In December 2023, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their fourth annual Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals from 31 countries. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

After graduating from journalism school, where he specialised in graphics and data visualisation, Michael Schrantz began his career working in the newsrooms of rural daily newspapers, honing his skills as a copyeditor and reporter while also designing print pages.

As proof of his wide-ranging abilities, he covered everything from agriculture and energy to real estate while also creating interactive and print visualisations. His excellence in reporting and graphics didn’t go unnoticed, earning him several awards.

Michael’s career took a turn when he pitched the idea of a new digital editor position in his newsroom.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but the lack of sustained product thinking had left gaps in the infrastructure available to the role,” he said. “I convinced upper management of the needs and took on the searches for vendors and technologies to fill the gaps, including an early emphasis on newsletters as a conversion tool.”

He also introduced revenue-generating products that didn’t require an expansion in business staff or skill sets.

Transitioning into the non-profit media space, Michael held various audience and marketing roles. He successfully grew online readership and raised significant funds through small-dollar and matching campaigns, and as his roles changed, it allowed him to stretch his skills and expand his knowledge of newsletters, advertising, business models, and leadership structures.

Notably, he helped launch a tool at the Texas Observer to match migrant remains with missing persons reports and created a revenue-generating summer reading challenge at High Country News.

Today, as marketing communications manager at High Country News in Paonia, Colorado, in the United States, Michael’s responsibilities have grown significantly: “I oversee print and online advertising, instituting new processes, selecting new ad technologies, and dealing with individual clients.”

He also conducted a rate study and increased revenue by bringing the company’s rates in line with comparable publications while preserving long-term relationships through a new partner programme.   

Michael is also involved in a significant shift in technology platforms, aiming to leverage user and subscription data better to drive increased conversions on a modern Web platform.

His desire to continue growing his knowledge of subscriptions, data, and the business of newsrooms reflects his commitment to the industry: “I want to become a well-rounded professional capable and confident across a number of topics. I’ve grown up in newsrooms and remain committed to building and maintaining healthy news organisations capable of serving their communities.”

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