Membership Services
None of LION’s work would be possible without our Membership Services program, which directly supports members as they connect with the LION community and take advantage of various programs and benefits.
A priority for the team this year was reviewing our membership criteria and processes for managing applications and renewals.
We received 169 new membership applications and accepted 103 new members.
We also surveyed our entire membership to learn more about how we can best support them as they strive to build sustainable businesses. We’re using this feedback to inform and refine our priorities for new member benefits, programming, and education resources.
Stemming from our members’ interest in a large national gathering, we were thrilled to bring back the Independent News Sustainability Summit.
We hosted the conference in Chicago from Sept. 5–7, 2024, and 533 independent news publishers and industry supporters registered to attend. We distributed $600 stipends to nearly 100 of those attendees to help them defray their travel expenses.
Attendees shared expert knowledge, transformational lessons, and practical advice on running a news business while being in community with people who care deeply about strengthening the local news landscape.
Many members highly value the LION Sustainability Awards, formerly known as the LION Local Journalism Awards. There were 200 award entries in 2024. During the Summit, we held the sixth annual LION Sustainability Awards Ceremony & Dinner, and 286 people bought tickets, a 61 percent increase from 2023.
- We recognized 40 of the Sustainability Awards entries as finalists and awarded $59,500 in cash prizes to 21 unique winners.
- We supplied feedback from the judges to every LION Awards applicant, regardless of whether they were a finalist or winner, so all participants walked away with something to show for their work and tips on enhancing future entries.
Our Impact
“10 out of 10 experience. I definitely think that the [award application] feedback may be even more valuable than becoming a finalist or receiving an award.”
— Emily Smith, Bucks County Beacon, LION Awards participant
“I want to tell you how much traction being a LION member has given us in recent months! From grant writing to chats with vendors, it’s come up all the time: thanks for all the awesome work, and I’m glad people are noticing!”
— Maggie McGuire, The Moab Sun News
“As always, I am inspired and humbled by the work LION members do with very little resources and against great odds. These local newsrooms are like jewels spread across the country, and the judging process is like mining for gold in small towns and cities across the country. They are treasures.”
— Fran Reilly, City Limits News, LION Awards judge
