In an industry where layoffs are a regular occurrence, business journalist Phil Rosen is bringing together reporters and editors for dinners where they can make connections and develop relationships.
Called “Journalists Club” and formed in early 2024, Rosen has now held more than 50 such dinners, usually with about 10 attendees, that he culls from a waitlist as well as other journalists he simply wants to meet. He also looks to invite people who work on similar beats or jobs.
The dinners have helped journalists meet with other journalists in a more-relaxed setting. Public relations professionals are not invited.
“I think people appreciate them because the only other way you make contacts in other newsrooms is through conferences or events where you’re covering it as a reporter,” said Rosen, who left Business Insider in early 2024 to start a newsletter called “Opening Bell Daily” with Anthony Pompliano. “You’re not really there to make friends. But the objective for us is just reporters meeting reporters.”
The schedule varies, depending on Rosen’s work. He’s had as many as four dinners in a month and as few as one. The group meets in restaurants usually in Midtown or the West Village “where we can get a big table that we don’t have to pay extra for,” he says. “I know almost no one who comes to these dinners.” Attendees pay for their meal and drinks.
Invites go out about three to five days in advance, and there’s no formal agenda except for people introducing themselves and discussing their work.
Rosen has tested a smaller dinner, with five to six people, and in 2024 he held a panel event on building a personal brand that brought in about 100 journalists. But the dinners are the main focus.
“It’s no secret that media is known for its layoffs,” said Rosen. “And I was like, wow, I should meet more people who work in other newsrooms. I had no real forethought at the time. I just cold DMed people. Nine showed up. And then I posted a photo, and people started asking, ‘When is the next one?'”
As for his own business, Rosen said the newsletter now has just under 200,000 readers, and he just launched a show of interviews called “Full Signal” with market investor experts that is published on YouTube, Spotify and other pleases. His newsletter generates revenue from sponsorships and paid subscriptions.
