The first three years of LINK nky were an absolute whirlwind of launching, growing, experimenting and settling into our role as the Voice of NKY. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been an adventure.
The strategic vision we launched with has been mostly accomplished – we have a website, a print product and a staffed newsroom, and we’ve worked hard to build trust with the community. I’m so proud of all we’ve done, and how we’ve continued to beat the odds in an incredibly tough industry.
As we look to the future, we realized it was time to set out a new strategic vision, one that will carry us through the next three years. Let me be clear – the mission is not changing. We still exist to give NKY a voice. We will just now be focused on growing that voice, and including even more people in what we do.
We’re calling this vision for the next three years LINK 2.0. (I know it’s not the most creative name, but I’m not a brand expert. I did my best.) Over the course of the next six months, I’ll be laying out our LINK 2.0 vision for you, our readers. I’ll be writing in depth about each aspect of the plan, and how it helps us accomplish our mission and vision.
Today, I want to give you a preview of LINK 2.0 – the broad strokes – so you know what we’ll be working on in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Some of this will happen quickly, and some of it will take longer, but all of it will be done with transparency. You’ll know what we’re doing every step of the way, and will have plenty of opportunities to make your voice heard.
LINK 2.0 is a three year plan with five specific focus areas:
- Radical Transparency: Every Dollar, Every Decision – We want our readers, donors, investors and community to understand where every dollar in our budget comes from, and where every dollar is spent. We’ve been pretty transparent in the first three years, but now we’re turning the transparency dial up to 11. This column, written by me and LINK Executive Editor Meghan Goth, will be a part of that transparency. Watch this space to learn about how and why we do (and pay for) what we do.
- Community Ownership: NKY’s Stake in the Story – This is the part of the plan I’m most excited about. We’re going to offer our readers a chance to own LINK. We’ll be kicking off a community ownership program in the coming months, and then LINK will truly be all of NKY’s newspaper.
- Bold Innovation: Transforming Local News – We have a full slate of new products, ideas and innovations coming to NKY in the next 18 months. We started already with the LINK Readers’ Choice Awards, and we’ll continue to add new voices, new products and new coverage.
- Growing Together: Greater Reach, Stronger Voice – Our audience growth in the first three years has been remarkable, building on what the River City News and Fort Thomas Matters started, and growing into the largest news organization in NKY. But there is still work to do. We need to attract more readers, younger readers (and by younger, I mean people under 45), and engage readers outside the 275 loop.
- Thriving by 2027: Building a Lasting Legacy – LINK needs to be financially secure and have a sustainable, cash-flow positive business model by the end of 2027. We are very close, but there’s still work to do on customer diversification, building our small-dollar donor support, and winning more grants. We also need a reserve fund to help us in case of a rainy day. (It’s been raining in the news industry for about two decades straight, so this is critically important.)
I know that’s a lot to take in all at once, but I hope reading through those brief descriptions of LINK 2.0 excites you as much as it does me. I’m energized and ready for the challenge this strategic plan represents, and I’m looking forward to breaking each of the strategic initiatives down even further in the coming months, so our readers can get excited along with me.
Inside LINK is a biweekly column written by either LINK nky president and CEO Lacy Starling or Executive Editor Meghan Goth.
