Ready to launch your own independent news business? The Tiny News Collective can help.

A fast track to news entrepreneurship for first-time founders who are underrepresented in media

It’s been more than a year of disruptions in our personal lives, our work and everything in between. But this time has also shown all of us how impactful a local, credible source of news is for a community in a crisis.

I’m incredibly excited to announce that the first round of applications for the Tiny News Collective is now open.

The Tiny News Collective is a first-of-its-kind partnership between LION Publishers and News Catalyst to provide a supportive, catalyzing experience for founders trying to get their news business off the ground.

The application process itself is designed to help potential founders develop and refine their business idea, and if accepted, founders will go through a three-month coaching and training program to get them ready for launch.

Beyond that onboarding experience, Tiny News members will continue to benefit from the perks of LION Publishers membership, as well as the following three pillars of support:.

• The Founder Platform: All founders will receive hands-on training using the product stack and learn best practices for running a news business. There will be live class sessions, founder events and a robust library of resources to support them in their journey from application through graduation.
• The Operations Platform: Founders will receive logistical support to help with several of the most time-consuming parts of running a new business, including payroll, employee recruitment, training and onboarding, and legal advice.
• The Technology Platform: Founders will get access to a modern SEO compatible news website with pre-configured Google Analytics, newsletters and a local advertising marketplace, all put together in a lightweight CMS.

So what will all this cost? The pricing model is still being finalized, but we’ve guaranteed that the Collective will be able to offer the platform, training, legal assistance, back-office services and everything else for around $100 per month — a fraction of what it would cost at market rate.

Got questions? You can find FAQs on our website, sign up for “office hours,” or subscribe to the Tiny News Collective newsletter for more info and updates.

Read to get started? You can now apply on our website, and the deadline is April 11.