LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers

✨ In this week's LION newsletter ✨ 💡 In partnership with Blue Engine Collaborative, we've developed a working definition for when a newsroom reaches sustainability 🚀 Discover how News Revenue Hub helps publishers drive audience growth and revenue 🌟 Lessons learned from Medill Local News Initiative's 2024 "Bright Spots" (eight of which are LION members!) https://lnkd.in/gcx8HqJm

What does it mean for a news organization to be “sustainable”? This question is at the heart of local news’s future, but there’s no universal definition of when a newsroom reaches that point. So Blue Engine and LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers are here to give it a try. Here’s our working definition: 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 (𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭) -- 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞. Sustainability isn’t about perfection – it’s about having the structure and strength to keep going, even under pressure. In auditing 10 larger LION publishers to build this definition, we found four major contributors to a resolute local newsroom: 1️⃣ Talent – The right people in the right roles 2️⃣ Financial health – Cash reserves to cover 6+ months of expenses 3️⃣ Product-market fit – Local stakeholders consistently showing up 4️⃣ Structure – A system that produces reliable results But here’s the key: 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭. Many publishers strategically cycle back to a “growing” phase to expand into new markets or strengthen their foundation. You can read our findings, with more insights to come, on LION’s site here: https://lnkd.in/ghtSYH87 A huge thank you to LION, the Google News Initiative, and the publishers who shared their insights for this project, including ARLnow, Block Club Chicago, Honolulu Civil Beat, Lookout Local, MinnPost, New York Amsterdam News, Richland Source, Spotlight PA, The Daily Memphian and The Sacramento Observer. How do you define sustainability for your organization? What would it look like if you achieved it? Let us know in the comments below.

✨ In this week's LION newsletter ✨ 🔥 10 lessons from 10 years in independent news publishing 🦁 What LION members want 🔢 Crunching the numbers: Highlights from the latest Medill Local News Initiative, SembraMedia, and Institute for Nonprofit News reports https://lnkd.in/gANmrKJv

It has been 10 years since we gathered in a loft in Old City to turn on the URL for Billy Penn at WHYY (before it was at WHYY!). And I’ve been in this role at LION: Local Independent Online News Publishers for five years — so here are 10 things I’ve learned about local independent online news publishing, in the decade since I first joined this ecosystem. With cameos from, well, pretty much every org we could think to include...

It's official: Press Forward's Open Call has released its first round of recipients. The majority will receive $100,000 each over two years, and the number of funded organizations is twice the planned size. Overall, 205 newsrooms will receive more than $20M, and among them are 85 LION members. We're thrilled to see the range of outlets selected for these grants. We also know that more than 900 organizations applied for the Open Call, and many of our members applied and were disappointed to hear that they did not receive funding. LION is looking to add resources and ongoing support for members working on revenue generation, including grant applications. See the full list of LION members who received funding this round. And keep an eye out for Press Forward's next Open Call on Nov. 13! https://lnkd.in/gwdCNe9m

🚨 Last call! Considering applying for our new Sustainability 360 program? Be sure to submit your application by 5 p.m. ET TODAY. In this eight-month pilot, LION will provide six participants with access to experts who can provide strategic and tactical advice, consultants who can increase a team’s capacity, and conversations with other publishers working on similar challenges. We’ll also offer our knowledge to navigate existing resources, key stakeholders, and influencers. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gkeA4RsM

We're #hiring for TWO positions! 📣 Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy: We're looking for an experienced coalition builder to design and lead advocacy efforts on behalf of local independent online news businesses and drive policy outcomes at the national and state level. 🤝 Community Manager: We're seeking someone who can find creative ways to support community-building among LION members and help them engage with LION programs. Interested? Or know of someone who may be perfect for one of these roles? Apps are open for both until 11 p.m. PT on Nov. 3. View details: https://lnkd.in/gti3GTwF

➡ If there’s one thing we’ve learned after helping hundreds of independent news businesses become more sustainable, it’s that no business is built the same. That’s why, in our pilot Sustainability 360 program, we’ll pair six participants with coaches who can individually assess their specific needs and next steps and provide them with the tools and resources they need to achieve them. Our theory? Holistic approach = huge impact. Find out more and apply by Oct. 14: https://lnkd.in/gkeA4RsM

🌱 For many independent news leaders, finding time to think beyond the day-to-day work of running a news business is difficult. And yet, it is essential to take a step back and strategically plan for organizational growth. We hear you, and we see you. That's why we developed our new Sustainability 360 program, which will provide six LION members with eight months of hands-on support to devise and execute a Success Plan — an invaluable tool that will help participants reach the "Growing" stage of sustainability. Discover more about how this program could help you during our info session on Oct. 4. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gnhhCqcc

🦁 ✨ As LION's membership continues to grow, so do our ambitions regarding how best to help our members' news businesses reach sustainability. And one essential way to achieve these ambitions will be to ensure that LION continues to have a solid financial foundation. So we're thrilled that Shelly Hunter, a career nonprofit fundraiser, has joined LION's team as our first-ever development director. If you didn't get a chance to meet Shelly at our 2024 Summit or ONA, drop a note below to say "hey!" 👋 Learn more about Shelly and her role: https://lnkd.in/gx5Dgts6