The LION Summit isn't just for listening. You need to play an active part...... Read more»
Register now — LION's conference in Chicago, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, will feature dozens of informative sessions with concrete tips for success in the local news biz...... Read more»
Yes, there's still time to register for the LION Summit in Chicago Sept. 29-Oct. 1, the only major, nationwide annual gathering of local independent online news publishers. And if it's not obvious why you should be there, here are just a few of the reasons...... Read more»
We're very pleased to announce the latest LION Publishers initiative: an in-depth research study of the business and editorial practices of our members...... Read more»
The Board of LION Publishers is pleased to announce the adoption of a Code of Conduct, recognizing the important values of respect and courtesy that have long been the foundation of our members' interactions...... Read more»
LION Publishers joined Monday with 40 journalism groups in calling on President Obama – yet again – to stop practices in federal agencies that prevent important information from getting to the public. "Obama may be leaving the White House, but we aren’t going anywhere. Our promise to the Am..... Read more»
Join the nation's only association dedicated to Local Independent Online News Publishers...... Read more»
Download the Guidebook conference app to help you keep track of which sessions you're planning to attend. The app, available for iOS and Android, lets you set up your own personalized schedule and notifications. Get it at guidebook.com/g/LION2016.
We've announced even more details of the schedule of session for the 2016 LION Summit — featuring more than 3 dozen presentations and conversations over 3 days, with even more speakers and discussion leaders!
Breakfast and lunch will be provided both Friday and Saturday. Light dinner and drinks will be provided at the Thursday and Friday evening receptions.
See the complete schedule for details on topics and speakers, and check back for more updates»
It's conference season for journalists, and the impressive string of industry gatherings taking place right now has made me reflect on some of the things that make the annual LION Publishers gathering so special.
I just got back from the Online News Association conference in Denver. Other LIONs recently attended the ASNE-APME conference. SPJ/RTDNA/NAJA's Excellence in Journalism conference is taking place right now. NABJ/NAHJ and AAJA held conferences in August. Earlier this year, I attended the IRE conference and the co-located INN Day (both are among my favorite gatherings of reporters).
But the industry gathering that's the most meaningful for me and, I hope, among the most fruitful and effective for our attendees, is LION's annual meeting of the minds.
Why?
For many of the same reasons that LION itself is so vital: we are completely focused on the work of indie publishers, and the special challenges and creative opportunities we face in rebuilding local news.
The LION Summit isn't just for listening. You need to play an active part. Here's how:
LION Publishers joined Monday with 40 national journalism groups in calling on President Obama – yet again – to stop practices in federal agencies that prevent important information from getting to the public.
"Obama may be leaving the White House, but we aren’t going anywhere. Our promise to the American people is to keep fighting for their right to know what their elected officials are up to," we said in a letter to the administration.
The organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists, American Society of News Editors, Investigative Reporters & Editors and LION, sent a letter to Josh Earnest, the president's chief spokesman, urging changes to policies that constrict the flow of information to the public, including prohibiting journalists from communicating with staff without going through public information offices, requiring government PIOs to review interview questions and monitoring interviews between journalists and sources.
We're very pleased to announce the latest LION Publishers initiative: an in-depth research study of the business and editorial practices of our members.
The basis for the project is a comprehensive online survey of members of LION Publishers. The aggregate data collected will be shared with LION's membership to assist in a better understanding of our common challenges and help identify new opportunities. Selected anonymous data will be shared with the rest of the news industry and the public.
The survey includes questions on revenue, staffing, editorial priorities and more. It's intended to provide a baseline so we can measure progress and change in our segment of the industry.
The survey is only open to members of LION Publishers »
Preliminary results will be presented at the 2016 LION Summit, with some details being fleshed out in follow-up interviews with selected publishers.
We're very pleased to announce the latest LION Publishers initiative: an in-depth research study of the business and editorial practices of our members: Publishers' Revenue Indicators, Demographics & Engagement
The basis for the project is a comprehensive online survey of members of LION Publishers. The aggregate data collected will be shared with LION's membership to assist in a better understanding of our common challenges and help identify new opportunities. Selected anonymous data will be shared with the rest of the news industry and the public.
The survey includes questions on revenue, staffing, editorial priorities and more. It's intended to provide a baseline so we can measure progress and change in our segment of the industry.
The Board of LION Publishers is pleased to announce the adoption of a Code of Conduct, recognizing the important values of respect and courtesy that have long been the foundation of our members' interactions: LION Publishers is committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, productive, inclusive, welcoming and harassment-free experience for everyone.
Our experience has shown that this commitment to courtesy and consideration is proudly shared by the entire community of Local Independent Online News Publishers. We're laying out this Code of Conduct not because we expect bad behavior within our group but because we believe expressing a clear policy is an important recognition of our existing respectful community space. Just as journalism codes of ethics confirm our profession's common acknowledgment of important values, so too does this shared code of behavior.
We ask you to be mindful of how you interact with others. All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at LION Publishers events, as well as participants in other public or private member activities, are required to abide by our Code of Conduct
Need help? Contact any member of the LION Publishers staff or Board of Directors in person at our event, or by email at membership@lionpublishers.com. At in-person events, we will make available phone contacts, as well.
LION Publishers is committed to providing a safe, respectful, productive, inclusive, welcoming and harassment-free environment for all participants in our conferences, virtual or in-person meetings and other activities, regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, physical appearance, body size, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, immigration status, age, or religion (or lack thereof).
Diversity in our membership and in the organizations run by our members is one of LION's major strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues. These guidelines are not an exhaustive list of things that you can’t do. Rather, take this code in the spirit in which it’s intended - an outline of ways to make it easier to enrich us all and the LION Publishers community which we have built together.
See the complete Code of Conduct of Local Independent Online News Publishers for details »
Yes, there's still time to register for the LION Summit in Chicago Sept. 29-Oct. 1, the only major, nationwide annual gathering of local independent online news publishers.
Check out the complete schedule of sessions — more than 3 dozen presentations and conversations over 3 days, with even more speakers and discussion leaders being added soon.
And if it's not obvious why you should be there, here are just a few of the reasons:
As editors and publishers from around the United States gather at the LION Summit, the importantance of local news all over the world will be reinforced by a group of about a dozen journalists from Norway.
Sponsored by the Norwegian Institute of Journalism (an organization with perhaps the shortest URL ever), the managers from small news outlets around that Scandinavian nation will join LION members from the U.S. and Canada, and attendees from other countries, in discussing how to effectively rebuild local journalism.
"Norway has a large number of small newspapers (circulation 1,000 – 5,000), serving communities all over the country," said Asgeir Olden, associate director of Institutt for Journalistikk. "They are all on print (and on the Internet), and most of them have done remarkably well in a period when larger newspapers have struggled, particularly when it comes to circulation."
The Loop will be packed with people in lion regalia as Local Independent Online News Publishers gather in Chicago — but they won't all be journalists. The Detroit Lions will play the Bears at Soldier Field the Sunday right after the LION Summit, just a few blocks away.
Kicking off a mini-series within the LION Webinar series, we have our first installment from the Digital Publisher's Toolbox as some of our own member publishers talk about the tools that they find most useful.
We're still shifting around speaking slots for the 2016 LION Summit, working to be sure that we have each of our sessions appropriately scheduled, but here's a quick glance at just some of the speakers we have lined up: Read more »
In business, sometimes the answer is staring you in the face.
It's safe to say that a lot of web-based news organizations attempt to chase a 24/7 news cycle simply because they publish on the Internet. This can be problematic for one- or two-person operations and lead to burnout. You can't be a 24-hour news operation by yourself while also maintaining a steady effort to build revenue.
Register now — LION's conference in Chicago, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, will feature dozens of informative sessions with concrete tips for success in the local news biz. Be a part of LION's largest-ever gathering!
Check out the complete schedule of session for the 2016 LION Summit — more than 3 dozen presentations and conversations over 3 days, with even more speakers and discussion leaders being added soon.
LION Publishers is pleased to invite all who care about the future of local journalism to a conference devoted to the journalistic excellence and economic well-being of local independent online news sites.
The annual LION Summit will return to Chicago on Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2016, at the downtown campus of Columbia College Chicago. It will feature two full days packed with an array of speakers, panel discussions and networking opportunities devoted to revenue ideas and best practices, community engagement and sustainability. Plus, we'll open with an afternoon networking and informational session, and hold nightly receptions where we can all share what we've learned. Sign up now!
A Q&A with LION member Ronni Newton, editor of We-Ha.com in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Become a member of the nation's only nation's only association dedicated to Local Independent Online News Publishers, who are successfully creating the future of reporting: locally owned and operated news outlets that directly serve their communities.
LION Publishers share their expertise in editorial, technical, business, advertising sales, marketing and fundraising with their peers. Network with a pool of online news pioneers who are proving daily that local online news does work.
As a member of LION Publishers, you and your organization will be associated with a group of the most recognized and respected local news sites in the nation. The association works as an advocate for local independent news sites, raising our public profile and standing in the industry.
LION is dedicated to improving our members' businesses, on both the editorial and revenue side. Members share their strategies on running news operations that are growing, not shrinking.
Foster the viability and excellence of locally focused independent online news organizations and cultivate their connections to their communities through education and action.
We share a passion for quality journalism and a determination to focus our energies on the health of our online publications as businesses, whether for profit or nonprofit.
We approach our tasks with an entrepreneurial spirit and a belief that individually and collectively we are setting the pace for a new era of local news publishing.
We are dedicated to championing the local online news industry, in the firm belief that independent publishers are establishing the template for successful local digital news organizations - just as independent publishers did for print newspapers in the 19th century.
We declare the best strategy to ensure that local communities are served by quality professional reporting is the promotion and support of local independent online news publishing.
We are committed to strong local independent journalism, whether in small towns or big cities, to tell the stories that reflect their residents and build a sense of place, and to shine an informative light that allows citizens to make wise decisions. The Internet is worldwide, but every neighborhood's story is individual.
