About
Last update: April 2026
Hi, I'm Rob! This site exists for journalists who seek to effectively serve a community as a path to successful journalism. Our readers include those with deep experience, early career journalists, and college students.
Here's the nut: If you serve your community, and emotionally connect with your community, absolutely everything will go better, including trust in news and your revenue models. I refer to this effort at connection as "emotional engagement of a journalism audience."
I'm a former chief editor at a daily and a current community journalist, working in the field. I've also been running a journalism training program for more than 15 years – my "graduates" are at news organizations everywhere, doing amazing things!
My emotional engagement journey began decades ago. I worked with the authors of a major research project performed by the now-defunct Readership Institute of Northwestern University, into what drives consumers of news. I've never stopped refining it, building on it and testing new approaches to emotional engagement in the real world. I've seen the results. I've realized, frankly, that I've got a method that works and a responsibility to share it.
For Poynter, I wrote the article, “Love your community and watch your revenue models do better.” In April 2026, I spoke on emotional engagement at the Midwest Journalism Conference, in Minnesota, in cooperation with the Society of Professional Journalists. I've had other speaking engagements, too, working to get the word out!
The site is set up as a newsletter, though I envision that it will grow to become a field guide to having an effective relationship with a journalism audience. Please peruse the posted resources. Start here at this one-sheet guide and click on stuff!
If you run a news organization, take look at our Get Help page. If you are a student or early career journalist, check out the Lab page.
Subscribe to keep in touch and gain more tools – it's all free for journalists, students and academics. I can be reached at Rob@SuccessfulJournalism.com. We want to help.
Rob Golub
Editor and Founder
Successful Journalism for Communities / SuccessfulJournalism.com
Rob@SuccessfulJournalism.com
People
This site was launched and is maintained in memory of Scott Anderson (1976-2022), Racine, Wisconsin photojournalist. Every picture told a story.