✨ 3 LIONs among Press Forward Chicago’s inaugural grantees
Here’s some good news for local news: Press Forward is gaining momentum.
LION members Borderless Magazine, Injustice Watch, and The Lansing Journal are among 13 local news outlets that will benefit from over $1.6M in Press Forward Chicago grants. 🎉
Read about each recipient’s project, and if your organization qualifies, remember to apply for Press Forward’s first open call for funding by June 12. Plus, scroll for resources to help you level up your own Press Forward application.
– Hayley Milloy, LION’s marketing manager
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2024 Summit session spotlight: Stronger together
A wave of consolidation is washing over the independent news industry, leading many news leaders to question whether it’s best to stay independent, form alliances, sell, buy, or merge.
And our 2024 Independent News Sustainability Summit session, “Consolidating for impact: How mergers and acquisitions are changing the independent news landscape,” featuring CalMatters’ Neil Chase and The Markup’s Sisi Wei, will go behind the headlines of their recent tie-up to explore how this trend is playing out across the industry, what it means for their newly merged staffs and funders, and give attendees a look under the hood of the deal.
Join us in Chicago to dive deeper into this trend and what it could mean for your news business. Register at the discounted rate by June 28!
10 resources for independent publishers
1. Center community voices this election season. Join the Reynolds Journalism Institute for a free online panel discussion on conducting community-centered events this election season, featuring LION members Spotlight PA’s Elizabeth Estrada and LA Public Press’ Mariah Castañeda. (May 31)
2. Level up that Press Forward app with expert help. If you plan to apply for a $100K Press Forward grant, sign up for two free consulting sessions to work on your application with a fundraising coach, courtesy of the Lenfest Institute. And bring your questions to be answered by Press Forward staff during this interactive Q&A session. (June 3)
3. Stay safe out there. Join PEN America, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the International Women’s Media Foundation for a free webinar series to empower journalists covering the U.S. general election with strategies and resources to protect themselves and one another. (Begins June 4)
4. Attend Black Owned Media Weekend. Hosted in Detroit, MI, this conference will convene Black media owners/publishers for community-building and resource sharing, programming on business longevity, and cultural activities. (June 6-9)
5. Spring clean your site’s look. Register for this free webinar from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which will cover how to create attractive and accessible graphics in Canva and streamline your design process. (June 13)
6. Find a fiscal sponsor. Attend Blue Avocado’s webinar about what nonprofits need to know about fiscal sponsorships. (July 25) Plus, here’s a list of options that we’ve confirmed fiscally sponsor news businesses.
7. Attend OpenNews’ SRCCON 2024. This peer-led conference in Minneapolis, MN, is designed for those who want to change journalism by creating more intentional processes, better relationships with the communities they serve, and new ways to engage and inform people. (Aug. 15-16)
8. Equitably engage freelancers. Check out LION member The Appeal’s guide to centering freelancers in contracts and the editorial process.
9. Nominate a local news outlet. The Medill Local News Initiative seeks another batch of “Bright Spots” to highlight in its 2024 report; its State of Local News 2023 report shared the success stories of 17 media outlets nationwide.
10. Find your people. We’ve created a list of fellow journalism support organizations and what they offer in terms of funding, training, resources, and connection opportunities.
What we’re reading
News on Nextdoor. How LION member Documented is building trust with New York City’s Caribbean communities via the neighborhood app Nextdoor, plus four types of posts that typically attract the most attention. (Nieman Lab)
A full plate. This food writer publishes two newsletters in two different languages — here’s how he pulls it off. (Inbox Collective)
Praise for ProPublica. With its 50 State Initiative, this “internet winner” is using its influence and reach to expand investigative reporting across the country. (Nieman Lab)
How Chicago gets its news. New research on the news-consumption habits of Chicago-area residents shows that more people are accessing news on their smartphones — and expect it for free. It also shares why people consume local news, with “helps me save and manage money” being the top response. (Medill Local News Initiative)
Lessons from a pizza shop. Why selling ads is just one piece of the news media revenue pie. (Editor & Publisher)
LIONs in the news
When most people think of online news, they think of traditional websites and social media platforms.
But with news avoidance on the rise and social media traffic to news sites plummeting, LION member The Texas Tribune is stepping out from behind the screen with in-person engagement strategies.
In this case, they’re visiting laundromats and passing out postcards — meeting people where they are and forging connections. Get inspired by their audience-centered approach.
In other LION member news:
⭐ CalMatters, Honolulu Civil Beat, Montana Free Press, and South Dakota News Watch have partnered with the Associated Press to distribute content ahead of the 2024 election.
⭐ Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside’s Tasneem Raja has won the International Women’s Media Foundation’s 2024 Gwen Ifill Award.
⭐ The Texas Tribune’s Rebekah Allen, Documented’s Clarissa A. León, El Tímpano’s Maye Primera, and Grist’s Naveena Sadasivam have been selected for the 2024 cohort of the ProPublica Investigative Editor Training Program.
⭐ PublicSource, The Maine Monitor, Mississippi Free Press, The Lens, The Salt Lake Tribune, Valley News, Underscore, and Richland Source are 2024 Report for America Local News Awards recipients.
⭐ Congrats to Andrea Faye Hart, who has joined the Tiny News Collective as its new membership director. The Tiny News Collective is also hiring an operations director.
How to reach us
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