Last week, News Media Alliance and MPA, the Association of Magazine Media, announced their organizations have agreed to merge. The merger has been approved by their respective members and is expected to close this summer, provided it clears regulatory hurdles. Once combined, the new organization will be known as News/Media Alliance, and their focus will be on building a sustainable future for quality journalism.
News Media Alliance president and CEO David Chavern will be the CEO of the new combined organization. Among their first tasks is to add resources, including hiring staff to assist with and enhance the organization’s legislative, technical and research capabilities.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to bring our two organizations together and leverage our collective voice to achieve our shared vision of a bright and thriving future for high-quality journalism and content,” said Chavern. “The needs of the two industries are closely aligned, and this union will allow us to deliver higher value for a broader number of publishers and content creators.”
MPA president and CEO Rita Cohen also commented on the merger.
“The combined strength of news and magazine media publishers in this new alliance will expand opportunities for both our memberships, and we are pleased to be helping make this merger happen on their behalf,” said Cohen, who will work with new organization. “I look forward to working with David and his team as we advance the future of publishing and high-quality journalism.”
Chavern explained the reason for the merger in a brief statement.
“Our members are continually creating new digital products that engage audiences and strengthen communities. They want and deserve markets for those products that fairly value quality journalism. We are absolutely committed to helping them to win in the evolving digital content landscape,” Chavern said.
News Media Alliance
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the News Media Alliance is a nonprofit that represents more than 2,000 news organizations on print, digital and mobile platforms in the U.S. and internationally. The organization was founded in 1992 when seven newspaper organizations under the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) combined. The organization’s work has primarily been focused on helping news organizations manage the challenges of the ever-changing media landscape, including freedom of the press issues, public policy, ad growth, revenue streams and audience development. The organization partners with like-minded organizations like the American Press Institute, the Sunshine in Government Initiative and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
MPA, The Association of Magazine Media
The MPA represents more than 500 brands on multiple platforms in the U.S. Their focus is advocacy for federal and state public policies that allow their member publishers to continue to provide their members with content. According to the MPA, 1.5 billion readers trust the content of the brands they represent; 90% of U.S. adults enjoy magazines; and the magazine industry supports more than 220,000 jobs.
Insider Take
Over the last decade, the trend toward digital-first content has dramatically impacted the news and magazine industries that were previously print-first. The merger of these two organizations seems to be a natural fit and a big positive for members of both organizations, regardless of their platform. As a combined force, the organization’s collective voice will be amplified, and their resources will be even more powerful. Perhaps together they can help the media industry regain respect while also creating a sustainable future.