5️⃣ takeaways from our Southeast Meetup
More than 200 champions of independent news gathered in Durham for our Southeast News Sustainability Meetup on October 3-4, and this was the most common sentiment we heard: “These are my people.”
From an emotional standing ovation and coining of the catchphrase “P&Ls and other dumb sh*t” during the LION Awards Ceremony to the launch of our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ affinity groups, there was a lot of excitement around independent news and the people who lead it.
And in case you missed the conference –– or simply want to relive it –– check out our top five takeaways. We’ll even reveal the last one to you now: due to the success of the Southeast Meetup and our members’ mounting interest in additional in-person events, we’re hosting a large gathering in Chicago on September 5-7, 2024. Save the date and stay tuned for more details. 😁
– Hayley Milloy, LION’s marketing manager
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here!
We’re hiring a membership director
As LION’s membership numbers continue to skyrocket, so does our need to hire more staff to deliver membership benefits and offerings that will move members toward sustainability. That’s why we’re seeking a membership director to join our growing team. This individual will be responsible for designing and implementing LION’s membership strategy, and they’ll work closely with fellow directors to oversee the execution of several essential programs.
We’re accepting applications until Nov. 5. Learn more about this position and how to apply.
8 resources for independent publishers
1. Explore technical decision-making around newsroom technology. Attend the News Product Alliance’s upcoming webinar, which will cover a robust framework for making informed, strategic, and holistic technology decisions. (Oct. 20)
2. Host a journalism student in your newsroom this summer. Attend the Reynolds Journalism Institute’s upcoming Innovation Community Call to learn about the RJI Student Innovation Fellowship program, which pairs students with news organizations to work on innovative projects of mutual interest. (Oct. 26)
3. Apply for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, a two-year program for investigative journalists interested in tackling ambitious accountability projects. Five participants will work from and report to their home newsrooms while receiving compensation and extensive support from ProPublica. (Apply by Nov. 1)
4. Take the next step in your news career. Apply for the News Product Alliance’s News Product Management Certification (NPMC), a rigorous, part-time, and virtual program for mid to senior-level news professionals looking to bolster product development and innovation skills. (Apply by Nov. 3)
5. Submit a proposal for the Catalyst Grant Program, a national competition to identify local justice reform projects to receive support from the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative (JRI) and the Urban Institute. (Apply by Nov. 17)
6. Gear up for Giving Tuesday. Classy’s resource webpage includes helpful tips on creating a successful campaign. (Giving Tuesday is Nov. 28)
7. Learn how to financially plan for the long haul with this six-part video series from the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
8. Apply for the Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Women in Journalism Workshop, an annual program that focuses on challenges, accomplishments, and issues specific to women in the journalism industry. (Apr. 12-14, 2024)
What we’re reading, plus an important PSA if you send email newsletters*
Next-gen news leaders. How student journalists are producing meaningful and memorable journalism amid the national news crisis. (The Associated Press)
The watchdog effect. Why public corruption prosecutions rise in judicial districts with independent, nonprofit news outlets. (The Journalist’s Resource)
Collaboration overload. Why increased collaborative demands cause the most workplace burnout and four ways to combat this malignant “microstress.” (Harvard Business Review)
Georgia on our minds. How the state of local news in Georgia mirrors nationwide trends –– both the good and the bad. (Georgia News Collaborative)
*DEMARC details and deadline. Why publishers who send 5,000 or more emails per day need to have a DMARC policy in place by February 2024, and how to set it up. (Inbox Collective)
LIONs in the news
Interindustry collaboration was a major topic that surfaced throughout our recent Southeast Meetup –– and The Last Ambulance and The Rover are doing it right. According to The Last Ambulance’s Hal Newman, they’ve started sharing content on a one-for-one basis, and when there isn’t a clear trade, they pay one another a modest licensing fee. For example, The Last Ambulance has swapped content with The Rover on a recent series about homelessness in Montreal. So readers get the deep context from The Rover’s coverage in addition to The Last Ambulance’s perspective from the frontlines of EMS, and both publications are credited.
The benefits –– both to the publications and their respective readers –– are enormous: new perspectives, fresh content, and more impactful journalism.
Check out our News Entrepreneur Slack channel if you’re a local news entrepreneur interested in exploring similar partnerships. It’s an excellent forum for finding folks, like Hal, who are eager to connect (and if you’re curious about Hal’s specific partnership, feel free to contact him directly at [email protected]).
In other LION member news:
- The Maine Monitor collected 39 awards from the Maine Press Association during the association’s annual fall conference on Oct. 14.
- Burlington Buzz’s founder and editor-in-chief, Nikki Kadilak, published a debut novel When We Were Mothers.
- TAPinto, the parent network of TAPinto Westfield, is celebrating its 15th birthday this month.
How to reach us
When you reply to this email, we all receive it and you’ll hear back from one of us. You can also email us directly at [email protected].