The purpose of the bootcamps is to establish fundamental concepts of entrepreneurial journalism, ethics, online content creation, production through mobile and photojournalism, establishing news start-up, and marketing and monetization techniques so that the participants will be able to turn their raw start-up ideas into practical business models. Even if they are not selected for the final cohort for advanced training, they will have the necessary tools and guidance to help them take their start-up ideas to the next level. Bootcamps are led by industry experts from journalism, digital media, content creation, entrepreneurship, and monetization fields.
Day 1 The first day of bootcamp segments included fundamentals of entrepreneurial journalism, digital content creation and digital news start-ups respectively. Participants indulged in different aspects of digital content creation, creating a news brand, and establishing, maintaining, and growing consumers of a digital news brand. Also, on the first day of the training, our trainers and guest speakers help the participants deep dive regarding ethical journalism in the digital age. We provide our cohort members the opportunity of hands-on learning in mobile journalism on the same day. Participants are also given extensive individual assignments and group tasks for practical understanding. Clarity of Digital News Platform (DNP) vision, niche specific ethical guidelines and content selection for the DNP are the outcomes of day 1.
Day 2 The plan for the second day of bootcamp includes helping them understand digital media marketing, entrepreneurship and building digital news start-ups. Exercises include start-up planning, business model development, blog writing, website development and hosting, search engine optimization, traffic generation techniques and blog monetization. 2nd day of bootcamps also includes creating Vlogs using YouTube, relevant tips and tricks, strategies to grow channel audience, and YouTube monetization requirements and strategies. Outcome of day 2 includes a practical business plan for each participant’s DNP that can be pitched to any funding agency or venture capital.
Day 3 The final day of the PEJP bootcamp kicks-off with the understanding of the current digital media landscape in Pakistan. Business models for DNPs and using digital payments with DNPs is specialty of the day. Concepts of disruption, survival of the fastest and why start-ups fail to familiarize them with today’s fast paced start-up models and digital needs are also clarified to participants. Knowledge of building brand loyalty through digital presence strategy and tools is also imparted. Marketing strategies, tools, business modelling and tools, design elements and budgetary implications in marketing, and how to choose peak days and time through data-driven informed decision making is also explained to the participants in this session. The participants also develop in-depth understanding of monetization tools for digital business, quality control processes, establishing credibility and understanding terms and conditions of different digital platforms for monetization on the very day before conclusion of bootcamp. Practical and DNP specific marketing and monetization strategies along with their DNP first portfolio are the outcomes of day 3 at bootcamp.