🌟 New resources added to the News Entrepreneur Academy
Many of our Canadian members have requested resources to help them strengthen their news businesses that are specific to Canada’s laws, regulations, and best practices. So this week, we launched a set of online learnings via our News Entrepreneur Academy that focuses on the fundamentals of human resource management. It includes:
- Staffing Considerations for Canadian News Businesses
- HR Considerations for Canadian News Businesses
- Hiring and HR Compliance for Canadian News Businesses
And that’s not all –– next month, we’ll release another batch on financial management and operational best practices.
LION members enjoy free access to these materials through our News Entrepreneur Academy, a robust catalog of resources we’ve created to provide the training members tell us is most relevant to the sustainability of their news businesses. That’s why we’re continually seeking feedback on what types of content would be beneficial. If there’s something you’re stuck on or would simply like to learn more about, we’d be happy to hear from you!
Stay tuned for more trainings –– we’ll keep ‘em coming!
– Lisa Heyamoto, programming director of membership education, and the LION team
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Dynamic duo to return for the 5th annual LION Awards Ceremony
“The emcees were outstanding: hysterical, caring, fun, and kept things moving.”
What we love most about the annual LION Awards Ceremony is the people –– both in the audience and onstage — coming together and rooting each other on as we recognize LION members’ important work. And according to last year’s attendees (including the individual who wrote that nice note above), the feeling’s mutual. Our speakers set the tone for a successful event, so we’re delighted to announce that LION’s own Lisa Heyamoto and Outlier Media’s Candice Fortman will return as our hosts for the fifth annual LION Awards Ceremony! Tickets are on sale now.
8 resources and opportunities for independent publishers
1. Save 35% on Southeast News Sustainability Meetup tickets. This regional event occurs on Oct. 3-4 in Durham, North Carolina, and features the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards Ceremony. (Early-bird registration ends Aug. 14)
2. Read Panorama Global’s playbook if you’re navigating next steps after receiving a large, unrestricted grant.
3. Apply for CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program, a new online program for independent journalists developing niche news products. (Apply by Sept. 8)
4. Register for a free webinar from the News Product Alliance on pitching your professional development ideas to your employer. (Aug. 11)
5. Apply for the National Press Foundation’s Statehouse Reporting Fellowship, a four-day, expenses-paid program in Madison, WI, Sept. 18-21. (Apply by Aug. 6)
6. Apply for Religion News Service (RNS) and Interfaith America’s 2023-2024 RNS/IA Religion Journalism Fellowship, a program dedicated to developing religion news journalists. (Apply by Aug. 4)
7. Position yourself for a successful business sale with this webinar from They Got Acquired.
8. Register for a free online panel discussion from Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center geared toward small business owners. Topic: Access to Capital. (Aug. 16)
What we’re reading
Too soon to call. Small Canadian news outlets are unsure how Canada’s Online News Act will affect their businesses, but experts encourage them to band together. (CBC Radio Canada)
Boosting BIPOC-led (and focused) media. What equitable journalism looks like, sounds like, and feels like –– and what it means when we get these things right. (Borealis Philanthropy)
More news access for Moab. The Times-Independent will partner with The Salt Lake Tribune and become a nonprofit that provides free news access to all Moabites. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
“Subscribe now!” Study shows which marketing messages are the most effective when asking readers to pay for their news. (Toolkits)
A new chapter. Founder Darryl Holliday will leave a legacy of community, commitment, and collaboration at Chicago’s City Bureau. (City Bureau)
LIONs in the news
☀️ Things are looking sunny in Southern Arizona! Tucson Agenda, a sister publication of the Arizona Agenda, launched earlier this month and has already gained nearly 1,000 subscribers. Run by Curt Prendergast and Caitlin Schmidt, formerly of the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Agenda helps fill a news gap left by cutbacks at regional publications. The publication will be a watchdog for local government decisions, politics, and government-adjacent issues and organizations –– and we’ll watch (and cheer on) their continued growth.
In other LION member news:
- El Tímpano has launched Tumil El Tímpano, a weekly video series produced with and for the Bay Area’s Maya Mam communities.
- Representatives from Baltimore Beat, Flatwater Free Press, The Charlotte Ledger, The Colorado Sun, The Connecticut Mirror, The Nevada Independent, The Oaklandside, and The Texas Tribune have been selected for the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship for 2023-24.
- Hell Gate has made its first trip around the sun as a worker-owned news outlet, and they share their successes, challenges, and hopes for the future in their annual report.
- Cardinal News, Fort Worth Report, and The Kansas City Defender have been recognized as finalists for the Institute for Nonprofit News’ 2023 “Startup of the Year” award; the complete list of Nonprofit News Award finalists includes 30+ LION member organizations in various categories.
How to reach us
When you reply to this email, we all receive it and you’ll hear back from one of us. You can also email us directly at [email protected].