How to become a LION member

Photos of LION members at the Independent News Sustainability Summit

LION Publishers helps our 500+ members across the U.S. and Canada build and run stronger independent news businesses. 

We know the unique challenges and opportunities that independent local newsrooms face because we work hand in hand with these publishers. Learn more about LION and the programs we offer and other membership benefits below.

To become a LION member, you must complete a membership application and pay annual dues.

Apply to become a LION member

October 2025: LION is updating our process for reviewing membership applications and onboarding new members. Our goal is to create a better experience for new members and update our resources for both new and current members.

In order to do this work with our small team, LION will temporarily pause reviewing new member applications beginning October 22, 2025. You are welcome to apply for membership, but we will not review applications or onboard new members until early 2026.

Please reach out with any questions to membership@lionpublishers.com

What are LION's membership tiers?

LION introduced a new membership tier in December 2022 to make membership more affordable for our smallest publishers. The “Micro” tier replaced the "Aspiring Entrepreneur" tier for publishers earning less than $50,000 in annual revenue.

2025 Membership Tiers:

  • Micro Tier for news publishers earning less than $50,000 in annual revenue | Membership dues: $140/year
  • Small Tier for news publishers earning between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue | Membership dues: $210/year
  • Medium Tier for news publishers earning between $500,000 and $1,100,000 in annual revenue | Membership dues: $280/year
  • Large Tier for news publishers earning more than $1,100,000 in annual revenue | Membership dues: $550/year

Apply to become a LION member

Is my organization eligible for membership?

Eligibility for LION membership is outlined in the LION membership criteria. If you have questions about the criteria, email membership@lionpublishers.com.

What benefits are included in my membership?

???? Coaching To Grow Your Business 

  • Our programs provide LION members with essential support to help them build more sustainable businesses.
  • LION previously offered direct coaching to members through a variety of programs, including Startup Labs and coaching associated with our Sustainability Audits and Booster programs (read more about the future of our Sustainability Audits here).
  • In 2024, LION launched a new program called Sustainability 360, which provides direct coaching and business support to members. We expect to expand this program in 2025.

???? The LION Sustainability Awards

The LION Publishers Sustainability Awards recognize excellence in several local independent online news businesses in award categories based on LION's pillars of sustainability — journalistic impact, financial health, and operational resilience.

Winners will be announced at the 2025 Independent News Sustainability Summit.

????️ Member Benefits 

  • A custom media liability insurance program is available to LION members based in the U.S.
  • Micro tier and nonprofit LION members get free access to premium features in Canva (valued at approximately $6,000 per year)
  • Pro bono legal services through Lawyers for Reporters 
  • Discounted fiscal sponsorship through the Tiny News Collective, which provides tools, resources, and expertise to help communities build sustainable news organizations
  • Free increased web security and performance services through Cloudflare's Project Galileo
  • Complimentary membership for LION members with less than 200,000 monthly unique visitors with the Local Media Consortium 
  • Free access to Rolli, a suite of newsgathering tools empowering journalists to work more efficiently, meet tight deadlines, and discover diverse experts and news events within their communities. 
  • Discounted rates for Nota, a stack of assistive AI tools that can help you expand the reach and impact of human-authored stories on your site.

???? Peer Support 

LION has always been, first and foremost, a community of independent publishers facing shared challenges together. Members can connect with other independent publishers in several ways throughout the year, including:

News Entrepreneur Academy  

The News Entrepreneur Academy offers LION members training and resources they can use to strengthen their news businesses. All News Entrepreneur Academy content is available to LION members free of charge. 

The News Entrepreneur Academy features full guided courses, short lessons on specific topics and a resource library that includes downloadable tools and templates.

Questions? Get in touch by emailing membership@lionpublishers.com