Dr Clare Cook
Research Practioner
Clare Cook is a research practitioner specialising in helping independent media develop viable, sustainable and resilient business models, with a particular focus on revenue. For seven years, she has analysed and worked on independent journalism business models across Europe and in politically pressured environments.
She is co-author of several key reports, including Sustainable Business Models on the Net (COMET), Hyperlocal Revenues in the UK and Europe (Nesta), and Unlocking Journalism Resilience: Adapting a Digital Business Model to Promote Press Freedom (WAN-IFRA). Her thesis evaluates revenue pathways for the sustainability of web-native journalism using a pragmatist approach. Clare contributes evidence to policymakers and media development programmes and speaks at international forums.
Currently, she is leading research for Value My News, a new platform aiming to unlock revenue streams for hyperlocal journalism sites in the UK, funded by Google DNI and the Future News Fund. She also provides business mentoring and consultancy to a wide range of public interest news organisations, including assessing grant applications.
“Without money, news media can’t make journalism. That’s why we need to innovate in the space of business models, particularly revenue. Whether through collaborative approaches, or service- and storytelling-oriented models, new approaches and shared understanding can be transformative in creating resilient models for journalism of all shapes and sizes.”
