44 LION members selected for Sustainability Audit’s 2024 July-September cycle

We’re excited to announce the next 44 LION members participating in the LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program, which helps independent news businesses identify and overcome barriers to reaching sustainability. To date, 265 LION members, nearly 45 percent of LION’s total membership, have participated in the program, receiving funding and an action plan tailored to their organizational goals.

The program includes a thorough assessment of each participating news business, including actionable recommendations, resources, and up to $20,000 in direct funding to help them take the next steps toward organizational sustainability (see how we’ve charted the path to sustainability via our maturity model). These organizations will work with dedicated expert analysts who will offer guidance based on each organization’s needs and ambitions.

We are excited to work with the Wichita Foundation to support four LION members based in Wichita, KS, in the Sustainability Audit process as part of a partnership with Press Forward. For more information, see this post.

Applications for the Sustainability Audits are open now through August 30, and all U.S.-based LION members who have not yet received an Audit are encouraged to apply. LION intends to complete 173 total Sustainability Audits in 2024.

You can read more about each participating organization and their interest in the Audit below. Congratulations to these 44 news businesses as they continue along their journey to organizational sustainability!

Anchor Media

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are so grateful to LION for the ability to participate in the Sustainability Audit.  We launched five years ago and while our reach and online community is thriving, our revenue is fragile and I’d love to become more sustainable for the long-term in order to continue to serve our community needs. Local journalism is critical and we need to ensure our business model can be successful for the long-term. 

Mission: Our goal at Anchor Media is to help residents stay informed in order to create a more connected community.

Based in: Hingham, MA

Annandale Today

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I want to attract more readers, improve coverage, and make better use of social media.

Based in: Annandale, VA

Central Current

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Central Current’s ability to serve our audience now and into the future depends on successfully balancing our editorial and operational development. This means delivering impactful journalism without ignoring the demands of fundraising, building new revenue streams without neglecting our readers’ needs, and shaping a work culture that doesn’t overburden our small staff. LION’s Sustainability Audit draws on a clear and effective model supported by third-party guidance to help us map our progress and make smart decisions as we establish ourselves.

Mission: Central Current is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to bringing independent online news to Central New York. We provide fact-based news and analysis about the challenges, solutions and opportunities we all share living in Central New York. Our news and multimedia storytelling is exclusively published and distributed online through our website, newsletters and social media. We strive to be an inclusive and responsive resource for news and information. Our goal is to foster civic engagement and democratic governance, and to help build a more prosperous and healthy community.

Based in: Syracuse, NY

Community Forward Redlands

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are eager to grow our highly engaged local audience while continuing to provide quality journalism. We hope the Audit will allow us to examine what’s working and define a path to increased readership, revenue and ultimately sustainability.

Mission: Community Forward Redlands is dedicated to delivering high-quality local journalism. We emphasize reporting on stories before decisions are finalized, empowering residents to actively engage in local government.

Based in: Redlands, CA

Copper Beacon 

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Copper Beacon is trying to offer an alternative news source to our small, rural, media-poor community. We have a small, volunteer editorial team and have been working to reorganize our operation to make it more effective and sustainable.  We need to find sources of funding other than subscriptions, recruit more writers and expand our readership.

Mission: Copper Beacon will deliver high-quality journalism featuring diverse voices and deep research to the residents of Houghton County and the surrounding area. With ethics, accessibility, and media education held as core values, we will lead the way for the modernization of news production in the Upper Peninsula. 

Based in: Boughton, MI

Ctrl+P Publishing Inc. 

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Since the pandemic, we acquired four small print-forward papers and began work to build a playbook for transitioning local papers in New Mexico to sustainable digital-forward papers. The Audit could help us identify the top-performing strategies for the existing advertising and subscription streams we inherited and map out how to transition those to include more digital options.

Mission: We work to preserve local newspapers by anchoring them in their communities as the must-read, primary online and print publication for intelligent, solutions-focused journalism by reporting on critical news, holding political, business and community leaders accountable, and providing our readers with ways to connect to those decision-makers in authentic and productive ways.

Based in: Albuquerque, NM

Dallas Voice | OUT North Texas

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: After celebrating 40 years as the premier media source for LGBTQ Texas, Dallas Voice remains committed to evolving and improving our operations to better serve our community. While we’ve achieved significant milestones, maintaining our current level of excellence requires a proactive approach to sustainability. By participating in the LION Sustainability Audit, we aim to gain invaluable insights into our operations, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to enhance our financial health and operational efficiency. This Audit will help us ensure that Dallas Voice continues to be a vital and sustainable resource for our community for many more years to come.

Mission: The mission of Dallas Voice is to be the trusted voice of the LGBT community of North Texas, to promote, protect and inform our community and to bring people together to tell their stories. Our articles are rich in information and images that compel readers to go out and experience life in their true authentic selves.

Based in: Dallas / Fort Worth, TX

Evanston Now LLC

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Evanston Now is about halfway to sustainability. I believe the Audit will help get us the rest of the way there.

Mission: Evanston Now provides breaking news and in-depth community news for Evanston, Illinois.

Based in: Evanston, IL

Flathead Beacon

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Having navigated a print-to-digital transition over the past 18 months, our company is in a unique position to build on the success and reputation we’ve established over the past 17 years we’ve been in business while identifying new strategies for sustainability moving forward as a digital-first news organization. Our goals include growing new revenue streams as well as ensuring that our current workload and workflow is efficient and tailored to meeting our long-term goals. Our top priority is to produce high-quality public service journalism, but we want to make sure we are achieving that goal in a way that is sustainable to our company and for our employees.

Mission: Founded in 2007, the Flathead Beacon is an independent print and digital media company devoted to delivering free public-service journalism and thought-provoking commentary throughout Northwest Montana. Updated daily at flatheadbeacon.com, our news gathering is supported by a combination of advertising, reader contributions and charitable donations. Our staff of enterprising reporters, editors and photographers strives to shine a light on critical community issues through accountability journalism, investigative reporting, public records requests, and in-depth storytelling. Through our familiarity with and commitment to the communities we serve, including the gateways to Glacier National Park and two Indigenous reservations, the Beacon strives to educate readers about the most complex issues of our day while also serving as a cultural center of gravity. With that mission in mind, we continue to bring awareness and insight to our diverse readership in the Flathead Valley and beyond. 

Based in: Kalispell, MT

FreshWater Cleveland

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Although I’ve been in journalism for almost 30 years, I have never owned my own publication before. I’ve learned a lot in the first year, but need guidance in how to operate more efficiently. I also need guidance in delegating.

Based in: Cleveland, OH

GEORGIA VOICE

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: After successfully publishing for 15 years, my goal is to ensure the long-term sustainability of Georgia Voice for the next 15 years. To achieve this, it is crucial to enhance our digital presence and extend our coverage to underserved communities in Georgia. Additionally, we need to strengthen our current revenue streams while exploring and developing new sources of income.

Mission: At Georgia Voice, our mission is to be the leading source of news and information for the LGBTQ+ communities and their allies in the state. Through our dedication to ethical journalism and storytelling, we strive to educate, empower, and inspire positive change. By amplifying diverse voices, sharing impactful stories, and addressing important issues, we aim to foster inclusivity, acceptance, and understanding within society. Our unwavering commitment to advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community drives us to create a more equitable and compassionate world for all.

Based in: Atlanta, GA

GOOD Morning Wilton

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We hit the 10-year mark this year and community reliance on GMW has only continued to intensify, both because of growing trust and shrinking competing legacy media in the market. As a ‘solopreneur,’ I need better mechanisms to increase efficiency and revenues, and grow GMW beyond being dependent on me as the only full-time employee. And I need a secure plan to onboard others successfully.

Mission: When Wilton wants info, access and the resources to find out what’s happening and who makes it happen in town, people turn to GOOD Morning Wilton as the most trusted source of local news and info about Wilton — and only Wilton. GMW is the news readers want, when and where they want it — daily and online. In the almost 10 years since it launched, GOOD Morning Wilton has made a significant difference in the community by helping Wilton residents (and people with interest in Wilton) become more knowledgeable and engaged in local government issues, more involved in community events, and more connected to Wilton businesses and neighbors.

Based in: Wilton, CT

Greensboro Latino

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I want to improve on the base we already have and get more readership and revenue online. 

Mission: Greensboro’s Latinx Magazine

Based in: Greensboro, NC

Houston City Beat

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are interested in the Sustainability Audit to expand on the mission of Houston City Beat — bring about the great news that’s happening in Houston.

Mission: At Houston City Beat, our mission is to deliver timely, engaging, and accurate information to our readers. As the fastest growing independent news agency in Houston, we pride ourselves on being creative, dynamic, and innovative. We embody the can-do Houston spirit and strive to generate community-based and historical storytelling. Our dedication to reporting on the news and amplifying the voices that shape the future of our city is at the core of everything we do.

Based in: Houston, TX

Jacksonville Today

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We would like to reduce our dependence upon grant funding and accelerate our growth of renewable revenue streams.

Mission: Jacksonville Today produces and distributes audience-engaged journalism that expands civic discourse and fosters a vibrant, inclusive, and knowledgeable community.

Based in: Jacksonville, FL

LOOKOUT

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I’m looking forward to optimizing our organization and its processes. The opportunity to strengthen our audience, revenue, and products will be invaluable!

Mission: LOOKOUT delivers fearless journalism and community events with the unified purpose to improve and expand LGBTQ+ representation on the local news stage, while strengthening and engaging LGBTQ+ communities (and their allies) in the queer experience. Our vision is to inspire and hasten a queer experience that’s liberated from injustice and delivers on the promise of equal respect, rights, and opportunity for all people – while holding those in power to journalistic account.

Based in: Phoenix, AZ

MindSite News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are a young (less than three-year-old) digital news site, and we believe we have the potential for a much larger audience and revenue than we currently have. We are looking for strategic advice to help us get there.

Mission: MindSite News is a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital journalism organization dedicated to reporting on mental health in America, exposing rampant policy failures and spotlighting efforts to solve them. We seek to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the workings and failings of the U.S. mental health system and to impact that system through our reporting, making it more equitable, effective, transparent and humane in its care for individuals and families struggling with mental illness. 

Based in: Oakland, CA

Minneapolis Voices

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We want to create a more sustainable revenue strategy across our organization. As we have grown, our funding needs have grown as well, and we need to find a way to scale up our revenue operation. We’re close to having a sustainable path forward, but also need to get there soon!

Mission: We cover Minneapolis from the ground up, placing civic engagement, community listening, and people-first journalism at the core of our mission by elevating the voices of everyday people. 

Based in: Minneapolis, MN

Mississippi Free Press

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: My primary reason is to get the business/operations side of the business better systemized so we (me especially) can spend less time on it myself and dedicate myself to innovative products, helping the editorial team expand work, develop new revenue streams and carry out long-range statewide goals. And to help me ensure folks are in the right jobs on business and equipped well to carry them out.

Mission: The mission of Mississippi Journalism and Education Group and the Mississippi Free Press is to publish deep public-interest reporting into causes of and solutions to the social, political and structural challenges facing all Mississippians and their communities.

Based in: Jackson, MS

Mountain State Spotlight

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: As we approach our fourth anniversary, Mountain State Spotlight is at a critical juncture in its development as a nonprofit newsroom. We need to ensure that our operations are sustainable for the long run so that we can best serve the citizens of West Virginia with free, independent, civic journalism that gives people the information they need to make their communities and state a better place to live.

Mission: Our mission is to help West Virginians improve our state by producing “sustained outrage” journalism that exposes abuses of power by government, business and other institutions.

Based in: Charleston, WV

My Neighborhood News Network

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Our 15-year-old organization converted to a nonprofit newsroom last year with the goal of ensuring sustainability as well as increasing audience engagement with our increasingly diverse community. It’s our hope this Audit will help us identify our strengths and weaknesses to ensure we are positioned for long-term success.

Mission: To create a financially sustainable nonprofit news organization focused on civic education and engagement for all stakeholders — including those who have been traditionally underrepresented — and finding solutions for issues that matter to our communities.

Based in: Edmonds, WA

Newsberg Media

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I built this news and events outlet from scratch after being out of the journalism industry for eight years, and have a lot to learn about the publishing side. I’ve committed to publishing consistent, quality content to grow my audience organically through reputation, but now feel the product is ready for more growth. I feel there are ways to connect with the audience and encourage more support (membership or advertising), but need to understand the pathway and messaging to get there.

Mission: Newsberg produces high-quality, objective local journalism that informs the public on local business, government, arts, and culture happenings in the Chehalem Valley. Newsberg holds public policy-makers, business leaders, and citizens accountable as much as it tells the stories of the people, places, and organizations that make this area so great.

Based in: Newberg, OR

San Pedro Gazette

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I want to achieve a level of sustainability which allows my organization to grow.

Mission: Bring stories of policy, science, and humanities to the residents of Saint Petersburg, Florida, and Pinellas County to educate and empower the public.

Based in: Saint Petersburg, FL

Sopris Sun / Sol del Valle

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We recently launched a new Spanish-language newspaper and are looking at making sure the organization as a whole is sustainable into the future.

Mission: Our mission is to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism.

Based in: Carbondale, CO

South Dakota News Watch

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: To build on South Dakota News Watch’s solid foundation in its seventh year of publishing. It has grown and stabilized over the past two years and would benefit from the Audit as its leadership seeks to scale and make it sustainable. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of it.

Mission: South Dakota News Watch is an independent, nonprofit organization reporting untold stories that help South Dakotans be informed and engaged citizens. South Dakota News Watch produces investigative and public service journalism that sheds light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans.

Based in: Sioux Falls, SD

The Badger Project

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Because the journalism we are doing is important, and we want to continue doing it. But we’ve been distributing our stories through newspapers across Wisconsin, and that opportunity is decreasing. So we need to figure out ways to bring in more revenue while also reaching people across Wisconsin in different ways than we have in the past (newspapers and social media).

Mission: The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin that investigates government, politics and related matters.

Based in: Madison, WI

The Bridge Newspaper

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We have opportunities to grow our organization and service area but do not have the plan or infrastructure to manage the opportunities.

Mission: The mission of Capital Region Community Media / The Bridge is to strengthen the bonds among the people of the towns and cities of central Vermont by covering issues and events that are important and meaningful to them; and by providing a platform for communication. Our goal is to discover, report, and engage diverse perspectives to help ensure and enhance the future of our community.

Based in: Montpelier, VT

The Bristol Edition

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Bristol Edition, a nonprofit, has been working for a couple of years on creating a quality online newspaper covering, exclusively, Bristol, Conn. We are at the point in our development that we need to apprize our performance, professionally, and to start focusing on financial viability.

Mission: The mission of our nonprofit, Central Connecticut Online Journalism Project, is to promote local online quality journalism. Our online newspaper, The Bristol Edition, has for its mission providing quality local community journalism, specifically for Bristol, Conn., by keeping local government accountable, reacquainting our readers with the idea of local and community coverage and promoting democracy through solutions-based reporting and community reporting projects.

Based in: Bristol, CT

The Business Monthly / Whong Community Media LLC

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Most of my experience has been in journalism, and while I understand the basics of what makes a business sustainable, I feel like my community would benefit by me being more mindful of how to remain sustainable for many years to come.

Mission: To be an indispensable part of our community’s information diet.

Based in: Columbia, MD

The Community Voice

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I need help building a quality team that can help our organization grow, but our revenue isn’t growing to help build that team. I want help growing our revenue and our team. 

Mission: We cover news and fill information gaps on issues of importance to the African American communities we serve as a way of empowering them to make positive change in their lives and in their community.

Based in: Wichita, KS

The Journal (published by the Kansas Leadership Center)

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We want to fully realize the potential of our organization to generate revenue and drive impact. We believe this Audit will help us better understand what we have achieved and where we can better ourselves to make a lasting difference in local civic journalism in Kansas.

Mission: To build a healthy 21st Century public square for all to lead.

Based in: Wichita, KS

The Journal 425

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We operate in a true news desert that’s seen five weeklies and both dailies close or move. It is imperative that we figure out a way to sustainably and dependably provide unbiased professional reporting. The Sustainability Audit will help us in achieving that goal, this is a key initiative for J425.

Mission: The Journal 425 (J425) is a non-profit community journalism initiative and multimedia publishing platform/studio launched by an editor and reporters from legacy print papers that previously existed in this region. We do things different because we’re attempting to solve a difficult problem: a new business model to combat the death of local journalism. We’ll give you high-level reporting from credentialed reporters with local knowledge and a track record of excellence. We’ll talk to you in a voice that’s different than legacy media (we don’t say “defecate” when we mean “shit”) and we’ll interact with you across multiple platforms, through multiple mediums. Take this ride with us.

Based in: Lake Stevens, WA

The Kent Good Times Dispatch

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We have recently reorganized our board of directors and are between the Building and Maintaining phases. We need considerable help making sure our project can be financially stable in order to level-up our reporting to beyond just being a community bulletin board.

Mission: Kent News, Inc. is a non-partisan, nonprofit news and information source committed to building community and enhancing the lives of our residents, businesses and organizations by providing trusted local information and covering topics of interest to the Kent community.

Based in: Kent, CT

The Local Fort Wayne

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We want to increase revenue and awareness that we exist and consider hiring additional support.

Mission: To inform citizens and help them connect and engage with their local community.

Based in: Fort Wayne, IN

The Maine Monitor

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We’ve grown significantly in the last two years and are financially much more stable. However, we have not been able to build a sponsorship/ad revenue line. We would also like to regularize our events to make those more of an audience and revenue generator. We would welcome help evaluating our strengths and weaknesses and how we should better structure ourselves on the business side.

Mission: To deliver fearless, independent, citizen-supported, nonpartisan journalism that informs Mainers about the issues impacting our state and inspires them to take action. Through investigative and in-depth stories, we engage readers to participate and connect to create a better Maine.

Based in: Hallowell, ME

The Providence Eye

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We started publishing on a wing and a prayer and have now demonstrated that there’s a need and desire for the news and information we’re providing.  The Sustainability Audit will give us the opportunity and discipline to step back from the day-to-day focus on content and develop a strategy for the longer term.

Mission: The Providence Eye is a nonprofit journalistic initiative devoted to informing and empowering the public about events and issues of concern to residents and visitors of Providence, RI, and environs. We depend on the support of individuals, foundations and businesses that recognize the importance of local news delivered from an independent perspective.

Based in: Providence, RI

The River Newsroom

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Given the ever-changing media landscape, sustainability is harder than ever. We will benefit from the support of experts in the field and from applying the sustainability rubric to our organization.

Mission: Since 1993, Chronogram Media has been the defining voice of the Hudson Valley. What started with a monthly zine about the region’s arts and culture scene run by a passionate group of friends has grown into the area’s premier independent media company, with over 2.5 million readers and a diverse portfolio of local clients. Through our family of publications and community events, we paint a nuanced picture of the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Berkshires regions as they evolve, inviting people to explore and engage in what makes this place great.

Based in: Kington, NY

The Sunrise News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Sunrise News is currently largely funded by my personal investment in it, and that is not a sustainable model for it or me. There has been a lot of growth and improvement in the publication, but we need to increase our revenue if we are going to keep the business going and continue to grow. I’m hopeful that this Audit will help us not only become self-sufficient, but set us on a path that will allow us to grow and expand our work.

Mission: The Sunrise News is an Alabama-based publication that focuses on newsletters designed to make it easy for readers to stay informed on statewide events, and articles that celebrate unique people, places and things in Alabama. The Sunrise News was founded upon the idea that good journalism is a public service, whether or not is being done by a non-profit or for-profit business. This is why our slogan is “where news is personal” because news is personal when the people covering the news genuinely care about their audience. 

Based in: Birmingham, AL

This Is Reno

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Like many news businesses, we struggle with enough income. We also live in a fickle market, which makes matters worse. We’ve done many things to increase revenue, but not enough to have this become viable, full-time jobs for our team.

Mission: We deliver local, independently produced news about Reno for the people of Reno.

Based in: Reno, NV

TownLift News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: While our business is stable and growing, we are on a bit of an island and it would be great to get an objective outsider perspective from someone with expertise in the field who is not a competitor.

Mission: Quick, fast, objective local news for the Park City Community.

Based in: Park City, UT

Urbaanite

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Urbaanite is seeking to scale our hyperlocal publication, including increasing our audience engagement and revenue to prove our sustainability for entering into a new local metro market. The Sustainability Audit will allow us to gain a better understanding of our business model and pain points and give us the recommendations needed for future success.

Mission: To help our community feel seen and welcome to explore a city through thoughtful storytelling, beautiful visuals and intentional experiences.

Based in: Nashville, TN

Voice of San Diego

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Our team is always interested in ways we can reach new audiences, increase retention of existing audiences, and strengthen local news.

Mission: Investigative journalism for a better San Diego.

Based in: San Diego, CA

Wichita by E.B.

Mission: Local guide to food, events and more in Wichita.

Based in: Wichita, KS

Wichita Life

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The LION Sustainability Audit seemed like a great opportunity for me to talk with people that have experience building a sustainable news business. As someone from outside of the industry, I don’t know what I don’t know and this will allow me to save time, prevent headaches, and ultimately create a truly sustainable business.

Mission: The mission of Wichita Life is to cover the positive aspects of what make Wichita great — the people, businesses, events, and more.

Based in: Wichita, KS

Audit Analysts

The analysts for 2024 are:

Anne Galloway is the founder and editor-at-large of VTDigger, the statewide newspaper of record for Vermont. In addition to her work as an investigative journalist, she has 13 years of experience in business planning, financial projections, management, growth strategies and fundraising. When she stepped down as executive director in 2022, the organization had 35 employees, a budget of more than $3 million, 10,000 contributing members and 600,000 readers a month.

Ariel Zirulnick is a media strategist working at the intersection of editorial, product, engagement, and revenue to help newsrooms do journalism with and for their communities and build systems that make that work sustainable.  Most recently she did that work as the director of news experimentation at LAist, where she led a small team that piloted new products, formats, features, and workflows to help the newsroom build its digital strategy. She also teaches a class on applying audience insights to news product strategy with the News Product Alliance’s News Product Management Certificate program.

Prior to LAist, she led the Membership in News Fund and Membership Guide at the Membership Puzzle Project, a global public research project studying membership models in news. She also led The New Tropic, a news startup in Miami; reported from Nairobi; and edited the Christian Science Monitor’s Middle East coverage. She’s an alumna of the 2023 cohort of CUNY’s Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership, the Poynter Women’s Leadership Academy, and Miami Fellows.

Ashley Woods Branch is the vice president of growth and publisher success at BlueLena. Ashley was founder and CEO of the Detour Detroit newsletter, a visiting Nieman fellow, a Marshall Memorial Fellow and a proud LION Awards winner. She is now a consultant who loves partnering with startup news publishers to help them tackle their biggest challenges and stay sane through the process. Ashley also worked with the Google News Initiative on initiatives like the GNI Startups Lab and coached more than 100 publications through a partnership with the Center for Cooperative Media. Before startup life, she led digital strategy for the Detroit Free Press.

Bene Cipolla is an organizational consultant and coach working with news organizations, media companies, and nonprofits. She loves to connect big ideas to on-the-ground execution and to build things — organizations, teams, workflows, projects — using a design thinking framework. In 2022, she wrapped up a five-year tenure at Chalkbeat, first leading the newsroom as editor and then, as publisher, setting up structures and practices to establish a multi-vertical operation, now known as Civic News Company. Over the course of her career, Bene has tackled just about every facet and format of journalism and media across film, video, radio, print, and digital. Her time in digital startups taught her about launching products, scaling organizations, managing operations, and driving revenue — experiences that enriched her work back in journalism when she returned. She’s a systems thinker with a creative streak (or a creative with a passion for systemic analysis), and she’s never believed in the left brain vs. right brain dichotomy. Bene lives in New York City and spends most of her free time cooking, eating, and talking about cooking and eating.

Christian Skotte (he/him/his) is an independent consultant who works with non-profits and media brands to grow their audience, deepen their impact, and craft sustainable futures. During his 20+ year career, he has created impactful digital campaigns, overseen organizational rebranding efforts, and built and mentored high performing teams. He’s passionate about journalism and its place in a functioning democracy. Christian was most recently director of growth and innovation at Grist, where he oversaw the audience growth, product, and partnership efforts. Before that, he spent eight years at Science Friday overseeing their digital, audience, and commercial income strategies. A former RJI fellow, he’s spoken at conferences in the U.S. and abroad on topics like digital media and audience growth. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and child.

Dan Petty is the director of audience strategy for ProPublica. He leads the organization’s audience team, whose focus is to help ProPublica journalism reach wide, loyal and diverse audiences on and off the organization’s platforms. He was previously director of audience development at MediaNews Group, where he worked on editorial strategy, operations and business development and helped build the company’s digital subscription business. He previously spent seven years at the Denver Post in a variety of production and editing roles, and he has consulted for news organizations in Kazakhstan on behalf of the International Center for Journalists and the U.S. State Department. He received a bachelor of science in biology and journalism from the University of Richmond and an MBA with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022.

Elaine Díaz is the associate director of coaching at LION Publishers. She was most recently the founder and editor-in-chief of Periodismo de Barrio, an independent investigative publication in Cuba, where she led coverage on social, environmental issues and climate change alongside fundraising and institutional development work. She has worked with SembraMedia, a non-profit that helps independent media in Ibero-America find and develop sustainable business models. Her work there included serving as an ambassador manager for a team of 16 ambassadors representing the digital media ecosystem across Latin America and as a mentor for Metis, a business mentorship program for women founders of independent digital media projects in the region. Additional career highlights include seven years as a professor of digital journalism at the University of Havana and a 2014-2015 Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.

Frances Dinkelspiel is the co-founder and former executive editor of Cityside, which runs Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside in California. Dinkelspiel and two journalist friends started Berkeleyside in 2009 and developed it from an all-volunteer, bootstrapped organization to a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit with a staff of 24 and a budget of more than $4 million. Since stepping down in 2022, Dinkelspiel has served as an Audit analyst for LION, joined the board of Highway 29, an organization working to strengthen the news ecosystem in Napa Valley, and informally advises other news start-ups. She continues to freelance (her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, and elsewhere). She is the author of two bestselling nonfiction books, Towers of Gold and Tangled Vines.

Graham Ringo, a 20-year journalism veteran, is the vice president of customer success and growth at the News Revenue Hub in charge of client success and the point of contact for the organization’s newest tech venture, the News Revenue Engine. A proud Mizzou graduate and Online News Association board member, Graham has worked for major metros, digital behemoths, and scrappy digital nonprofit startups, and is a lover of the full-funnel approach, well-crafted CTAs, killer UX, and insider journalism speak.

Jennifer Mizgata is a consultant and coach who collaborates with organizations on program design, audience research, business and operational strategy. Specializing in digital innovation, leadership development and organizational change, Jennifer coaches managers, senior leaders and entrepreneurs on their careers and business strategies. She helps teams and individuals shift mindset, work more collaboratively and bring new products to market. With extensive experience working at the intersection of journalism and technology, she has worked as a program director, editor and business strategist, using human-centered design to build new products that respond to community needs and help create a more equitable world. She also teaches media, innovation and business strategy at American University and writes about improving work culture.

Joanne Griffith is the chief content officer for APM Studios, the podcast-production division of American Public Media. She is also the founder of En(title)d! Leaders, a conversation and coaching space for leaders of color in media. Joanne was the founding managing editor of the California Newsroom, an NPR regional news hub, where she worked closely with local newsrooms and independent online news organizations, developing strategies for audience engagement, guidance on editorial projects and training of newcomers and established newsroom leaders. Joanne is committed to diversity and inclusion in content creation, and the audiences that need it.

Maple Walker Lloyd is the senior director of development at Block Club Chicago. She works extensively on their fundraising strategies through philanthropic support, individual donations, events and corporate sponsorships. Previously, she was team coordinator for the Journalism and Media program at the MacArthur Foundation and weekend news anchor for WGN Radio. Maple holds a B.A. in Telecommunications from Bowling Green State University, and a Master’s degree in journalism from Full Sail University.

Ryan Tuck is a consultant and coach, advising organizations on all aspects of revenue-raising and audience-centric practices, in addition to product development, user experience, testing and analytics. He specializes in performance-driven change and strategic planning. He has led programming for and coached organizations of all sizes and forms throughout the world. Previously, he worked for about two decades in various roles in and outside the newsroom for a range of organizations, from The New York Times to digital-only startups. He has a B.A. in journalism and political science (and Spanish) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s certificate in technology and communication also from UNC, and a law degree from the University of Georgia. Ryan believes that life is best lived busily and with empathy and a constant hunger to learn — and grow. Because he believes so deeply in staying busy, he lives in the eastern United States with his five children and a dog.

Shay Totten is the newsroom success manager at the American Press Institute. Shay works with newsrooms that utilize API’s proprietary analytics tools, Metrics for News and Source Matters. Most recently, Shay led the growth and membership strategy at The Compass Experiment (a collaboration between the Google News Initiative and McClatchy) that launched digital newsrooms in underserved communities. He has previously worked as a consultant for the News Revenue Hub, LION Publishers, Inside Climate News, as well as other mission-driven organizations on audience engagement and membership best practices as well as strategic communications. Before working in audience and membership roles, Shay spent more than 15 years in publishing and communications — in top editorial and communication positions at a national nonfiction book publisher, as well as an investigative reporter, political columnist, newsroom editor, and founder and publisher of a digital-print hybrid news organization in Vermont in the early 2000s.

Shira T. Center is the general manager for editorial revenue and strategy at Boston Globe Media. In this role, Shira oversees news programs and products that drive commercial revenue growth, such as the editorial calendar, live journalism events, sponsorships and newsletters. Before pioneering this unique role, Shira was a political journalist for 15 years, both in Washington, D.C., and Boston. She is an alumna of the Poynter Institute’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media and, in 2023, she graduated with her MBA from the Yale School of Management. She has served previously as a coach for LION’s Sustainability Lab, “Unblocking Revenue Barriers.”

Todd Stauffer currently serves as the association manager for the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and AAN’s lead digital specialist and lab director for grant-funded revenue labs. Before joining AAN, he was the publisher and co-founder of the Jackson Free Press, an alternative newsweekly (sometimes bi-weekly, sometimes monthly) that served Jackson, MS, from 2002 until 2022 when its journalism assets were acquired by the non-profit Mississippi Free Press. Todd has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in Sustainability Audits and revenue coaching for LION Publishers in the past. As a staunch believer in the First Amendment and a proponent of the Fourth Estate, Todd enjoys working with startups and legacy publishers who seek to improve revenues, add a revenue stream or dig deeper into opportunities to sustain their journalism.