Salary transparency as an extreme sport in CEE newsrooms
Benefits of Facebook's news ban in Canada, one of Substack’s most successful newsrooms is leaving the platform for Ghost and 17 active calls.
Welcome!
This week on the Media Finance Monitor:
Salary transparency as an extreme sport in CEE newsrooms
The £100,000 decision: Mill Media's switch from Substack to Ghost
Facebook's news ban may actually benefit some publishers
17 active calls (3 new)
Salary transparency as an extreme sport in CEE newsrooms
(by Peter)
I met Juanita Leon, the legendary Colombian journalist and founder of the news site La Silla Vacía, at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia in 2022. We had lunch together, and she told me how they introduced salary bands and transparency in her newsroom. I listened with a mix of fascination, admiration, and horror - much like the feeling I get when Instagram shows me a clip of someone doing extreme sports. It's impressive, I know I could never do it myself, and it also seems like there’s a real chance it could end in disaster.
I was reminded of our conversation last week when I read an article on the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) website about newsrooms and salaries. The authors, who lead The Appeal, a nonprofit newsroom covering the U.S. criminal justice system, wrote a thoughtful piece on how they developed their compensation system. While some of their ideas are quite U.S.-centric, and you might not agree with all their choices (I certainly don’t), I really think it’s a must-read for anyone making decisions about salaries in the news industry.
First, it’s important to note that The Appeal has only nine people on staff, which shows that even in small newsrooms, it’s worth thinking about these issues systematically. “We’re too small for this” isn’t a meaningful excuse.
I want to focus on three aspects of the RJI piece: salary bands and transparency, career ladders, and executive pay.
Since my conversation with Juanita in Perugia, I’ve been thinking about whether salary bands and transparency are feasible for newsrooms in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Having run various media and adjacent organizations for over a decade, I can confidently say that some of my biggest management mistakes have involved salaries. Speaking from experience, if you believe salary bands and transparency are impossible to implement, it’s probably a sign that your compensation structure is unfair—not that the concepts themselves are flawed.
That said, as with many aspects of organizational culture, it’s a lot easier to start something from scratch than to change an existing system. At the Center for Sustainable Media, we’ve had full salary transparency since our launch 16 months ago, but we agreed on this from the start. For larger organizations with longer histories, implementing something like this could take time, and rushing it could carry risks. Still, I’d argue it’s worth the effort, even if it takes multiple years to achieve.
The Appeal also wanted to create a career ladder that allowed for growth and advancement without requiring people to manage others.
In most CEE newsrooms I know, you start as a reporter, spending almost all your time on content. If you’re good at your job, you’re promoted to associate editor, then senior editor, and eventually editor-in-chief. This means you spend less and less time on the content you excel at and more time managing people—a role that may not play to your strengths. This dynamic often leads to burnout, but it’s harder to address than transparency. In some small CEE newsrooms, the lack of a career ladder isn’t due to poor management but to a lack of resources. There’s simply no budget for additional roles or progression.
Lastly, The Appeal capped executive pay at 2.5 times the salary of the lowest-paid employee. Depending on the size and complexity of the organization, this may be a bit conservative. Additionally, in some CEE countries, leading an independent newsroom comes with extra risks and responsibilities that should be compensated accordingly.
It’s also important to note that The Appeal is a nonprofit newsroom, which likely shapes its approach to compensation. While their emphasis on fairness and equity is commendable, I want to highlight the practical benefits of these policies. Fair compensation and transparency don’t just satisfy abstract notions of justice—they lead to more motivated teams, better retention rates, and ultimately, a superior news product and service for the audience. This is a crucial point when considering how these ideas could apply to for-profit newsrooms. Emphasizing how these policies can boost motivation, reduce turnover, and improve output quality could be more persuasive in a commercial setting.
After all, a news organization that attracts and retains top talent, fosters a positive work culture, and produces high-quality journalism is more likely to succeed, regardless of its profit status. Framing the discussion in terms of tangible benefits to the organization and its audience could help encourage broader adoption of these progressive compensation practices across the news industry.
The £100,000 decision: Mill Media's switch from Substack to Ghost
(by Peter)
The Mill Media group, publisher of the Manchester Mill, the Sheffield Tribune, the Liverpool Post, and the Birmingham Dispatch, is moving from Substack to Ghost.
The Mill’s story began during the pandemic in the summer of 2020, when Joshi Herrmann started publishing on Substack, aiming to create a reader-funded local outlet that prioritized quality over quantity. The Manchester Mill gained 5,000 subscribers in just three months, 500 of whom were paying regularly for content. From there, things took off. Herrmann secured investments from industry leaders, including Mark Thompson, CEO of CNN and former executive at the BBC and The New York Times, and Nicholas Johnston, publisher of Axios. Today, Mill Media operates in four UK cities, boasts more than 100,000 subscribers, over 8,000 paying readers, and a staff of 22.
Their rise is captivating for the global indie media scene because it suggests that a high-quality, independent, local watchdog journalism startup can not only find an audience but also generate meaningful revenues. The dream is alive—if the Mill can make it work, there’s hope for others. I’ll try to interview Herrmann soon, but for now, I want to focus on why they left Substack for Ghost, as these considerations are relevant to CEE media startups.
The most obvious reason is financial. Substack takes a 10% cut from subscription fees, and Herrmann told Press Gazette that this could amount to as much as £100,000 by 2025. Ghost, on the other hand, charges a flat fee, which is significantly lower at this scale.
Substack is positioning itself as a “platform,” offering features like a newsfeed to aid content discovery, making it easier for users to find relevant publications and for publishers to reach new audiences. It also simplifies payments—once a user subscribes to one publication and inputs their credit card details, subscribing to others is just a tap away. This streamlined process makes Substack highly effective for growing both audiences and revenues.
Ghost, on the other hand, isn’t focusing on network effects at this stage but offers greater customization. While both platforms are built around newsletters, Ghost presents itself as a broader publishing platform with robust tools for building websites and monetizing content. In his interview with Press Gazette, Herrmann emphasized that customization was a key reason for the switch.
In the months ahead, we may see some convergence between the two platforms. Substack might offer more customization to select users and could become more flexible with its revenue-sharing model. Meanwhile, Ghost could explore network and discovery features to help its users grow their audiences and revenue streams. They’re already working on becoming federated, which may be a big plus for some.
For now, Substack may be a slightly better option for those just starting out, especially in regions where Substack already has an established presence, as the powerful network and discovery features can drive rapid growth. But for more established writers or teams—or for those who don’t need to rely on Substack’s built-in growth tools—Ghost’s lower costs and higher degree of customization make it an appealing choice. It’s telling of the competition that Ghost even offers a “concierge” service to help publishers migrate from other platforms, including Substack.
Facebook's news ban may actually benefit some publishers
(by Ioana)
Back in 2008, Facebook was hailed as a game-changer for the media industry. I remember the excitement buzzing in many Bucharest creative meeting rooms—every idea revolved around Facebook. Entire communication strategies were tossed aside in favor of "just get a Facebook page." Everything seemed so simple. Yet, in the background, my boss at the time—running the small digital publication I worked for—was constantly unhappy, sending us back to the drawing board: "Find another option. We can’t become dependent on it. If it’s free, you’re the product, not the client."
Fast forward 15 years, and that product has become self-aware, with serious consequences. In August 2023, Meta blocked access to Canadian news on Facebook and Instagram in response to Canada’s Online News Act (C-18), which required platforms to pay for news content. This decision immediately impacted outlets like Radio-Canada, which lost access to its large audience on the platform, affecting 83% of French-speaking Canadians who regularly consumed its content. The blow wasn't limited to Radio-Canada—reports suggest that over 212 local media outlets, around 30% of those once active on social media, have since gone inactive.
In response, Radio-Canada did what many outlets perhaps should have done years ago. As described in this great piece on the Audiencers, they refocused their strategy, redirecting audiences to their own platforms.
They launched an ad campaign with the message, “Don’t wait for someone to block access to your local news” directing people to download their app. As a result, the app’s download rate surged by 83%. Additionally, in July, just ahead of the Paris Olympics, they introduced mandatory account authentication, requiring users to create an account and log in to access content. This move significantly strengthened their direct relationship with users, and by mid-2024, they had accumulated over 2.6 million authenticated accounts.
Their forced pivot worked. They not only gained independence from Meta but also expanded across other platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, ultimately redefining their relationship with social media as a whole.
While this wasn’t exactly a choice for Radio-Canada, maybe it’s a strategy we should all be seriously considering. Despite the discussions and hopes for new regulations that might eventually benefit the news industry, things aren’t improving quickly enough.
In 2020, Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand’s largest news site, made a similar decision. They walked away from their audience of over a million followers on Facebook and Instagram, long before the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill—legislation that would compel platforms to pay media companies for news—was even on the table in New Zealand. And they’re still around.
At PressOne (the newsroom I lead in Romania), we've been debating this same issue for years. Should we make a bold move, shut everything down, and focus entirely on our own platforms? For smaller outlets like ours, the problem is simple: money. Whatever reach we still manage to get is something we can sell, and we rely on that revenue. Shutting the door on Facebook sounds good in theory, but for many smaller players, it’s not realistic without the resources to support such a shift.
Now, here are the active calls, with the largest at the top.
EU Audio Reporting
Who: European Commission
How much: Up to EUR 4.5 million
What is it for: Production and distribution of innovative audio formats
How long: 24 months
Deadline: September 19th, 2024
Eligible countries: EU member states
EU Digital Reporting
Who: European Commission
How much: Up to EUR 2.7 million
What is it for: Production and distribution of digital content on EU affairs
How long: 18 – 24 months
Deadline: September 19th, 2024
Eligible countries: EU member states
EDMO: Accelerating the best use of technologies
Who: European Commission
How much: EUR 1,000,000 - 1,300,000
What is it for: Media literacy, anti-disinformation, fact-checking
How long: 30 – 36 months
Deadline: November 21st, 2024
Eligible countries: European countries
Internet Freedom Fund
Who: Open Technology Fund (OTF)
How much: USD 10,000 – 900,000
What is it for: Supporting innovative internet freedom projects
How long: Up to 24 months
Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligible countries: Global, except those subject to U.S. trade restrictions or export sanctions
JournalismAI Innovation Challenge – NEW
Who: Google News Initiative
How much: USD 50,000 – 250,000
What is it for: Explore, apply, and share AI best practices
How long: 9 months
Deadline: October 10th, 2024
Eligible countries: Global, but in Europe: Austria, Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ukraine
Boosting Fact-Checking Activities in Europe – NEW
Who: European Media and Information Fund
How much: EUR 55,000 – 80,000
What is it for: Supporting independent fact-checking projects
How long: 6 – 12 months
Deadline: October 31st, 2024
Eligible countries: EU and EFTA countries, and UK
IJ4EU’s Investigation Support Scheme
Who: Investigative Journalism for Europe
How much: Up to EUR 50,000
What is it for: Cross-border investigative journalism
Deadline: October 28th, 2024
Eligible countries: EU member states and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Ukraine.
Business Innovation Synergizer – Media Innovation Europe
Who: Thomson Media
How much: Up to EUR 30,000
What is it for: Media support
How long: Up to 12 months
Deadline: September 24th, 2024
Eligible countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia
MVA Forward
Who: MVA
How much: Up to USD 25,000
What is it for: Media support
How long: Up to 12 months
Deadline: June 4th, 2025 - Rolling applications
Eligible countries: Global (low- and middle-income countries preferred)
Central Europe Program – Rule of Law Activity
Funder: Dexis
How much: USD 5,000 – 25,000
What is it for: Social media content around Rule of Law issues
How long: 12 months
Deadline: December 31st, 2024 - Rolling applications
Eligible countries: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary
Eligible countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine
Professional Development Grants for Environmental Journalism
Who: Journalism Fund Europe
How much: Up to EUR 20,000
What is it for: Environmental investigative journalism training/professional development programs
How long: Up to 12 months
Deadline: October 10th, 2024
Eligible countries: European countries
Environmental Investigative Journalism
Who: Journalism Fund Europe
How much: Up to EUR 20,000
What is it for: Supports cross-border teams to investigate environmental affairs
Deadline: October 24th, 2024
Eligible countries: European countries
Grant competition for 5 media organisations – NEW
Who: European Union and Soros Moldova Foundation
How much: Up to EUR 15,000
What is it for: Promoting consumer protection through advocacy
Deadline: September 30th, 2024
Eligible countries: Republic of Moldova
European Cross-Border Grants
Who: Journalism Fund Europe
How much: EUR 2,000 – 14,000
What is it for: Independent journalism and cross-border collaboration
Deadline: September 26th, 2024
Eligible countries: European countries
Media Engagement Activity in BiH - NEW
Who: USAID
How much: Up to USD 12,000
What is it for: Media support
How long: Up to 8 months
Deadline: October 25th, 2024
Eligible countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Incident Emergency Fund
Who: Digital Defenders Partnership
How much: Up to EUR 10,000
What is it for: Emergency support, freedom of expression, gender equality in media
Deadline: Ongoing
Eligible countries: Global
Vienna Media Initiative – Media Start Funding
Who: Vienna Business Agency
How much: EUR 2,000 – 10,000
What is it for: Media support
How long: Up to 18 months
Deadline: October 31st, 2024
Eligible countries: Austria
Until the next issue, thanks for reading and take care.
Peter Erdelyi and the rest of the Center for Sustainable Media team