LION Publishers 2021 Annual Report
Here's how we made a difference for independent local news publishers in 2021.
![LION 2021 Annual Report title slide LION Publishers annual report title slide](https://www.lionpublishers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/LION-2021-Annual-Report-1.png)
In 2021, our team at LION started with a hypothesis: If we could identify the building blocks of a strong and sustainable news business, we could help more publishers bring more vital news and information to more communities – and we’d find more founders willing to take that leap with LION and become independent news entrepreneurs.
As the calendar turns now to 2022, I’m glad to report we’ve made tremendous progress, not only by developing a framework for news business sustainability that’s been cited by news executives and industry leaders around the world, but by using its insights to help our members build stronger, more impactful, more resilient small businesses that can serve as a model for those who follow in their footsteps.
I’m also proud to share that LION is growing as an organization: In 2021, we brought on six full-time staffers and three new board members, increased our budget by 200 percent, designed and launched signature programs such as the GNI Startups Lab and Meta-LION Revenue Growth Fellowship, piloted a news entrepreneurship podcast, set up a Media Liability Insurance program for our members, and grew a Slack community where aspiring and established news founders can learn with and from each other.
This work in 2021 has set us on a clear path for the foreseeable future: helping our members build stronger small businesses by achieving operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact. Then we can begin to address the problem of misinformation and news deserts with a proven solution: more news entrepreneurs like the ones at LION.
Chris Krewson, Executive Director, LION Publishers
Read our 2021 Annual Report, and sign up for the LION newsletter to learn about future opportunities and resources for independent local news publishers.
Sign up for the weekly newsletter
Join the LION mailing list to get our weekly roundup of opportunities and resources for news entrepreneurs. View our most recent issues.
Related Articles
BoiseDev’s winning secret to selling newsletter ads: Only local news, only local ads
The site earns 60 percent of its advertising revenue through its high-open-rate email projects, in partnership with local ad agencies.
AI adoption: How Lede AI helps small publishers quickly generate content readers love
Helping news organizations leverage artificial intelligence with a tool that puts their readers and staff first
Social is down, newsletters are up: How audiences are finding LIONs in 2024
Changes to social media and search prompt publishers to shift strategy.