Because of conflicts with other conferences, the LION Summit will be delayed until spring 2015.
The LION Summit will bring together the independent online news industry’s leaders for training, networking and conversations about the future of news. On behalf of the entire LION Board of Directors, please accept our apologies for this inconvenience. We already had a great slate of speakers and sessions lined up, and we'll be working over the next few months to make our gathering even bigger, better, more informative and more fun than ever. Read more ».
An outline of first steps for fledgling publishers, written by LION's executive director, Beth Lawton, was published by NetNewsCheck: "Success for Local Independent Online News Publishers comes in as many forms as there are publications, but ensuring your own success as a journalism entrepreneur comes from careful and deliberate planning and sustainable organization and systems as much as it comes from passion. Beth Lawton, executive director for LION Publishers, says the most common advice she hears from members is, 'Make sure to set up your business before you break news.'"
She advised: For out-of-work journalists, including many let go recently from AOL’s Patch, it can be tempting to set up a site and start publishing news within days of a layoff. In fact, registering a domain, setting up a basic site and publishing your first piece of news can literally take just a few hours.
Stop. Don't do it. Read more »
LION Publishers is proud to announce the hiring of an experienced media professional, Beth Lawton, as the organization's Executive Director. Lawton will tackle the nonprofit group's efforts to better connect the members of Local Independent Online News Publishers, and to foster the growth of indie news sites across the country.
"We're very pleased to have Beth Lawton join us. Her energy and experience will be a huge asset as LION grows our organizational capacity," said Dylan Smith, the Chairman of LION's Board of Directors.
Lawton, with experience in multimedia reporting and editing as well as media association leadership, said, "The advances in mobile journalism and consumer technology, with the increasing focus on local, relevant and useful online information, make this a great time for journalism entrepreneurs. I'm excited about expanding LION Publishers' reach and influence as more people jump into publishing community news."
"We're thrilled to have Beth on board," said Scott Brodbeck, who sits on LION's Board and chairs the Member Benefits Committee. "Her talents will allow LION to take its mission of supporting local indie news publishers to the next level," said Brodbeck, the founder of Local News Now LLC and publisher of ARLnow.com and two other local news websites in the D.C. metro area. "This sends a strong message to media pundits everywhere: local online news innovation is happening and indie publishers are leading the way." Read more »
A complete set of videos of the 2013 LION Summit is now available. Posted sessions are linked from the conference schedule page.
Sixteen of the presentations and discussions were captured, including talks by John Bracken of the Knight Foundation and Internet news trailblazer Steve Waldman. Read more »
Those Patch editors who are about to be laid off should take a few days to enjoy some much-deserved time with their families, and then get in touch with one of the hundred-plus members of Local Independent Online News Publishers. If you've got the drive to be an entrepreneur, we've got a network of independent publishers who are ready and willing to help you establish a news outlet that is focused on your community.
Start your own indie news site, and join us! You won;t have to cover a cat show (unless you want to), and nobody will fire you for snapping a photo. Read more »
Membership in Local Independent Online News Publishers reached more than 100 at the beginning of June, the national educational nonprofit announced Tuesday.
LION Publishers members include more than 90 dues-paying CEOs of local indie news sites around the country.
"We're extremely proud that LION's members represent the continuing success of independent local news sites," said Dylan Smith, chairman of LION's Board of Directors.
LION's members operate news organizations from Hawaii to Brooklyn, from the Grand Tetons to the Alamo, covering urban, suburban and rural communities.
LION's recruiting effort was bolstered by The Patterson Foundation, which helped underwrite LION's early organizational costs and matched up to half the dues of the new members.
"Support from The Patterson Foundation meant the world to us as we recruited news entrepreneurs to LION," said Charlotte-Ann Lucas, who chairs the Membership Committee. Read more »
