Canadian coaches wanted: Apply by Feb 21 to help LION support indie publishers

If you’re a Canadian media leader with deep business or audience experience and want to help other Canadian newsrooms through coaching, apply for LION Publishers’ new training program in partnership with Blue Engine Collaborative. 

We will select up to 10 participants for a short, virtual course focused on sharpening your coaching skills in key areas of need for Canadian LION members, with support from the Google News Initiative. 

Applicants will be evaluated on their strategic and hands-on expertise, collaborative spirit, growth mindset, empathetic leadership, and ability to foster trust and guide organizations toward thriving, sustainable futures.

Successful participants will be invited to join LION’s Expert Network, a new members-only service designed to empower our more than 500 news leaders to directly connect with, consult with, and hire experts. Once in the network, LION members in Canada and the U.S. will be able to find and hire them for coaching support.

Applications for the LION Canada Coaches program are now open until February 21 at 8 p.m. ET.

This program will be led by Blue Engine Collaborative’s Katie Mercer. As the former vice president of content at Glacier Media Group, she helped drive massive new digital audience reach and engagement. She’s known for identifying and nurturing talent within editorial teams, learning the ins and outs of content planning, and fostering robust partnerships across departments.

Why is LION doing this?

Over the years, we’ve heard from our Canadian members about the unique challenges they face and their growing need for specialized, Canada-specific expertise. In 2023, LION conducted research on Canada’s independent news ecosystem. Our findings identified six critical areas where Canadian publishers need support and mapped 270 independent news publications that are digitally dominant and focused on local news.

Whether navigating regional funding opportunities, building stronger teams, or expanding their audiences, they’ve made it clear: they need experts who understand their local context. That’s why we’re excited to take on the challenge of finding top Canadian talent to strengthen our Expert Network. 

With three dozen Canadian members already in the LION community, we’re eager to serve them better — and attract even more members — by offering hands-on support and tailored expertise.

How does the program work?

This training will focus on the identified key areas within Canada’s distinct context: its cultural diversity, bilingualism, regional nuances, and unique set of legislative and regulatory frameworks that affect all aspects of a local media organization. 

As part of this program, participants will:

• Attend a series of five online live training sessions in mid-March led by LION staff and seasoned coaches
• Provide feedback on the training program’s effectiveness and your coaching experience shared through an offboarding survey

At the end of the program, LION will offer complementary coaching hours during April and May to its members in Canada. New coaches will be introduced to Canadian members for booking. If selected, you will provide guidance through a tailored one-on-one coaching session focused on a specific operations, audience, or revenue problem to address, including a coaching report and follow-up action items to implement. Positive feedback from members will ensure the placement of coaches in the Expert Network.

The five modules in this program will allow coaches to further refine or develop subject-matter expertise within a Canadian context in the following areas: 

• Reader revenue
• Advertising, sponsorship, and events
• Government initiatives
• Philanthropy opportunities
• Audience development strategies
• Financial management and analysis

Am I eligible to apply?

You’re eligible to apply if you are:

1. Based in Canada or eligible to work in Canada (e.g., a Canadian citizen living abroad)
2. Have professional experience working within media organizations or in related supporting roles 
3. Are available to regularly coach LION members to improve their business sustainability

We especially welcome LION members and media entrepreneurs in Canada to apply for this opportunity. If you’re unsure whether you qualify, contact our associate director of coaching, Elaine Díaz, at elainediaz@lionpublishers.com.