About

Welcome to the Reese News Lab, an experimental media and research project based at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Reese News Lab focuses on developing and testing new ideas for the media industry in the form of a “pre-startup.” Our team of students researches ideas for media products by answering three questions: Can it be done? Does anyone actually need this? And most importantly, could it make money?

To answer these questions, students create prototypes, interview and survey potential customers, and develop business strategies for their products. Students document their recommendations on whether they believe a product will work and then present their ideas to the public.

We don’t try to launch all of our product ideas. Our philosophy is that if our research reveals that a product lacks viability, desirability or feasibility, then it’s time to consider a new idea.

All of our projects are developed and tested by a staff of undergraduate and graduate students. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds including journalism, business and computer science, among others. Meet our current staff.

 The Lab was established in 2010 with a gift from the estate of journalism school alum Reese Felts.