These values guide the way LION’s board and staff should work for its membership; the way LION as an organization should work for its board and staff; and the way LION members should work for their communities. Learn more about how to hold us accountable to our values.

We believe in being:

Data-informed: We can’t make an impact without defining how to measure our impact. We strive for excellence in our work by gathering data, consistently articulating what success looks like, measuring our progress, and making time to celebrate our learnings, regardless of whether we achieve our intended outcome.

Equitable and inclusive: We stand against racist and discriminatory business and editorial practices that oppress historically marginalized communities. We believe the most impactful journalism effectively reflects a community’s diverse perspectives while prioritizing the stories of those who have been historically overlooked or marginalized. While legacy newsrooms often haven’t been welcoming or supportive to people from marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds, we believe it’s our job to ensure the independent news industry is creating space for these leaders and voices to thrive.

People-centered: Good design requires being responsive to people’s needs, which includes practicing empathy, holding ourselves and others accountable to shared standards, and always prioritizing people’s personal well-being over work.

Systems thinkers: A rising tide lifts all boats, so we always consider how individual pieces of our work fit into a larger vision. We solve complex challenges by thinking about the systems in which they function rather than discrete problems. We balance the need to scale our work with acknowledging that not all solutions are one-size-fits-all, and we support unique needs as we are able to.

Transparent: Open information and candid communication are at the heart of building trust. This includes acknowledging mistakes, learning out loud about what is and isn’t working, and sharing the thought process behind major decisions.

Iterative: We believe there is always room for improvement. We commit to using the iterative “build-measure-learn” loop to design experiments, measure outcomes, and gain new insights as we support sustainable models for local, independent news businesses.

Collaborative: We seek to build strong relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders to learn and grow from their expertise, ensure we aren’t duplicating efforts, and share capacity and resources toward achieving a common goal.