Workshop: Attorneys Provide Overview of Copyright and Digital Media

Two attorneys well-versed in media law provided a 90-minute tutorial Thursday afternoon about how to cut through some of the weeds that have grown up around copyright and digital media.

Jeffrey Hermes, Media Law Resource Center, and Samuel Fifer, Dentons US LLP, leavened legal complexities with humor.

Overcoming sales objections means research, listening, and providing solutions

Every media sales rep is going to hear his or her share of variants of “no” on the appointed rounds.

Covering the opioid crisis: Move away from ‘disaster porn,’ focus on solutions

There are few news topics that seamlessly apply as both a national and local issue. The opioid addiction crisis is one of them.

Not an oxymoron: Journalists as sales superstars

Ebony Reed of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism gave a rapid-fire presentation Friday at the LION Summit about “why, rather than being intimidated, journalists should feel uniquely suited to sell advertising.” She emphasized that she wasn’t advocating that journalists become sales only, but that they embrace their experience, knowledge and drive to not only get the story, but also get the sale.

Photos from the LION Publishers 2016 Summit in Chicago

Local independent online news publishers from across the country gathered at Columbia College in Chicago Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

Pew Research Center’s Holcomb updates publishers on state of local news

As independent online publications become more prevalent on the digital landscape, it’s important for publishers to understand where readers access their local news and the part that social media plays in that process. Jesse Holcomb, associate director of Journalism Research with the Pew Research Center, broke down the numbers for LION Publishers at the 2015 summit at Columbia College in Chicago Friday.

Publishers share lessons learned in crowdfunding

LION publishers shared important lessons Friday on the use of crowdfunding for journalism projects with both Beacon and Kickstarter. In 2015, The Lo-Down successfully raised $28,000 to cover small businesses on New York City’s Lower East Side while Charlottesville Tomorrow faced a setback when a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for website enhancements failed to capture the community’s attention.

How independent local news sites can lead the way in investigative reporting

Tips and tricks from experienced journalists on how to do great investigative reporting and grounded public-service and government reporting in a small newsroom

Hire sales help as soon as possible, experts say

When should a local news publisher hire a full-time sales person? Three LION panelists with hard-earned experience agree, it’s best to get someone on the street as soon as possible.