Paul Schutt: 7 to 8 cities at a time

Issue Media Group produces all of its content locally and can have 7 to 8 new markets under development at once.

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Filed under: Detroit, MI | Issue Media Group | Managing Growth | Paul Schutt | Publishing

Issue Media Group can have 7 or 8 markets under development at once (download 9 and a half minute iPod compatible video, 50MB). Typically, Issue Media Group waits until it has pre-sold a year's worth of sponsorship in a market before it moves in. It discovers opportunities from the response it receives at economic development conferences where it presents. Sponsors include stakeholders in the local economy like institutions of higher education, banks, health care providers, and real estate.

In order to produce content for a given market, Issue Media Group contracts 3 editors and 10 to 15 stringers (freelance writers). The managing editor oversees content production. The development editor sniffs out new stories in economic development. The jobs editor maintains a finger on the pulse of hiring. The stringers act as role players, providing content in their areas of expertise, for instance economics. Finally, Issue Media Group does not limit itself to to text content but also produces a highly visual publication with images and video.