Past Events
At LION, we strive to host events that ignite innovation and new ideas and foster collaboration and camaraderie among fellow news supporters.
Scroll to read recaps from our recent events, and sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive information about upcoming events, programs, and opportunities.
2024 Independent News Sustainability Summit
Our sold-out Independent News Sustainability Summit was held in Chicago, Illinois, from September 5 to 7, 2024. Attracting more than 530 independent news leaders, funders, and supporters across the country and Canada, the event featured educational sessions, hands-on workshops, member-led Affinity Groups and Table Talks, and ample time to meet new faces and reconnect with old friends. We also celebrated our sixth annual LION Sustainability Awards, formerly known as the LION Local Journalism Awards, which honor excellence in independent news business sustainability. Thanks to our generous sponsors, we awarded $59,500 in cash prizes to 18 unique LION member organizations — each winning entry received at least $2,500.
If you couldn’t join us this year (or want to relive the experience):
💥 Read our top three takeaways.
🌟 Scroll through our photo gallery.
🥇 See the big winners of the 2024 LION Sustainability Awards.
View the full session schedule and list of speakers and presenters.
The 2024 Summit was made possible by Knight Foundation, Google, The Carol Oppenheim and Jerome S Lamet Charitable Fund, The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, Indiegraf, The MacArthur Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Democracy Fund, Ballotpedia, BlueLena, Lede AI, The Robert R. McCormick Foundation, News Revenue Hub, Newspack, and Broadstreet.
2023 Southeast News Sustainability Meetup
Over 200 independent news leaders, funders, and supporters joined LION for our sold-out Southeast News Sustainability Meetup from October 3 to 4, 2023, in Durham, North Carolina. Attendees from across the country and Canada networked with peers, gained new knowledge and industry insights, and celebrated the accomplishments of fellow independent news entrepreneurs. We hosted the fifth annual LION Local Journalism Awards Ceremony on the evening of October 3 in conjunction with the event, and thanks to generous support from our sponsors, we awarded $55,800 in cash prizes to 36 outstanding news businesses.
Here's a quick recap:
💫 Read our top five event takeaways, including how the independent news industry bucks tradition by prioritizing community collaboration.
🏆 Meet the 36 winners of the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards.
📸 Access our complete photo gallery.
The 2023 Southeast Meetup was made possible by The Walton Family Foundation, Knight Foundation, The Carol Oppenheim & Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund, Google News Initiative, Microsoft, and News Revenue Hub.
2023 Deep South News Sustainability Meetup
The Deep South News Sustainability Meetup was the first of two regional gatherings that LION hosted in 2023 to provide a more intimate, local opportunity for independent newsroom leaders, funders, and supporters from a specific region to connect with and learn from one another. Nearly 30 publishers and independent journalists from across the Deep South (Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas) joined us in Jackson, Mississippi, on May 18, 2023, for this event. Discover what we learned during our time together.
The 2023 Deep South Meetup was made possible by The Walton Family Foundation.
2022 Independent News Sustainability Summit
The inaugural Independent News Sustainability Summit — hosted by LION Publishers, News Revenue Hub, and RevLab at The Texas Tribune and supported by Knight Foundation, The Lenfest Institute, and Google News Initiative — brought 500 independent news leaders and supporters together in Austin, Texas, for three days of conversations and connections focused on building more sustainable independent news businesses.
Here's everything you need to know about the event:
Watch videos from ten of our ballroom sessions, including the opening keynote with former New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet.
Review the slide decks and other speaker materials from more than 20 sessions.
Get advice on burnout and boundaries from Charlottesville Tomorrow's Angilee Shah and The Markup's Sisi Wei, and be inspired by Dean Baquet's optimism for the future of local news, as summarized in these excellent recaps by RevLab fellow and LION board member Dan Hu.
Read our three takeaways from the Summit, including the impression LION members made at the highest ranks of the industry.
Meet the winners of the 2022 LION Local Journalism Awards.
View the full session schedule and list of speakers and presenters.
The 2022 Summit was made possible by Knight Foundation, The Lenfest Institute, and Google News Initiative.
LION Awards
The LION Publishers Sustainability Awards recognize excellence by local independent online news businesses in award categories focused on LION's pillars of sustainability — journalistic impact, financial health, and operational resilience. Our awards ceremonies are often held in conjunction with larger LION events.
Learn more about each year's awards here.