Local Independent Online News Publishers

Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) was founded in 2012 to support mostly smaller, hyperlocal media outlets, 90% of which publish online.[1][2][3] 2/3 are for-profit newsrooms and 1/3 are nonprofit.[1][4] LION focuses on helping these outlets have a more sustainable operation by focusing on the business aspects of a media company.[1] Some media startups have business expertise but lack journalism skills, while the outlets with journalism expertise are hoping to get business tips through LION like on finding insurance or using certain digital tools.[5][6] The annual conference has been its main event every year since its founding after the 2011 Block by Block Community News Summit.[5]

If members pass an audit, they are eligible for funding that has been given by groups including Knight Foundation and Google News Initiative.[1] As of 2023, the organization was almost entirely funded by philanthropy, including from sources like Meta and Google.[7] They also collaborate closely with the Institute for Nonprofit News and share a number of members.[1][3]

In 2017, an American Press Institute report recommended LION’s member directory as one place to start to look for potential partners.[8] In 2017, LION had 160 news publishers in 39 states[9] and grew significantly during the pandemic.[10]

In 2022, LION lobbied against the failed Journalism Competition and Preservation Act in Congress, stating that it feared that most of the money from platforms like Meta and Google would benefit larger publishers,[11] though Emily Bell writing for the Tow Center raised concerns about the influence of the funding LION receives from those major platforms.[12]

In 2024, LION was awarded a board seat on a yet-to-be-created nonprofit to distribute funds to California news outlets through a deal between the State and Google.[13] LION also surveyed its members that year, identifying a trend towards investment in newsletters and events.[14]

By 2025, LION had 575 members in the US and Canada, with plans to expand to more countries.[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sillick, Bob (2023-10-19). "A 'deep dive' into LION — Local Independent Online News Publishers". Editor and Publisher. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  2. ↑ Sheffield, Hazel (August 20, 2012). "Local news sites form new trade association". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  3. 1 2 Benton, Joshua (March 19, 2024). "Find your people: These groups bring digital news orgs together for learning, sharing, and venting". Nieman Lab.
  4. ↑ Turvill, William (2022-06-30). "'There is a model out there that works': America's grassroots local news renaissance". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  5. 1 2 Schmidt, Christine (December 9, 2019). "Want to start your own local online news outlet? With a new staff and a $1 million grant, LION Publishers wants to do more to help". Nieman Lab.
  6. ↑ McBride, Ashley (2017-06-27). "Why do local independent news sites die?". Poynter. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  7. ↑ "LION Publishers aims to "help members raise money for themselves" — and to decrease its reliance on a couple big funders". Nieman Lab. October 19, 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-08-05. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  8. ↑ Alcorn, Jason (2017-05-18). "4 practical steps to forming news partnerships". American Press Institute. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  9. ↑ Hare, Kristen (2017-08-23). "Are alt-weeklies dying or just moving online?". Poynter. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  10. ↑ Djinis, Elizabeth (2024-01-11). "As independent local news publishers reimagine business models, they face a fresh set of challenges". Poynter. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  11. ↑ Peck, Gretchen A.; Publisher (2022-12-08). "With opposition from ACLU, LION & major trade organizations, news publishing advocates remain hopeful that JCPA still has a chance to pass this year". Editor and Publisher. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  12. ↑ Bell, Emily. "Local news faces a political future as the JCPA falls foul of lobbyists". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  13. ↑ Culpepper, Sophie (September 11, 2024). "The California Google deal could leave out news startups and the smallest publishers". Nieman Lab.
  14. ↑ Culpepper, Sophie (July 18, 2024). "Nearly all local online newsrooms produce newsletters, a LION report finds". Nieman Lab. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
  15. ↑ Rynston-Lobel, Eric (2025-11-13). "Local news outlets that invest in revenue staff earn seven times more, study finds". Poynter Institute. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
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