🥁 Full Summit schedule revealed: Plan your Chicago days now
With less than a month to go, fewer than 80 tickets remain for the 2024 Independent News Sustainability Summit. And now … 🥁… it’s time to officially reveal our outstanding, jam-packed conference schedule.
We’re adding a few finishing touches here and there, but it’s 99% finalized. And the range of expertise represented and the sheer number of excellent speakers make this year’s Summit a can’t-miss event.
From the president of the MacArthur Foundation in conversation with some of our host city’s most innovative newsrooms to a peek north of the border on how government regulation is reshaping the local news industry, this conference will be a who’s who of independent publishing, all taking place on Chicago’s beautiful Riverwalk.
Want to learn more about growing and diversifying your revenue streams? Attend sessions featuring knowledge experts from Press Forward, Mississippi Free Press, Conecta Arizona, and others. Need advice on tackling a major leadership transition? Hear from Sahan Journal‘s and MLK50‘s leadership on how they navigated that. Interested in building connections with publishers centered on shared experiences? You’ll love our Affinity Groups run by folks from Burlington Buzz, 9 Millones, IndigiNews, Dallas Voice, and more.
Huge thanks to our presenting sponsors, Google and Knight Foundation, for making this event possible and all our sponsors for their support.
Hope to see you in Chicago next month!
– Chris Krewson, LION’s executive director
P.S. If you plan to stay at the Summit venue, book your discounted hotel room by August 16.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here!
44 LIONs selected for the next Sustainability Audit cycle
See the next batch of 44 LION members participating in the LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program, which helps independent news businesses identify and overcome barriers to reaching sustainability.
We’re also excited to announce that we’re working 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.
Interested in getting an Audit? Last call for 2024: Applications are open now through August 30, and all U.S.-based LIONs who have not yet received an Audit are encouraged to apply.
10 resources for independent publishers
1. Get your AI questions answered. Join our “Ask Me Anything” AI discussion in the LION News Entrepreneur Community Slack, featuring Nikita Roy, founder and host of the Newsroom Robots Podcast and Harvard-recognized AI futurist, who will answer questions about AI and journalism. (TODAY from 3 to 4 p.m. ET)
2. Lead a Table Talk at the 2024 Summit. We’re seeking volunteers to propose topics and lead small-group discussions that provide a specific space to share ideas and build connections around mutual topics of interest. (Submit this application form by Aug. 15)
3. Pursue an investigative interest. The New York Times is accepting applications for its Local Investigations Fellowship, a one-year paid program for local beat reporters and freelancers to produce signature investigative work focused on their state or region that will be published by The Times. (Q&A webinar on Aug. 15)
4. Address burnout this election season. This free American Press Institute webinar will give you actionable insights for reassessing and repairing your relationship with work. (Aug. 29)
5. Be a full-time FOI advocate. The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is seeking an outreach coordinator to lead public outreach and education in freedom of information (FOI) to advance the public’s right to know. (Apply by Sept. 1)
6. Showcase your work. Apply for Editor & Publisher’s 2024 EPPY Awards, which honor the best in digital news publishing across more than 45 diverse categories. (Apply by Sept. 13)
7. Excel at live events. Live journalism events are gaining traction; here’s a workbook from the American Press Institute to help you start planning your own.
8. Spot fakes with ease. Northwestern has launched a free, easy-to-use platform for detecting deepfakes.
9. Right-size ambitions with reality. LION members: This NEA course covers how to measure organizational capacity so you can confidently pursue (or pause) projects.
10. Strengthen your criminal justice journalism. The Marshall Project’s Investigate This! initiative offers story toolkits, which include data downloads, story ideas, multimedia assets, FOIA guidance, expert sources, style guidance, and more.
What we’re reading
A significant set(step)back. A new Louisiana law bars journalists from recording or standing 25 feet from law enforcement if they are so ordered. (Nieman Lab)
It’s hard to monetize the youngs. New WashPost CEO Will Lewis’s former business has found it tough to build a business around the needs and wants of Gen Z. (The New York Times)
Article page artistry. Through an RJI fellowship, LION member The Salt Lake Tribune plans to design a customizable system to help fellow small publishers optimize their article pages. (Reynolds Journalism Institute)
New licensing network. TAPinto, which boasts a few LION members among the franchisees model doing local news, debuts a new licensing program, the Hyperlocal News Network, which will allow participating organizations to keep their branding while accessing extensive resources. (Nieman Lab)
LIONs in the news
Journalism awards season is officially in full swing, and we’re excited to see SO many LION members featured as finalists of the Institute for Nonprofit News’ fourth annual awards.
Kudos to the 48 (!) LIONs on this list: Tucson Sentinel, Investigate West, The Appeal, The Garrison Project, The Journal, Injustice Watch, New Bedford Light, The Connecticut Mirror, CalMatters, The Texas Tribune, Boulder Reporting Lab, California Health Report, Conecta Arizona, Feet in 2 Worlds, Sierra Nevada Ally, Asheville Watchdog, Bolts, Mission Local, The Highlands Current, Flatwater Free Press, New York Focus, Wisconsin Watch, Block Club Chicago, Chalkbeat, Mississippi Today, Borderless Magazine, New Mexico In Depth, El Tímpano, San Antonio Report, Eden Prairie Local News, InDepthNH.org, Oviedo Community News, Springfield Daily Citizen, Jewish Currents, Honolulu Civil Beat, Conecta Arizona, Dallas Free Press, Planet Detroit, Documented, Spotlight PA, The JOLT, Inkstick Media, San Francisco Public Press, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism, Athens County Independent, Investigative Journalism Foundation, MindSite News, and Mountain State Spotlight.
In other LION member news:
⭐ The Bentonville Bulletin has hired Heather Jarvis McCombs as its managing editor.
⭐ Arizona Luminaria is hiring an investigative reporter.
⭐ Mission Local’s Lydia Chavez shares how the organization went from a university-backed project to an independent newsroom in this Q&A with media expert Simon Owens.
💙 Our deepest condolences to LION member Liz Gotthelf, publisher of Saco Bay News, whose husband Brian died unexpectedly at age 49. Read her touching tribute.
How to reach us
When you reply to this email, we all receive it, and you’ll hear back from one of us. You can also email us directly at [email protected].