Journalism Support Organizations
This post was last updated on June 18, 2024.
As LION Publishers continues to grow, new and prospective members often ask us where to look for various funding, training, resources, and connection opportunities.
So to help save folks’ time researching all the other organizations out there (and there are many!), we’ve compiled a list of the most current, relevant resources and opportunities fellow journalism support organizations can provide independent news businesses. To narrow your search further, we’ve categorized this list by four questions people typically ask, depending on their needs and interests.
While this isn’t a comprehensive list, we hope it serves as a valuable starting point for navigating industry offerings. If you have any recommendations, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected].
What organizations offer memberships?
These are organizations that you can join as either an individual or a business to receive benefits. Some organizations allow non-members to participate in specific offerings.
ANNO is a grassroots collective of nearly 50 nonprofit, independent news organizations that collaborate on projects and encourage funders to invest more money in local and regional nonprofit journalism, with an emphasis on supporting smaller outlets.
Relevant offerings: Communication with fellow members and ANNOtator blog
AAN represents over 100 local, independent news media organizations in North America. Its members focus on local news, culture, food, and the arts, often reporting on issues and communities overlooked by mainstream media. AAN provides editorial and revenue workshops, advocacy, conferences, awards contests, funding and training access, members-only listservs, and a wealth of information on sustaining a local, independent news outlet in your community.
Relevant offerings: AAN Awards, AAN Convention, Job Board, and Alternative News Foundation
The Association of Health Care Journalists has many resources for freelancers and independent journalists, as well as fellowships that can support newsroom projects on health care topics and training.
Relevant offerings: Membership, fellowships, training and events, and resources for freelancers
The Global Investigative Journalism Network has 250 nonprofit journalism groups in 91 countries and publishes in a dozen languages. The core mission is to support and strengthen investigative journalism around the world — with special attention to those from repressive regimes and marginalized communities.
Relevant offerings: Resource Center, stories, awards, jobs, and conferences
INN provides education and business support services to 450 independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan news organizations while promoting the benefits of public service and investigative journalism.
Relevant offerings: NewsMatch, INN Days, Network Philanthropy Center, INN Index, and News Startup Hub
LION is on a mission to strengthen the local news industry by empowering its 525+ members in the U.S. and Canada to build and run sustainable independent news businesses.
Relevant offerings: Sustainability Audit, News Entrepreneur Academy, Summit, Sustainability Awards, and Community Ambassador program
LMA helps its 3,000+ members across all local media develop sustainable business strategies by providing programs, labs, conferences, webinars, research, and training.
Relevant offerings: LMA Digital Club, Branded Content Project, and LMA Fest
The NAHP is a nonpartisan trade advocacy organization founded to promote the work of Spanish-language publications. Membership is open to Spanish-language and Hispanic-owned newspapers, magazines, and related media, as well as businesses that offer products and services to this market throughout the United States.
Relevant offerings: Legislative Summit and José Marti Awards
More than 200 African-American-owned community newspapers are members of the NNPA, which delivers news, information, and commentary to over 20 million readers each week as “the voice of the Black community.”
Relevant offerings: National Convention, an online forum, Newswire, and NNPA Fund
ONA is the world’s largest digital journalism association. It is open to anyone interested in online news and provides industry insights and best practices, a career center, a directory, events, and networking opportunities.
Digital Women Leaders is an initiative of ONA for women and non-gender binary people working in news who are seeking advice from someone who understands their experience.
Relevant offerings: ONA Conference, Online Journalism Awards, Women’s Leadership Accelerator, ONA Career Center, and AI in Journalism Initiative
SPJ is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and promoting high standards of ethical behavior. Through various publications and programs, it supports nearly 7,000 members, including broadcast, print, and online journalists, educators, and students.
Relevant offerings: Chapters, Regional Conferences, Legal Defense Fund, SPJ Toolbox, Employment and Career Center, and SPJ Awards
The Tiny News Collective is an organization for very small news outlets seeking support, tools, and services to help them launch community-oriented news and information businesses.
Relevant offerings include training sessions and workshops, fiscal sponsorship to receive donations and grants, access to consultants, a tech stack, a resource library, and a peer network of other early-stage news founders.
Where can I find technology and consulting services to help boost my business?
These are vendors that you can contract with and purchase services from.
Blue Engine Collaborative is a team of senior coaches — all practitioners, not theorists — who can help your news organization grow its sustainability by driving digital audience growth and engagement, increasing revenue and revenue diversification, understanding your data, creating new products, and improving your marketing.
Relevant offerings: Copilot, 100-day challenge, or custom coaching solutions. See how other publishers grew working with Blue Engine on LinkedIn.
BlueLena works with over 200 independent news organizations and offers an all-in-one digital marketing and revenue management platform, BlueLena CXA, and strategic marketing services.
Relevant offerings: BlueLena CXA, BlueLena CRM, and BlueLena Academy
Hearken’s technology, training, and consulting services help newsrooms and other organizations identify, understand, and respond to their audiences’ needs.
Relevant offerings: Engagement Management System (EMS), Community Management System (CMS), and engagement workshops. Hearken also helps journalists and editors level up their democracy and politics coverage via Democracy SOS and the Advancing Democracy Fellowship.
Hyperlocal News Network helps media companies drive audience and revenue growth through operational and strategic online solutions.
Relevant offerings include a content management system (CMS), a customer relationship management (CRM) system, graphic design services, media liability insurance, and more.
Indiegraf is an all-in-one package for news publishers who need a website, email, and ad platform, as well as access to growth experts and support under one umbrella.
Relevant offerings: Indiegraf product bundles (Indie Website, Indie Email, and Indie Ads Manager) and Indiegraf Experts (audience and ads growth services)
Built on WordPress and supported by the Google News Initiative, the Knight Foundation, and The Lenfest Institute, Newspack is an advanced publishing and revenue-generating content management system (CMS) for small to mid-sized news organizations. It centers publishing, audience development, and advertising.
News Revenue Hub provides expert consulting services and a free fundraising platform for publishers, News Revenue Engine, that prioritizes free access to news while generating reader revenue.
Relevant offerings: News Revenue Engine, consulting, and a newsletter
Old Town launches and grows new news publications, works with established media companies on revenue and sustainability issues, and partners with journalism-minded tech companies to create solutions for the media industry.
Where should I look for funding and capacity support?
These organizations provide grants, funding, and capacity-building resources to independent news businesses.
AJP makes grants to nonprofit news organizations, partners with communities to launch new organizations, and coaches leaders as they grow and sustain their newsrooms.
Relevant offerings: Grants (and grantee support), news, research, Startup Studio, Local News Incubator, and Product & AI Studio
Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that works in criminal justice, evidence and evaluation, health, higher education, infrastructure, and public finance.
Relevant offerings: Grants, resources, and a newsletter
City Bureau is a civic media organization redefining local journalism through innovative programs and partnerships. Its Public Newsroom is a model for community engagement and sustained dialogue, and its Civic Reporting Fellowship supports emerging journalists with skills and resources to create impactful community-driven storytelling. Its Documenters program equips individuals to actively monitor local government and contribute to the public record, establishing a powerful new mechanism of public accountability and fostering greater civic engagement nationwide.
Relevant offerings: Documenters meeting directory, workshops, and reporting; Public Newsroom engagement model; Civic Reporting Fellowship training and mentorship
Emerson Collective is a partner-led initiative that blends philanthropy and targeted investments to start and sustain groundbreaking initiatives in areas such as immigration, environment, education, media and journalism, and more.
Relevant offerings: Fellowships, internships, podcasts, and newsletters
The Ford Foundation is a philanthropic institution that focuses on nine interconnected areas, including civic engagement and government; creativity and free expression; disability rights; the future of work(ers); gender, racial, and ethnic justice; international cooperation; mission investments; natural resources and climate change; and technology and society.
Relevant offerings: Press Forward, Ford Global Fellowship, grants, and learnings
The Google News Initiative supports local publishers through its GNI partnerships and products. It partners with and listens to publishers, provides products and programs designed to directly address their challenges, and helps build community across platforms.
Relevant offerings: Funding, training, GNI Startups Lab, plus additional labs
The Joyce Foundation is a private, nonpartisan philanthropic institution that funds six distinct areas, including supporting high-quality journalism projects focused on public policy issues affecting the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin).
Relevant offerings: Journalism grants, Press Forward
One of the nation’s largest journalism funders, the Knight Foundation is committed to supporting the search for sustainable and scalable local news models and is a founding partner of Press Forward.
Relevant offerings: Grants, research, and Knight Media Forum
The Lenfest Institute invests in sustainable local news business models at the intersection of local journalism, democracy, and community in Philadelphia and nationwide.
Relevant offerings: Strategic advisory services, events and training, four communities of practice, limited grant funding, fiscal sponsorships, Beyond Print, Local News Infrastructure Fund, and a resources catalog
Based in Chicago, the MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that invests in creative solutions to urgent challenges, from climate change and nuclear risk to criminal justice reform and local news infrastructure. It is also a founding partner of Press Forward.
Relevant offerings: Grants, Big Bets/Local News, Journalism Commitment/Journalism & Media, and Press Forward
The Pivot Fund invests in hyperlocal news outlets that inform and engage underserved communities, and support them with culturally competent services. It focuses on identifying outlets that have earned the trust of their communities, a disruptive, bottom-up approach to journalism philanthropy.
Relevant offerings: Research, grantmaking and services, and a newsletter
Press Forward is a growing national coalition investing over $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news, and scale the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive.
Relevant offerings: Pooled Fund, Press Forward Locals, and Aligned Grantmaking
Report for America is a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.
Relevant offerings: Become a host newsroom or a corps member
What organizations offer training, resources, and information relevant to running my news business?
These organizations provide learning opportunities to independent news entrepreneurs.
As our industry evolves at a rapid pace, API provides a welcoming and collaborative space for media and journalism leaders to think boldly. API combines deep industry expertise with a suite of research, programs, and products to ensure news organizations can thrive.
Relevant offerings: Better News, Table Stakes, Source Matters, Inclusion Index, Local News Summits, webinars, training, and grants
CCM at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY serves news organizations that provide essential local coverage for communities whose voices and issues are underrepresented in mainstream media. CCM provides information, training, and networking opportunities to help ensure that underrepresented community news outlets have access to research, resources, funding, and training.
Relevant offerings: Training, maps and directories, initiatives (advertising, Asian media, Black media, Latino media, and more!), and research. CCM also has a newsletter that offers links to resources and updates from this media landscape.
Based in New Jersey, The Center for Cooperative Media is a grant-funded program within Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media. It runs a statewide network, the NJ News Commons, coordinates reporting projects and provides training and development, research, newsletters, and a national conference.
The Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at UNC provides support for local journalists and publishers through education/training programs and research.
Relevant offerings: Local news research, UNC Table Stakes, Local News Audience Assistant chatbot, From the Field series, Hiring Better Practices Playbook, journalism support database
The Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri empowers journalists with knowledge, tools, and funding to strengthen journalism through practical innovation.
Relevant offerings: Fellowships, Trusting News, Innovation in Focus, and Source Diversity Tracking Tool
Free Press is an activism and advocacy organization focusing on media and technology's impact on people's lives, emphasizing saving Net Neutrality, ensuring affordable internet access, uplifting marginalized voices, ending unwanted surveillance, defending press freedom, and reimagining local journalism.
Relevant offerings: Petitions, events, a blog, and a Policy Library
Launched to bring international experience and strategies around serving community information needs to the U.S., the Listening Post Collective is made up of former journalists, business leaders, humanitarian activists, grassroots organizers, and public policy analysts.
Relevant offerings: Playbook, Targeted Civic Media Design Partnerships, news and insights
The Maynard Institute challenges the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations, and events.
Relevant offerings: Diversity training, Maynard 200 Fellowship, events
The NPCJI promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.
Relevant offerings: Trainings, workshops, and webinars, scholarships, and stories
NPA is a nonprofit organization that provides connection, inspiration, skill development, and capacity-building opportunities in the news product field. Its goal is to elevate the discipline and expand the diversity of news product thinkers in decision-making roles.
Relevant offerings: Product Kit, Resource Library, Slack channel, and News Product Management Certification
OpenNews is a nonprofit organization that provides interactive events and programs to help peers share knowledge and build a more equitable future for journalism.
Relevant offerings: Consulting, DEI Coalition, Scholarships+, Source, and SRCCON
The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit that strengthens democracy by improving journalism’s relevance, ethical practice, and value. Through training, publishing, convening, fact-checking, and media literacy, Poynter creates a crossroads where communities unite to use journalism to confront society’s complex problems.
Relevant offerings: MediaWise, International Fact-Checking Network, The Poynter Journalism Prizes, and Politifact
Pro News Coaches is a team of former Wall Street Journal reporters and editors that provide various support and resources to help local newsrooms thrive.
Relevant offerings: Coaching and mentoring, editing, project assistance, and workshops.
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services and support to journalists and newsrooms.
Relevant offerings: 24/7 legal hotline for newsgathering emergencies, comprehensive legal guides and training, prepublication vetting, and business legal referrals
SembraMedia is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that represents a network of more than 1,000 digital publishers in 24 countries in Latin America, Spain, the U.S., and Canada. It helps digital media leaders build stronger organizations and develop sustainable business models, with an emphasis on Spanish-language projects.
Relevant offerings: Project Oasis, events, GNI Startups Labs, and other initiatives
The Solutions Journalism Network provides tools and training to help newsrooms reframe their news coverage to include stories on solutions to social problems, instead of just what’s gone wrong.
Relevant offerings: Solutions Story Tracker, Learning Lab, fellowships for individuals and communities of practice for newsrooms, a directory, and solutions journalism training and a course for becoming a trainer or newsroom leader
We hope you find this list helpful. If you have any questions about what’s listed here, please get in touch with LION’s Marketing Manager, Hayley Milloy, at [email protected].