Considering launching an independent news outlet all by yourself?
Youâre not alone. Nearly half of all LION members are solopreneurs who started and run their news business independently.
So this year, we developed a dedicated space for these publishers to support one another based on their shared experiences. Our solopreneur peer group, led by Burlington Buzzâs Nicci Kadilak, has been meeting regularly since May.
We sat down with Nicci to hear what sheâs hearing from other solopreneurs. She also shared some sage advice for anyone interested in starting their own news business.
Whether youâre a current solopreneur or thinking about becoming one, check out these four steps you should take and a few resources to help you along the way.
â Samantha Matsumoto, LIONâs community engagement manager
California lawmakers and Google agree to form a new public-private partnership to support local news
The Golden State has a new journalism initiative. State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, announced an agreement this week to use a mix of public and private dollars to create a fund for local journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and a new national AI Accelerator program.
The partnership will replace proposed legislation in the California State Assembly this year that would have required Google to pay news publishers when using their content.
Asm. Wicks said in an announcement, âTogether, these new partnerships will provide nearly $250 million in public and private funding over the next five years, with the majority of funding going to newsrooms.” Wicks stated the plan is to front-load $100 million in funding in the first year, and the goal is to secure additional funding.
LION invited members based in California to share feedback with us during the negotiation for the newly announced agreement and encouraged members to engage with their elected officials to ensure their perspectives were represented in discussions.
LION’s Chris Krewson shared this statement along with the announcement: “Lawmakers should be proud of this program, which builds on Californiaâs innovative Local News Fellowship with millions of new dollars in a way that prioritizes small publishers and those serving underrepresented groups.â
LION will continue to work with our members in California and will invite members to meet with us next week. Our team is also following legislative proposals in other states to ensure small publishers are represented in policy discussions that could have a significant impact on independent publishers.
Last tickets to the 2024 Summit and LION Awards
So when we hit 500 registrations (!) late last week and needed to update our website to read âSOLD OUT,â we hesitated, wondering if there was a way to increase capacity so more people could attend.
Well, weâve done just that. We can now host up to 520 attendees. These additional tickets are going fast, so donât delay if youâd like to convene with 500+ independent news leaders and supporters in Chicago this September.
Also, weâre down to 10 tickets for the LION Awards Ceremony & Dinner, so be sure to bundle at checkout.
Summit sponsor Q&A: Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation, one of our 2024 Summit presenting sponsors, is the largest funder of journalism projects in the U.S. Over the years, it has invested in organizations, ideas, and products that help publishers build sustainable, audience-centered newsrooms.
This week, we met with Duc Luu, the journalism programâs director for sustainability initiatives. He shared insights into the foundationâs core strategy and his take on the main trend in journalism philanthropy. Spoiler: Itâs about using grants as catalysts to secure other local funding sources, leaning into âlocal sources that care about local causes.â
You can meet Duc and members of his team at the 2024 Summit. In the meantime, read the Q&A.
Calling all new LION members!
đŠ Our membership programs are growing, so weâre hosting a new member call on Thursday, August 29, at 1 p.m. ET. During the call, youâll learn more about member benefits, connect with other publishers, and ask your questions about membership. RSVP if youâd like to attend.
10 resources for independent publishers
1. Plan for year-end fundraising. This free online session hosted by the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network will cover success stories and inspiring fundraising ideas to help you kick-start your year-end planning. (Aug. 28)
2. Address burnout this election season. This free American Press Institute webinar will give you actionable insights for reassessing and repairing your relationship with work. (Aug. 29)
3. Apply for a Sustainability Audit. This LION program includes a thorough assessment of each participating news business, including actionable recommendations, resources, and up to $20K in direct funding. (Apply by Aug. 30)
4. Join LIONâs team. Weâre hiring a membership services manager to help ensure LIONâs membership systems, processes, and customer support operate efficiently and smoothly. (Apply by Sept. 3)
5. Figure out your finances. Sign up for this free webinar, hosted by A Bookkeeping Cooperative, on budgeting and financial systems development, where youâll learn about basic financial terminology, reporting, and more. (Sept. 5)
6. Showcase your work. Apply for Editor & Publisherâs 2024 EPPY Awards, which honor the best in digital news publishing across more than 45 diverse categories. (Apply by Sept. 13)
7. Engage your community. Check out this roundup of free and practical engagement journalism guides.
8. Get a robot to write it. Created in a LION newsroom, Word Nerd creates articles for real estate transactions, marriage certifications, crime announcements, and more in minutes instead of hours. Replace hours of manual work in seconds with safe generative and non-generative AI. (Sponsored content by Lede AI)
9. Handle your biggest newsletter headaches. Read the newsletter advice Inbox Collective Founder Dan Oshinsky shares again and again.
10. Start a staffing plan. This LION NEA course can help you brainstorm what types of employees best fit your current needs and budget.
AI at work. Recent data from our friends at the Institute for Nonprofit News indicates that about one-third of nonprofit news outlets use AI; this article breaks down popular use cases, plus which tools are being used and how. (Emily Roseman, INN Insights and Medium)
Statewide startups. Leaders from three LION member organizations, Nebraska Journalism Trust, NY Focus, and Spotlight PA, share lessons learned from launching these statewide nonprofit news outlets. (Carrie Brown, Medium)
Goinâ steady in San Francisco. How local newsrooms, including LION member Mission Local, contribute to the cityâs booming information ecosystem. (The New York Times)
Another week, another big batch of LION members who have been recognized for their outstanding work. đ
ONA has released its list of 2024 award winners, and weâd like to give a hand for all the LIONs featured as finalists and winners. Here are some highlights:
- VTDigger took home the top prize in the âBreaking Newsâ small/medium newsroom category, with LION members Block Club Chicago and The Appeal as finalists.
- LAist won in the âExcellence in Audio Digital Storytellingâ ongoing series category, with The New York Times as a finalist.
- Spotlight PA won in the âExcellence in Newslettersâ portfolio category, beating out The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal.
- The Texas Tribune, alongside FRONTLINE and ProPublica, won in the âExplanatory Reportingâ large newsroom category.
- Grist, in partnership with The Data-Driven Reporting Project and The Pulitzer Center, won in the âUniversity of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalismâ small/medium newsroom category.
This list also includes CalMatters, PublicSource, Mission Local, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Markup, The Sahan Journal, City Bureau, and Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO. Congratulations to all!
awards.journalists.org
The Online Journalism Awards (OJAs), launched in May 2000, are the only comprehensive set of journalism prizes honoring excellence in digital journalism around the world.
awards.journalists.org
The Online Journalism Awards (OJAs), launched in May 2000, are the only comprehensive set of journalism prizes honoring excellence in digital journalism around the world.
In other LION member news:
â Mississippi Free Press welcomes Tami Jones as its revenue manager.
â The Maine Monitorâs co-founders, Naomi Schalit and John Christie, will be inducted into the Maine Press Association Hall of Fame in October for being âpioneers of Maineâs non-profit media landscape.â
â Cityside Journalism Initiative, the parent organization of Berkeleyside, The Oaklandside, and Richmondside, has been selected to participate in Knightâs new Growth Challenge Fund.
â The Food Section is mounting a âCampaign for Better Election Night Pizzaâ to benefit independent newsrooms in the Research Triangle.
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