Our reporting time has never been more valuable — every story we write needs to reach an audience, prompting illumination and change. Understanding who our audiences are, the reasons they seek us out and how we can earn and keep their support is essential to building a sustainable plan for journalism’s future.​ This is a primer on the the audience funnel. First, we will do an audience health checkup and what we can do to help move readers through the loyalty funnel. Then we explore what a reader NEEDS from our content  – and making sure we deliver.