Project Kookaburra Webinar Series

As part of our support for regional and rural publishers, the Walkley Foundation is hosting a series of ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinars on new business models.

Drawing on the experience of international publishers as well as five Australian independent regional publishers who participated in a new business model research project, Project Kookaburra, this series will take place over a week in late November, offering one free webinar per day.

The Project Kookaburra webinars are designed for publisher decision makers and journalists interested in the business of news publishing in regional areas.

Led by former BuzzFeed Australia General Manager Simon Crerar and Regional and Small Publisher Innovation Fund Chair Megan Brownlow, each webinar will focus on a different business model and include a Q&A with the independent regional publisher who ran the pilot.

You can attend all or any of the following webinars LIVE via zoom, with the opportunity for Q&A in each session:

• Monday 23 – How to use special events such as a Centenary to deepen relationships with readers and advertisers. Publisher: Sunraysia Daily, Victoria.
  Special events are great opportunities for publishers to engage with readers and advertisers. Join our free webinar to hear how Sunraysia Daily celebrated its centenary year by showing Sunraysians surviving and thriving in tough times, past and present.
• Tuesday 24 – How to leverage your cross-platform brand in a media kit. Publisher: Forty South, Tasmania.
  Many regional publishers need to update the story they tell advertisers to show they’ve embraced the digital world. Register for our free webinar to hear how Tasmanian publisher, Forty South, showcased its new website and data in a cross-platform media kit.
• Wednesday 25 – How to segment your audience to better target your content and advertising. Publisher: Yorke Peninsula Country Times, SA.
  Regional publishers can now employ digital to break down geographic barriers. Register for our free webinar to hear how South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula Country Times reached out to agribusiness and farmers with an audience-targeted micro-site.
• Thursday 26 – How to deploy newsletters to drive online subscriptions. Publisher: Fassifern Guardian & Tribune, Queensland.
  Regional publishers are discovering that newsletters are a great way to engage readers and grow subscriptions. Register for our free webinar to hear how Queensland’s Fassifern Guardian & Tribune launched a newsletter to gain loyalty and build revenue.
• Friday 27 – How to extend your geographic footprint with a digital rebrand. Publisher: Narrandera Argus, NSW.
  Small regional publishers know the challenges of transporting their physical product to small communities. Register for our free webinar to hear how NSW’s Narrandera Argus used digital to expand its footprint into nearby towns without breaking the bank.

Date: Monday November 23 – Friday November 27

Time: 1pm to 2pm each day

REGISTER NOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE.

About Project Kookaburra

Project Kookaburra is an independent research program designed and run by Megan Brownlow, Simon Crerar and with participation from Mediality (formerly AAP Studio). It received arms-length funding from Google News Initiative. The five pilot programs ran from April to September 2020.