​about the session:

​the main idea: a special guest joins us for a public conversation about where new media and independent publishing is heading—and what it means for leaders integrating new media into their authority strategy.

​agenda (in minutes):
00-10: what's happening in new media right now
10-40: conversation with our guest—where the ecosystem is going, what's actually working, and what leaders need to know
40-60: q&a (member questions first)

​what happens: newsletter platforms power some of the most successful independent publications in the country. our guest brings a front-row view of what's working, what's not, and where the platform—and the category—is heading. join us for a strategic conversation about how independent publishing fits into your category authority work: when it makes sense to build, when it makes sense to leverage, and how to evaluate the decision for your specific situation.

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​meet the experts:

​guest: Francis Zierer is the editor of Creator Spotlight, beehiiv's newsletter and podcast cataloguing how creator businesses grow and monetize — from independent, newsletter-based journalists to lifestyle YouTubers to the strategists and entrepreneurs serving them all.

his work explores the creator as a distinct category of digital media worker; the borders (and lack thereof) between creators, journalists, and other media producers; the relationships between creators and platforms; and how creators build sustainable businesses.

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​host: Shelisa Demuth is a strategic communications executive, two-time Knight Foundation grantee, and founder of LAUREL — an agency specializing in earned media strategy and public narrative development for leaders and institutions seeking category authority.

​her background includes executive leadership in startup communications, economic development and private wealth. she is certified in public narrative from the Harvard Kennedy School and has spent nearly two decades building systems that help leaders and organizations tell the stories that move markets, policy, and public perception.

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​what to expect:

​format: we host virtually on Zoom. guests have the option to participate on or off camera and engage in discussion in the chat.

​what you'll see: where new media is heading in 2026, what the economics actually look like for serious builders, how platforms are evolving to support authority-driven content, and how to think about independent publishing as part of your broader media strategy—not just a side project.

​the purpose: future focus. this month in the media lab, we mapped the new media landscape, saw how podcasting works from the inside, and tore down a real campaign signal by signal. this session closes the loop: a practitioner from inside the ecosystem shows you where it's going to help you spot the trends before they're obvious.

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​about media lab:

​media lab is a roundtable that teaches executives and founders to become the definitive voice in their category through strategic media placement. members get weekly strategic sessions, direct access to working journalists, frameworks for pitching and placement, campaign teardowns, and a community of executives building category authority in outlets like Axios, Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek and Rolling Stone.

​for nonmembers: this is an open session. guests are welcome to listen in and participate in the q&a after members. like what you see? learn more about membership at laureldevelops.com/medialab

​not a member yet? join now at luma.com/medialab