Wordpress may be the most widely used web content management system, or CMS, when it comes to small independent websites, but it’s not the only option out there, as we heard at the LION Publishers 2016 Summit Friday afternoon during a roundtable with David Sutton of TownNews (which offers its proprietary BLOX software), Joe Hyde of San Angelo Live (a Drupal disciple), David Walsh of Walsh Creative (a WordPress design house), Steve Ludwig of BIGRMedia (which offers its own platform), and Travis Smith of HOP Studios (an ExpressionEngine design house). Read more »
Some local independent online news publishers have found success using various video and audio formats to engage their audience and to bring in additional streams of revenue. Read more »
Howard Owens believes the Internet can build stronger local communities, and it’s real-time engagement with those communities on the devices they use that will contribute to the sustainability of the local online news model. Read more »
There may not be a lot of foundation money out there for journalism, but there is money out there, both for and from nonprofits, according to members of a panel on nonprofit fundraising at the recent LION 2016 conference in Chicago. Nonprofit and for-profit sites alike need to build relationships within their communities and foster civic engagement, which will both improve local fundraising and entice whatever foundation money that is out there. Read more »
The vice president of the Knight Foundation’s Technology Innovation program urged attendees of the LION Publishers 2016 Summit in Chicago Saturday to continue looking around a now-familiar bend. In remarks delivered Saturday afternoon, John Bracken, invoked retired U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, advancements in artificial intelligence, and Knight’s just-concluded libraries News Challenge to push local news sites toward innovation. Read more »
To thrive, independent news publishers must demonstrate the impact their work has had on their community. But that impact is central to the conversations they need to have to attract advertisers or funding sources. This was the message four panelists conveyed to attendees at the LION Publishers 2016 Summit in Chicago Friday afternoon. Read more »
Startup news publishers face challenges they didn’t have to worry about working in traditional media, but they have opportunities galore to fill a void those traditional media outlets have left. Read more »
When it comes to obtaining public records – city council minutes, police reports, public employee salaries – David Cuillier of the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism doesn’t take no for an answer. And, as he told attendees at the LION Publishers 2016 Summit in Chicago Friday afternoon, he doesn’t “request” either. It’s all about whether you want to be a cute kitten (“may I please … “) or a mean cat (“gimme the records!”). Read more »
Newsgathering audiences are increasingly mobile and social, have great distrust in national media, but believe local media does a decent job informing them on relevant information. Read more »
