Independent local online news publishers group formed
On September 30, 2011, during the Block by Block conference at Loyola University Chicago, 21 local independent online publishers from
On September 30, 2011, during the Block by Block conference at Loyola University Chicago, 21 local independent online publishers from across the United States voted to form an association.
A steering committee was appointed to further organize the association.
Questions should be directed to Dylan Smith, chairman of the Board of Directors of LION Publishers, at dylansmith@lionpublishers.com.
Signing members
- Ned Berke, Sheepsheadbites.com
- Brandy Tuzon Boyd, NatomasBuzz.com
- Virgina Citrano, MyVeronaNJ.com
- Adrienne Fawcett, GazeboNews.com
- Mike Fourcher, Brownlinemedia.com
- Debbie Galant, Baristanet.com
- Darren Hillock, WestofTheI.com
- Ikaika Hussey, HawaiiIndependent.net
- Jeremy Iggers, TCDailyPlanet.net
- Ben Ilfeld, SacramentoPress.com
- Krystal Knapp, PlanetPrinceton.com
- Polly Kreisman, TheLoopNY.com
- Emily Lowrey, Magic City Post
- Charlotte Anne Lucas, NowcastSA.org
- La Risa Lynch, NeighborhoodScribe.com
- Susan Mernit, OaklandLocal.com
- Howard Owens, TheBatavian.com
- Jesus Sanchez, TheEastSiderLA.com
- Patrick Sand, WestSeattleBlog.com
- Amy Senk, CoronaDelMarToday.com
- Dylan Smith, TucsonSentinel.com
- John T. Ward, RedBankGreen.com
- Teresa Wippel, MyEdmondsNews.com
Support the 2026 Summit
We're heading to San Diego from September 9–11 for our 2026 Independent News Sustainability Summit. Sponsorship opportunities are now available; check out our deck and connect with us at summit@lionpublishers.com to sign on for next year's conference.
Related Articles
Forget the fads: Why community listening is the future of local news (Q&A with RJI)
From Director of Innovation Kat Duncan: “… what matters is what actually works for the people you’re serving.”
LION’s revamped resource library helps local publishers grow revenue, audience, and impact
The updated News Entrepreneur Academy makes it easier for news leaders to find answers to common challenges.
How Newspack helps independent news publishers strengthen audience relationships in the AI era
Founder and Principal Kinsey Wilson explains how their open-source platform helps newsrooms optimize their data and leverage new technology.