ABSTRACT
Memberships have marked a turning point in the conception of the business models of various news initiatives across Europe. It is an innovation whose key lies not only in the achievement of new revenue streams but also in building relationships with the public that generate a sense of belonging to journalistic brands. Based on selected case studies from the JoIn-DemoS project, this chapter explores the adoption of “membership models” in Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom, by three journalistic companies. Strategic heads from those enterprises also provide insights into the increasingly blurred lines that are being generated in business models as the media experience grows. We see how, even in subscription offerings, membership patterns can be identified and how these news outlets devise new strategies to guarantee their economic sustainability.
