LION welcomes new members from 18 states

LION Publishers is pleased to have welcomed more than two dozen new members running local independent online news sites from 18 different states over the past year, plus other new members who are preparing to launch sites.

The growth has pushed LION’s membership to more than 150 publishers in 37 states.

LION was founded to support local independent online news publishers, including helping them exchange advice and ideas through a closed Facebook group, annual conference (Sept. 21-23 this year in Chicago), and other events and activities. LION publishes a weekly newsletter with news, information and ideas about the local online news business, and a free monthly member webinar series.

It recently received support from the Knight Foundation and hired a full-time executive director.

LION’s newest members include both veteran publishers of local news sites that have been around for years, including Gordon Joseloff of Westport Now in Connecticut and Andrew Wallmeyer of MinnPost in Minnesota, and publishers who recently launched brand new sites, including Jiquanda Johnson of Flint Beat in Michigan and Dave Lemery of the Elmhurst Titan in Illinois.

Some of LION’s new members are tackling niche topics in a local area, including Mark Roberts, covering energy with Empowering Colorado, Jeff Wong, covering transportation issues in Washington, D.C., with DC Commute Times, Matt Hennie, covering the LGBTQ community in Atlanta with Project Q Atlanta, and John Sinkevics, covering local music in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Local Spins.

We have found LION to be great for resources, best practices, feedback, ideas, and basic cheerleading for local websites," Sinkevics said.

Other new members include Dan Weisman of the Escondido Grapevine in California, Nancy Chapan of Nancy on Norwalk in Connecticut, Joy Purcell of Now Habersham in Georgia, Tina Johansson-Long of The You Journal and Zack Fosdyck of the Metamora Herald in Illinois, Steve Hull of Bethesda Beat and Cynthia Griffiths of Rockville View in Maryland, Marc Levy of Cambridge Day in Massachusetts, Bob Conrad of This is Reno in Nevada, Mary Alice Murphy of Grant County Beat in New Mexico, Julia Moak of Greenpointers, Chip Rowe of The HIghlands Current and James Herr of Cheektowaga Chronicle in New York, Glenn Burkins of Q City Metro in North Carolina, Dawn Shelton of the Luther Register in Oklahoma, Ryan Belmore of WhatsUpNewp in Rhode Island, Sally Fowler Francom of Lehi Free Press in Utah, Philip Creed of Covering the Corridor in Virginia, Shereen Siewert of Wausau Pilot and Review in Wisconsin, and Brent Reaney of Edge North in Yellowknife, in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

"I like very much that members can ask for advice and share experiences. There’s some terrifically creative work and solid innovation going on, not to mention good folks to talk with," said Levy. "Sometimes I miss being in a newsroom; I like to think these are my people."

Prospective members can learn more about LION Publishers at https://www.lionpublishers.com/members/benefits

LION's member list is available at https://www.lionpublishers.com/members/list