to participate in the program”.

Mentee Larissa Pontes, Eficientes Executive Director

Some mentees focused on projects that aimed to develop critical business skills at understanding profitability with limited resources, exploring monetization strategies, and building business-critical skill sets. Mentees were keen to explore these areas, often translating their learning into practical resources like media kits or business canvases.

“Thanks to the Mentor Network program, we started to have our own workflow for developing and implementing AI tools that are not developed top-down but are really assessing pain points for our editors. We have now started building our generative AI team", said Alessandro Alviani in his IJF panel this summer.

Another strong trend was the emphasis on professional development and personal growth. Many mentees worked on projects designed to enhance their profiles, optimize their performance, and better understand their roles in the industry. This led to creations such as insightful LinkedIn posts, revamped CVs, or online portfolios highlighting their skills and experiences.

“I've been self-employed for six years as a remote consultant, so I haven't had access to traditional career support or encouragement for more than half a decade. Being able to talk to someone who understands the professional tradeoffs and decisions you're making means so much. Programs like this can bring back positive reinforcement when destabilized workers are the most vulnerable, too, especially after layoffs or in between contracts. NPA is showing the rest of the industry how to invest in talent retention.”

Mentee Catherine Cusick, Creator of SelfEmployedFAQ.com 

The mentors played an indispensable role in the progress of these projects, providing guidance, feedback, and resources that helped the mentees shape their ideas and meet their goals. The program's successful outcome is a testament to their commitment and the impact of their guidance.

Many artifacts are private because of the mentees’ current roles, jobs, and organizational structure. Still, some of them are public and now shared with the NPA Community.

Artifacts:

We recognize that the true extent of the impacts generated through the Mentor Network Program may take time to fully manifest. While we have witnessed remarkable progress and transformation during the six-month duration of the program, we acknowledge that the most significant outcomes and long-term effects will continue to unfold in the coming months. Consider this as an initial glimpse into the positive changes and promising potential that have emerged from the mentorship journeys of our dedicated mentees. We eagerly anticipate the future milestones and achievements that will further solidify the program's success and validate the transformative power of mentorship in the news product industry.

A Final Note of Thanks

As we celebrate the achievements of our mentees and mentors, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the team, the mentors who supported this program, our mentees, and everyone who was part of this journey. 

We also extend our sincere gratitude to the Google News Initiative, who made the Mentor Network Program possible. Their generous support has played a crucial role in empowering the next generation of news product professionals, contributing to the creation of ethical and sustainable digital media businesses, and enabling industry-wide transformation.

The mentorship journey has been a rewarding one, filled with growth, learning, and inspiring transformations. Stay in touch, there is more to come from the fantastic community that is the News Product Alliance.