Train the Trainers: LION expands group training for coaches and newsroom leaders in Canada 

LION Publishers is excited to expand a new coaching training program we developed this year,  in partnership with Blue Engine Collaborative, to more newsroom leaders in Canada. 

We are now accepting applications from publishers and other newsroom leaders to participate in a five-week Train the Trainers program that will cover best practices for developing reader revenue, planning audience growth and business operations. This program is made possible through support from the Google News Initiative. 

This is an incredible opportunity to strengthen your leadership skills so you can collaborate effectively with your team on shared goals for growing your news business. 

Apply Here 

Applications for the LION Canada Train the Trainers program are now open until September 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

This program will be led by Blue Engine Collaborative’s Katie Mercer. As the former vice president of content at Glacier Media Group, she helped drive massive new digital audience reach and engagement. She’s known for identifying and nurturing talent within editorial teams, learning the ins and outs of content planning, and fostering robust partnerships across departments.

Why is LION doing this?

LION has nearly 500 members in the United States and Canada. For years, we’ve heard from Canadian members about the unique challenges they face and their growing need for specialized, Canada-specific expertise. In 2023, LION conducted research on Canada’s independent news ecosystem. Our findings identified six critical areas where Canadian publishers need support and mapped 270 independent news publications that are digitally dominant and focused on local news. In 2025, LION added new Canadian coaches to our Expert Network and we’re now offering our Sustainability Audits to more independent publishers across the country. We’re continuing to explore ways to support the local news ecosystem in Canada and this Train the Trainers model is our next step. 

How does the program work?

This training will focus on the identified key areas within Canada’s distinct context: its cultural diversity, bilingualism, regional nuances, and unique set of legislative and regulatory frameworks that affect all aspects of a local media organization. 

As part of this program, participants will:

• Attend a series of five online live training sessions in October and November 2025, led by Katie Mercer 

The five modules in this program will help publishers refine or develop subject-matter expertise within a Canadian context in the following areas: 

• Reader revenue
• Advertising, sponsorship, and events
• Government initiatives
• Philanthropy opportunities
• Audience development strategies
• Financial management and analysis

Am I eligible to apply?

You’re eligible to apply if you are:

1. Based in Canada 
2. In a leadership role of a local, independent publication (please review LION’s membership criteria to learn more about the newsrooms we serve through our programming) 
3. Able to commit to fully participating in the program, attending all 5 sessions and completing two surveys to share feedback about the program. 

If you’re unsure whether you qualify for this program, contact Andrew Rockway, LION’s Associate Director of Data and Evaluation, at andrewrockway@lionpublishers.com.