I know it's all about the ~ladies~ here at La Fronde but also want to shout out the allies who are in the chat, like this person:
I discovered your newsletter last month after my wife told me about it and it's become one of my go-to reads now. It's nice to read a media newsletter that isn't just covering the same churn of stories like everyone else. I feel like I actually learn something new every time I read it. Sending a quick note to say keep up the good work.
Best,
Tim
We love to see it. And it's what I hoped La Fronde would be: a place to talk about women's issues in a way that’s not exclusionary. This is also a good excuse to remind you that I always love to hear from y'all on stories I should cover or ways to make things better here. Drop me a line at [email protected].
Today's paid newsletter features a chat I had with URL Media co-founder S. Mitra Kalita about sustaining a DEI-focused media company as backlash against diversity and inclusion grows, and how we can help the cause. Plus, a journalist recounts a horrifying hotel incident that raises the alarm on women’s safety, and Anthropic goes on a (very well-paid) media hiring spree that we break down in Seen and Heard.
xoxo,
Stephanie
S. Mitra Kalita on sustaining a community media network as DEI support retreats
While it’s great that there are more ways for journalists to start their own publications and go independent, I think there’s something to be said about keeping institutions around that have the means to give journalists real resources — like financial and legal support — to do their jobs. And something more to be said about equitable access to those resources.
S. Mitra Kalita left her full-time job as the senior vice president at CNN in 2020 to launch her own startup to address this very issue. She co-founded URL Media — a network that offers shared resources like revenue, content and distribution for news organizations and creators that serve communities of color — with WURD Radio CEO Sara Lomax. The nonprofit just got a huge windfall in the form of a $5 million grant from the Knight Foundation, which Mitra says will allow URL to support more than 100 partners by 2028. Still, it’s a temporary bandaid for right-sizing the looming issue of sponsors retreating from DEI support and pulling back sponsorship dollars that organizations like URL Media need for survival.
For our Tuesday lead story, Mitra talked to me about what it’s really like to run your own media company and how she’s navigating not just digital media headwinds, but the rollback of DEI support, too.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What's been the biggest lesson going from working in a newsroom to starting your own company?
Such a good question. I thought I had revenue experience — I say that as a journalist who launched a lot of products, launched new publications, worked with the business side to make money in media. But it wasn’t until I became a founder of a media company and a CEO did I really understand both how a media company makes money and the profound challenges our business model is under. That might sound simple, but when you work for a company, you know your paycheck is coming every two weeks, even as you work on revenue initiatives. It's just so different from what you and I are doing right now.
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