Journalists as Founders – Intrepid Pioneers or Reluctant Managers?

IJF25 panel on Journalists as Founders was held in Perugia , Italy , at the 2025 International Journalism Festival .

Many enterprising journalists sometimes face a dilemma at the heart of this career transition: many of them would prefer to still be reporting or editing, rather than running a newsroom.

Many people become founders because they are journalists with a vision.

Panelists share their advice on how to balance work and personal life with the weight of an organization's success.

Panelists say finding the right work-lIfe balance is key to building a successful news organization.

Félix: "I'm a workaholic. I'm always high on caffeine I don’t recommend it" Kotynek : "If you still want to be a journalist, don't do it! If you don't want to dive in, do it!".

The startups that usually work are those that have done their market research, solicited user feedback, have a strategy, and know their user needs.

Félix: “More than ever, we need local journalism that is doing a good job. That doesn’t just land the national narrative in our local communities. That’s an act of courage right now, this year ,” she said.