Sign up to join a LION 2026 peer learning group

If you want to meet other independent publishers and local news leaders, build community, learn from your peers, and share your knowledge with others, we have an opportunity for you! LION will host four peer-led groups this year to support publishers in the United States and Canada who are working to build more sustainable news businesses. 

Each group is led by a 2026 LION Community Ambassador. The groups will meet monthly via Zoom from October to December to discuss challenges, innovative ideas worth sharing, and helpful resources. 

This year, LION members participating in these peer learning groups will also be encouraged to take LION’s on-demand Sustainability Audit. The Audit provides news business leaders with resources and benchmarks that can help inform peer group conversations. This information will also be analyzed by LION staff and shared back with the peer groups to provide them general insights into the business health of their organizations. You don’t have to be a member to join a group, but we will encourage participants to become a member so they can complete an Audit.

Apply to join a group by Friday, September 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

This year’s program also features an in-person kickoff at LION’s Independent News Sustainability Summit in San Diego, California (September 9-11, 2026)

Here are the groups and their leaders:

1. Building sustainable newsrooms with lean teams, led by Julie Hancher of Green Philly
2. Hispanic/Latino news leaders, led by Diana Oliveros of Se Habla Media (note: these meetings will be held in Spanish) 
3. Newsrooms serving rural communities, led by Alek Haak-Frost of Watershed Voice
4. Publishers serving immigrant and minority communities, led by Suresh Shahi of Khasokhas

Groups will meet via Zoom for 90 minutes each month from October to December. Participants will also have the option to join a private Slack group or WhatsApp channel to communicate between meetings.

You can indicate interest in a group here. Please only add your name to a group (or groups) that you can commit to attending, to provide the best possible experience for all participants. The deadline to apply for a peer group is Friday, September 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Eligibility

You don’t have to be an active LION member, but you must be a news entrepreneur or independent publisher in the United States or Canada to join a peer group. Please do not add your name to a group that you are not affiliated with (e.g., don’t sign up for the group for newsrooms serving rural communities if your audience isn’t primarily rural).

Selection

Groups are designed for a minimum of 10 members and a maximum of 25 members, with acceptance on a first-come, first-served basis. Group members will be notified if they are accepted by Monday, October 5.

Meet the 2026 LION Community Ambassadors

The 2026 Community Ambassadors were selected from a highly competitive pool of applications from LION members. Ambassadors were assessed based on their expertise, proposed group, and facilitation experience.

Building sustainable newsrooms with lean teams

Leader: Julie Hancher, Executive Director, Green Philly

Description: Running a newsroom as a very small team – or solo – means constantly switching hats from editor, fundraiser, partnership manager, event planner, audience lead, and sometimes tech support. It’s exciting, stressful, and can be hard to know what moves the needle versus busywork. This peer group will bring together leaders of lean newsrooms navigating those realities while trying to grow revenue, expand our audiences, and stay relevant while working with limited time, staff, and resources.

Meetings: The following Wednesdays: October 14, at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET, November 18, at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET, December 2, at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET

Hispanic/Latino news leaders

Leader: Diana Oliveros, Co-founder, Se Habla Media

Description: Spanish-language news organizations face distinct challenges, from unique audience consumption habits to heightened security concerns. At the same time, these outlets excel in key areas such as building high levels of community trust and loyalty. Participants in this peer group will discuss solutions to shared challenges, exchange best practices, and build a collection of shared resources tailored to the needs of Spanish-language newsrooms. Please note that discussions will be in Spanish.

Meetings: The following Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. PT/ 3:30 p.m. ET: October 13, November 10, December 8

Newsrooms serving rural communities

Leader: Alek Haak-Frost, Founder, Watershed Voice

Description: Leading a rural newsroom comes with its fair share of challenges, such as retaining quality talent, fundraising, and grappling with a polarized political landscape that impacts how community members interact with their local news. Participants will collaborate on workarounds to these challenges, as well as provide each other emotional support as they navigate how daunting and isolating it can feel to lead a small staff in a rural community.

Meetings: The following Thursdays at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET: October 15, October 29, November 12

Publishers serving immigrant and minority communities

Leader: Suresh Shahi, Editor, Khasokhas

Description: Minority and diaspora-owned newsroom leaders often serve as the primary information lifeline for their specific cultural or linguistic communities. These publishers face the challenge of managing high-trust, high-impact outlets while operating with limited access to traditional venture capital or mainstream advertising networks. Participants in this peer group will share best practices for deepening audience trust and translating high community engagement into diverse, sustainable revenue streams.

Meetings: The following Thursdays at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET: October 15, November 12, December 10

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We encourage all interested LION members and independent publishers in the United States and Canada to apply to join these groups by Friday, September 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

If you have any questions about the peer groups and LION’s 2026 Community Ambassador program, please email LION Community Manager Natalie Van Hoozer at natalievanhoozer@lionpublishers.com.