Mariel Richards, CEO of gal-dem, on launching a membership programme during covid-19

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The coronavirus pandemic has decimated digital advertising and news organisations are still searching for alternative revenue streams. Memberships are widely seen as a way to not only plug the financial hole but also to retain readers who supported your journalism during lockdown.

For independent online and print magazine gal-dem, the sudden loss of ad revenue was made worse by the trauma of police violence during Black Lives Matters protests. As a publication which offers a platform to women and non-binary people of colour, these events had a huge impact on the readers and the editorial team. The two factors had a compounded effect: commissioning budgets were being slashed at a time when its coverage was needed more than ever.

Fortunately, it had a membership model ready to launch in March which had been in the pipeline for two years - and the sign-ups exploded. The publication hit its end-of-year target six months early and currently counts more than 2,000 members. This allowed it to resume the coverage its readers desperately needed.

In this week's podcast, CEO of Mariel Richards reflects on the journey and what the success of the membership programme means for the news organisation, with one eye on a future without having to rely on brand sponsorships and advertisement revenue.

This article was updated on 16 October 2020 to recognise Mariel Richards' new position as CEO of gal-dem. At the time of recording, Richards was head of partnerships

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