LION named 45 publishers as finalists for its inaugural awards across 15 categories, including Business Idea of the Year, presented by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, Technology Innovation of the Year, presented by Facebook, and Best Solutions Journalism Project of the Year, presented by Solutions Journalism Network, which includes a $2,000 grant for the winner to produce another solutions journalism project in the next year.

Here are this year’s 2019 winners.

Investigative Story of the Year (Small)
Highlands Current “The Extremist Next Door”

Judge’s comments:

“I appreciate this newsroom’s care in explaining why they tackled a profile of an extremist. As we know, these stories can be unpopular and divisive. Getting ahead of the criticism was a commendable and necessary step.”

“This is a difficult and contested topic to cover in regards to amplification and doxxing, yet this work has been done with care and transparency about editorial decision making.”

Investigative Story of the Year (Medium)
Santa Monica Daily Press: Vehicular Homelessness and a ‘Vanlord’

Judge’s comments:

“The Daily Press took a tip about an unorthodox solution to a crisis and used it as a way to examine the crisis as a whole. That is a hallmark of good journalism – getting readers’ attention with a unique story and then adding value to that story by explaining the bigger picture. The Daily Press also should be commended for continuing to follow the story and the issue of homelessness.”

“Good scoop on a systemic problem in this community.”

Investigative Story of the Year (Large)
Wausau Pilot and Review: Penta Wastewater Contamination

Judge’s comments:

“Like the origin of this coming directing from community members, and the responsive, appropriate role for the newsroom in corroborating and amplifying citizen group data with detailed reporting.”

“This series of stories is a good example of dedication to hard news. The reporters stayed on the story and reported every development, and I hope they’re continuing to do that.”

Business Idea of the Year
Racine County Eye: Eye on Employment

Judge’s comments:

“What a fantastic program that can build on both the revenue and the public service of a publication. This seems like a perfect marriage of providing a service for your community and tapping into a historic, and hopefully sustainable, revenue source for a news pub.”

“Seems like a good and innovative way to make up for what the industry lost in terms of classifieds, and the results appear to be positive.”

Best Breaking News Coverage (Small)
Madison365: Madison Teacher on Leave After Alleged Beating of Girl Caught on Video

Judge’s comments:

“Great, thoughtful reporting on a tough topic. It’s clear this story was reported with the community’s best interest at heart, not reported for the clicks or the attention. That goes a long way to show what kind of trust Madison365 is building within its community.”

“Detailed reporting with a link to broader regional/national issues. The reporting was clearly very influential, leading to turnover on the school board.” 

Best Breaking News Coverage (Medium)
CT News Junkie: As Measles Returns, Connecticut Offers Little Info About Immunization Rates

Judge’s comments:

“Great reporting on an important topic. Big kudos for your work engaging the community via live-streaming and the data visualization. Obviously, this coverage had a huge impact on your community.”

“Excellent work on the interactive map, which provides a practical and user friendly way to present data to your audience.” 

Best Breaking News Coverage (Large)
Richland Source: Signs of recovery in Shelby after devastating tornado

Judge’s comments:

“This is hyper-local news as its finest and fulfilling its highest calling. Great use of social media, excellent photography and thorough reporting on what must have been a difficult story to cover. The stories showed intimate knowledge of the community and how much that matters in this kind of coverage.”

“Excellent work with visuals and community engagement.”

Technology Innovation Award
Richland Source for Lede Ai

Judge’s comments:

“The complete automation of the story creation process is laudable as is its value to the publisher for driving traffic. And let’s not forget that, for many, high school sports coverage puts the L in local. Admirable too is the national recognition of the product. Sales to other media organizations of the technology speak of the value of this innovation for both the Richland Source and other media organizations as well, Well done!”

“Good implementation of AI technological solution on local level. Clear potential for this to further organization’s goal of driving pageviews.”

Best Visual Journalism Project
Oil City News’ Photo Essays

Judge’s comments:

“These photo essays were all powerful pieces that told very human stories. The quality of the photojournalism was superb; these stories were obviously in the hands of a very talented photographer. Especially strong was the deployment ceremony, which captured the strong emotions of families as their loved ones were about to go back to war zones. Kudos to Dan Cepeda and his editors!”

“Strong entry overall in terms of showing the value of a local news organization: An excellent job of bringing the community to life via photo collections that capture lots of local faces and evoke the of having been there to witness what the photographer saw, especially the military send-off event package.”

LION Service Award
Broadstreet

Judge’s comments:

“Broadstreet first impressed me with their Facebook integration into ads when a publisher requested the feature. From that point on they have worked directly with publishers to meet their needs and to dream alongside them to create new ideas.”

“Kenny and Broadstreet have been part of the LION ecosystem since the very beginning. For nearly a decade, he’s worked hand-in-hand with local publishers, and has been sincerely dedicated to rebuilding local news with business-side innovation and  peerless support.”

Best Coverage of an Underserved Community
Chalkbeat Chicago: How it feels to be Javion: 16 and struggling to read in Chicago Public Schools

Judge’s comments:

“Well-written, beautifully shot, smart graphics. “How one Chicago principal is leaning on data to help black boys” is a masterful example of data journalism: Contextualizing the data in the stories of Fuller students and leadership not only displays deft news judgment, but clear evidence the journalist was able to engender trust with the sources/schools/community she’s covering.”

“This is a powerful story that clearly comes from your engagement efforts. Great work!”

Best Solutions Journalism Project
Richland Source: Rising from Rust

Judge’s comments:

“Impressive in scope, audio and Hearken-generated interaction.  Like how other cities’ experiences were brought into the picture. Shows both community commitment and the use of journalism to get beyond the day to day coverage to the big picture issues lived by communities.”

“Tangible impact with the skate park and a good job incorporating Hearken to bring the community voice into the series.”

LION Publisher of the Year (Small)
Madison365

Judge’s comments:

“Great job telling valuable stories to and for your community!”

“I applaud their events and expertise-leveraging expansion, and the site is filling quite a need in amplifying and connecting people of color in Madison.”

“This is a break-through publication, and doubling the number of Black reporters in Madison in one small newsroom in a white majority community is impressive!”

LION Publisher of the Year (Medium)
Home Page Media Group

Judge’s comments:

“In the midst of the industry trend to membership, HPMG is showing how advertising can still be a strong suit, when done correctly. Its acquisition shows that other entities saw the value of the organization as well. Its commitment to solutions journalism also demonstrates that HPMG is willing to invest in more durable reporting.”

“The Natchez Trace Bridge project is important and valuable community journalism. Brentwood Home Page’s growth in pageviews shows that staff is creating valuable work.”

LION Publisher of the Year (Large)
Richland Source

Judge’s comments:

“Phenomenal. You’re hitting audience engagement from every angle – because they’re all important! – and proactively innovating using technology, partnerships, curiosity and experimentation/measurement. You’ve found a way to make both sponsored content AND artificial intelligence useful and meaningful. Bravo!”

“Richland Source offers important and valuable local news on a clean site with a good user experience. Your solutions journalism projects and funding should be templates for all local newsrooms.”

******

Congrats to all of this year’s winners and finalists! Details for next year’s awards will be available soon.

A special thanks to our award judges: Amara Aguilar, USC Annenberg; Christine Schmidt, Nieman Lab; Courtney Cowgill, University of Montana; Craig Silverman, BuzzFeed; Dana Coester, West Virginia University; Dawn Garcia, JSK Fellowships; Doug Mitchell, Next Generation Radio; Eve Pearlman, Spaceship Media; Jane Elizabeth, Raleigh News & Observer and The Durham Herald-Sun; Scott Sharpe, Visuals Editor, McClatchy Southeast Region; Jessica Pucci, Arizona State University; Jim Rutenberg, New York Times; Julia B. Chan, Mother Jones; Ken Doctor, Newsonomics; Kristen Hare, Poynter; Laura Owen, Nieman Lab; Reuben Stern, University of Missouri.

The post Announcing the 2019 LION Publishers Awards Winners appeared first on LION Publishers.

Here’s how our office hours will work: Sign up for a time slot with one of the experts at the Summit. You’ll receive an email and calendar confirmation, and you’ll meet up with that speaker at our conference. Learn more about what each speaker has to offer by clicking on their name on our office hours page. (Note: The available time slots automatically display to your current time zone and will be added to your calendar in your current time zone. But the conference is in Nashville, which is in the Central Time zone, and all time slots correspond with Nashville’s local time.)

The deadline to sign up is Oct. 24, so be sure to act soon! These are in-person office hours so you must be present at the LION Summit to attend them.

Plus, if you’re curious who else is attending our conference, you can check out the bottom of our Eventbrite page, which shows who has registered. (Here’s our policy on sharing attendee information at our conference.)

Got other questions? Email programming director Anika Anand at anika@lionpublishers.com.

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Roxann Stafford is the managing director of the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund, a $20-million initiative that works to empower local news organizations to build trust with their audiences while producing outstanding journalism and developing new revenue streams that can enable them to reach long-term business sustainability. This month at our LION Summit in Nashville (have you bought your tickets yet?) she’ll be chatting with our executive director Chris Krewson about what we can to do create more sustainable and equitable news organizations. Here are some questions she answered for us:

In a sentence, describe what you hope folks will learn from hearing you speak at our conference.

You have the ability to create sustainable and equitable publications. It’s all about how to:

a) identify the problems you want to solve as you grow your news organization

b) leverage a needs-based prototyping mindset that incorporates the community in the process.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from the past year that you think others can learn from?

Not a new learning, but more clarity on the importance of asking oneself who or what are we centering and, as a result, what will be the outcome? If each of us and our news organizations as a whole pause to reflect on those two things, we’ll be better able to make more informed decisions, which can include, among other things: identifying revenue models, building and/or re-establishing trust and the adoption and development of products.

More often than not we center ourselves– what we think is most important and what we need– while keeping that lens on throughout the entire process of developing a story or our publication; then forget the other lenses that we need to see through to assess, develop and innovate. Fortunately, the ability to recognize and use different lenses comes from practice and authentic engagement with your team as well as the community on a regular basis.

What is one thing you’re most excited to work on in 2020?

Continuing the work alongside news organizations, news entrepreneurs, community members, centers of learnings and discourse (formal and informal) based on what a sustainable and equitable news and information ecosystem look like, which is also informed by movements and industries outside of journalism. Engaging in a process to identify the ways we can learn together by testing new ideas and growing existing processes and solutions.

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the local media industry tomorrow, what would it be and why?

Being more self-reflective and having a culture that allows that to happen. By allowing ourselves to recognize what is not working more honestly, like many of our current Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts (and in some places, the lack thereof…) we could actually start to make the changes we need:

a) to identify and grow new revenue streams

b) to explore new formats and mediums

c) to collaborate better with existing organizations and communities regardless of fault lines*

Like many, I admire and take inspiration from Ida B. Wells. Notably, she said “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

Often this quote is used externally to push us in our pursuit for justice in the stories we tell. It should guide in that way. Yet, I also think Wells was invoking us to do that work on ourselves as well. For example, when we talk about transformation in local news, we often focus on just the “digital” without realizing that this is a cultural shift much more than a tech shift.

*This comes from the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education’s framework to help understand the ways that people view the world. The six fault lines are race, class, gender, generation, geography and sexual orientation. These fault lines influence every aspect of a news organization– hiring, sourcing, marketing, community engagement, and business development just to name a few.

__________________________

Roxann will talk more about the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and her work at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at our Summit conference in Nashville. Tickets are still available here.

The post Knight-Lenfest’s Roxann Stafford: The change local media needs is more cultural than digital appeared first on LION Publishers.

Thursday, Oct. 24
Opening Night Reception at FGL House Speakeasy
Sponsored by Facebook Journalism Project
6–8 p.m.
120 3rd Ave S.

Join us downtown for a taste of Nashville at the FGL House, with drinks and appetizers.

Friday, Oct. 25
LION Publishers Awards Reception & Dinner at Music City Center
Sponsored by John S. Knight Fellowships
Reception: 6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Dinner & Awards Show: 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Experience history as we hand out our very fist LION Publishers Awards! Start the evening with appetizers and an open bar with beer, wine and cocktails. Then enjoy a buffet with 3 dinner entrees, salads, sides and dessert. Top it off with our first 15 LION Publishers Awards winners, and a ceremony co-hosted by LION’s Phayvanh Luekhamhan and Noozhawk’s Kim Clark!

Note: This reception and dinner requires a separate ticket, which you can purchase ahead of time here or at the door.

Saturday, Oct. 26
Closing Night Party at Ms. Kelli’s Karaoke Bar
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
207 Printers Alley

Close the conference in style with a fun evening at Ms. Kelli’s, with drinks, nibbles and singing! The perfect way to cap off your Summit experience, or start a night out on the town!

The post LION 2019 Summit Social Parties: Where to hang out with your fellow conference attendees appeared first on LION Publishers.

Roxann Stafford

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Nashville this fall at the LION Summit. We have more speakers to announce, as well as some fantastic sponsors!

SPEAKERS

Elizabeth Green, Chalkbeat, American Journalism Project
Roxann Stafford, Lenfest Institute for Journalism
Mandy Jenkins, The Compass Experiment
Michele McLellan, Michele’s List

GOLD SPONSORS

Google
Facebook

SILVER SPONSORS

JSK Fellowships at Stanford
Democracy Fund
Solutions Journalism Network
PugPig
Ezoic

BRONZE SPONSORS

Broadstreet Ads
WebPublisher Pro
Empower Local
Friends2Follow

Thanks for all the support of our sponsors. Interested in sponsoring the Summit? Contact Mark Glaser at markglaser@lionpublishers.com

The post LION Summit news: Roxann Stafford, Mandy Jenkins added as speakers appeared first on LION Publishers.

Join us in Nashville to find out, when we unveil our judges’ choice for this capstone category of LION Publishers’ very first awards program, now accepting nominations from LION members.

We’ll be handing out awards on October 25th in Nashville, during the second night of our conference. Other categories for these awards include:

• Business Idea of the Year
• Technology Innovation of the Year (presented by Facebook)
• Investigative Report of the Year
• Solutions Journalism Project of the Year (presented by the Solutions Journalism Network)
• Best Breaking News Coverage
• Best Coverage of Underserved Communities
• Best Visual Journalism Project
• The LION Service Award (for vendors only)

So you can be a part of the first awards program recognizing the work of local independent online news organizations, who produce impactful work every day in communities all over the U.S.

Plus, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network, the winner of the Solutions Journalism Project of the Year will receive a one-time $2,000 grant to create another solutions journalism project in the coming year.

LION Award Judges include:

• Amara Aguilar, USC Annenberg
• Dylan Byers, NBC
• Julia Chan, Mother Jones
• Dana Coester, WVU
• Courtney Lowery Cowgill, University of Montana
• Ken Doctor, Newsonomics
• Jane Elizabeth, Raleigh News & Observer
• Dawn Garcia, JSK Fellows
• Kristen Hare, Poynter
• Kate Lesniak, ThinkShout
• Doug Mitchell, NPR
• Laura Hazard Owen, Nieman Lab
• Eve Pearlman, Spaceship Media
• Jessica Pucci, Arizona State
• Jim Rutenberg, New York Times
• Christine Schmidt, Nieman Lab
• Craig Silverman, BuzzFeed
• Reuben Stern, RJI / Missouri
• Yumi Wilson, San Francisco State

Learn more and apply for an award now!

The fine print: The LION Awards are open to people who are LION Publishers members in good standing, helping run local independent online news publications. Submissions are also open to employees or freelancers who work for publications run by LION Publishers members. Vendors who have helped serve LION member publications may apply for the LION Service Award. If you are interested in joining LION Publishers, go to our Membership Application page.

Categories: Not all LION Publishers have organizations of the same size, so several awards are broken down into different size categories. We’re asking for analytics screenshots to show your pageviews for April 2019 with each entry.

Small publication: 150,000 pageviews per month or less.

Medium publication: 150,001 pageviews to 500,000 pageviews per month.

Large publication: More than 500,000 pageviews per month.

Time frame: The LION Awards are open to editorial work, business initiatives and technological advancements made between July 1, 2018 and July 1, 2019.

What’s it cost? Entry fees are $25 for LION Member award categories, and $50 for the Vendor Service Award category, plus transaction fees. Payment should be made by credit card via the Submittable platform.

What’s my deadline? Applications must be received by August 12, 2019 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

Learn more and apply now!

If you have any questions about the Awards, please contact Mark Glaser at markglaser@lionpublishers.com

The post Introducing the first-ever LION Publishers Local Journalism Awards appeared first on LION Publishers.

CTA's L train is available between downtown Chicago and both O'Hare and Midway airports. Metro stops are indicated on the map with an "M." Trains from O'Hare take about 45 minutes to travel downtown, while Midway trains take about 30 minutes.

Accommodations

LION Publishers has arranged a block of rooms for Oct. 11-13 at the Best Western Grant Park Hotel in Chicago, just a block from the site of the summit, at a special discounted rate of $199 for single and double rooms. Register online here or call the hotel at (312) 922-2900 and mention "LION" to reserve a room. The deadline for obtaining that rate is Sept. 11, but the block of rooms could be filled up by then, so act soon. The group rate will be honored up to three days before and after the conference, for those who wish to spend some extra time in Chicago.

Because of a quirk in the online reservation system, it's difficult to book rooms online for a stretch that includes Wednesday-Saturday nights. It's possible to book Weds/Thurs/Fri and a separate booking for Saturday night, or Weds and Thurs/Fri/Sat. We've asked Best Western to figure out what might be happening, but that's a work-around for the moment. Availability of rooms for Saturday night is limited.

Another block of rooms is available at the Congress Plaza Hotel, four blocks up Michigan Avenue from the Best Western. Rooms there are $179 per night (possibly cheaper via your favorite online booking outlet), but Saturday night is sold out. Reseve online or call 312-427-3800 x 5025 or 800-635-1666.

Also, you can check out other nearby hotels listed on the map above. A Travelodge is just a few blocks up Wabash from the conferences site, but rooms are limited on Saturday night. If you're looking for a fancier hotel than the Best Western, the Loop is filled with them. The Hilton's a couple blocks away, and there are even snazzier ones. Columbia College also maintains a list of recommended hotels, and for those on a very tight budget, there's a hostel within walking distance that can be as low as $40 per night (that's cheaper than a cab ride from the airport). Need a roommate? Use our Roomate Roster list to help find someone to split hotel costs.

Facilities

October 11-13, Thursday morning through Saturday evening, on the downtown urban campus of Colubmia College Chicago. Sessions on Thursday and Friday will be held in the Film Row Cinema and classrooms on the 8th floor of 1104 S. Wabash, just off South Michigan Avenue in the Loop. Friday night's reception will be held on the third floor of that building. Sessions on Saturday will be on the second and ninth floors of 618 S. Michigan Ave., just a few blocks north, with the closing reception on the second floor.

1104 South Wabash – Film Row Cinema

The conference will include activities on the 8th floor:

• Film Row Cinema — 260-seat theatre
• Lobby & South Lobby
• Breakout A
• Breakout B
• Breakout C

And the lobby of the 3rd floor, where the Friday evening reception will be held.

618 South Michigan

Sessions on Saturday will be on the second and ninth floors of 618 S. Michigan Ave., with the closing reception on the second floor. Stay tuned for more information and a floor plan.

• 2rd floor lobby: Meals and reception
• Stage Two: 2nd floor theatre
• 9th floor rooms: Breakouts A, B, C & D

The Ludington Building

The initial site of the 2018 LION Summit is the historic Ludington Building, the earliest steel-frame building still standing in Chicago.

The building was designed by architect William LeBaron Jenney, who is acknowledged as the "Father of the Skyscraper" due to his developing the fire-proofed metal skeleton-frame system of construction. The structure on South Wasbash, built in 1891, is one of only two remaining loft-style buildings designed by Jenney in Chicago. The eight-story, 177,000-square-foot building was one of the first skycrapers entirely clad in terra-cotta.

The building was remodeled on the interior by Columbia College after the school purchased the structure in 1999. It has a long history in the publishing business — it was commissioned by Mary Ludington Barnes for the American Book Company, owned by her husband, Charles Barnes — and is a fitting site for a gathering of publishers. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Architect and engineer Jenney trained many influential Chicago architects at the turn of the 20th century, including the world-famous Louis Sullivan.

The Ludington Building is an archetype of the Chicago School of design of its period, with a flat roof, cornice and subtle ornamentation, as well as large banks of windows made possible by the steel frame. It "represents one of the high points of its designer… Its purity of form and delicacy of ornamental detail mark it as one of the most significant visual landmarks of the South Loop," according to the Chicago Commission on Landmarks.

The building's frame was built to withstand the enormous weight and vibration of the American Book Company's presses and shipping operations, as well as a intended addition that would have pushed the building to 16 stories in height. From the 1960s until its purchase by the college, it was used as an auto-parts warehouse.

The Arcade Building

Another historic Chicago building will be the site of the Saturday sessions of the 2018 LION Summit. The building at 618 S. Michigan Ave. was designed by architect William Carbys Zimmerman in 1913. Known as the Arcade Building, the 10-story building sported a grid-like façade with large windows and minimal masonry and housed specialty shops, photographers, publishers and the American Red Cross. The seventh floor of this building was also home to Columbia College from 1927 until 1936 when it was associated with the Pestalozzi Froebel Teachers’ College.

In the early 1950s, the building served as the Midwestern Regional offices of IBM Corporation and in 1958, the original terra cotta façade was removed and replaced with a modern curtain wall by the architectural firm McClurg Shoemaker McClurg for IBM.

In 1974 it became home to the Spertus Institute, from whom Columbia College Chicago purchased the building in 2006 to use for classrooms, a gallery, study collections, an event space and a learning center.

In 2010, the city of Chicago determined that the 1950s-era façade had to be replaced for safety reasons. The new glass curtain façade uses a digital ceramic printing technique that shows an image of the original terra cotta façade etched into the surface of the glass, with each pixel of the image an abstracted representation of a bird in flight.

The post 2018 conference map appeared first on LION Publishers.

Check out the complete schedule of session for the 2018 LION Summit — more than 3 dozen presentations and conversations over 3 days, with even more speakers and discussion leaders being added soon.

LION Publishers is pleased to invite all who care about the future of local journalism to a conference devoted to the journalistic excellence and economic well-being of local independent online news sites.

The annual LION Summit will return to Chicago on Oct. 11-13, 2018, at the downtown campus of Columbia College Chicago. It will feature three days packed with an array of speakers, panel discussions and networking opportunities devoted to revenue ideas and best practices, community engagement and sustainability. We’ll open with a Thursday “boot camp” of in-depth sessions with experts, an afternoon networking and informational session, and hold nightly receptions where we can all share what we’ve learned. Last year, more than 220 publishers and editors, academics, foundation representatives, industry experts and vendors attended our Chicago conference. In 2018, you won’t want to miss the vigorous exchange of ideas.

LION Publishers has more than 220 members in 47 states and Washington, D.C., representing both for-profit and nonprofit business models — all independently owned and operated and devoted to local journalism.

The organization’s gathering in Chicago will feature opportunities for members to discuss common issues and problems, share success stories and encourage the founding of new local news sites. Each event will feature an informative slate of speakers, workshops and panels on topics relating to local publishing, covering real-world strategies for revenue, hands-on technology demonstrations, effective reporting tips, and experts speaking on business and legal issues.

Schedule

Check the schedule page for detailed updates »

• Thursday, Oct. 11, registration will open at 9 a.m., with all-day “boot camp” workshops aimed at new publishers, idea-stage entrepreneurs and established publishers looking to dig deep into their operations, plus an evening reception and networking event.
• Friday, Oct. 12, sessions will run all day, roughly 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., followed by an evening gathering, including light food and drinks.
• Saturday, Oct. 13, sessions will again run all day, roughly 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., with a hosted happy hour gathering and then “out on the town” socializing to follow.

Back on the schedule this year are the boot camp sessions on Thursday, but we’re extending them all day. We’ll hold separate tracks, with information named at startup publishers and sessions for experienced operators. There is no additional charge to attend the boot camp.

The summit will feature presentations, panel discussions and in-depth breakout sessions on advertising sales, sponsored content, membership programs, email newsletters, podcasting, video, tech platforms, expansion and scale, nonprofit vs. for-profit business models, legal concerns, FOIA, solutions journalism, local sports and database reporting.

In addition to three days of networking and sessions led by industry experts, your registration includes light breakfast and a catered lunch on Friday and Saturday, coffee and snacks, and appetizers/light dinner and drinks at the Thursday and Friday evening receptions.

Previous LION gatherings have been an excellent source of information and networking for journalists who have recently launched their own local news sites or are considering it. With a wide diversity of membership, and some publishers who have been in operation for over a decade, LION brings together the best business and reporting minds in local online news.

The post 2018 LION Summit: Steps to success appeared first on LION Publishers.

A new vibe for local online news: Find your rhythm at the LION Publishers Summit in Music City – Nashville—Oct. 24-26, 2019

Put Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 24-26 on your calendar, as the Local Independent Online News Publishers announces a new venue for its annual conference – this year in Music City – Nashville, Tenn.

“This is the first time that our annual summit has been outside of Chicago – the city where we were founded,” said Kelly Gilfillan, publisher at F W Publishing and chair of the LION Board of Directors. “We are excited to move this year’s meeting to Nashville’s Music City Center, where attendees can experience a dynamic conference program and also enjoy the best Nashville has to offer – from amazing live music on every corner, to fabulous food and drink, to close by art and music museums.”

With more than 100 new restaurants and bars added in 2017 alone, plus myriad attractions that include the Nashville Studio Tour and the Frist Art Museum—it’s no wonder that Nashville was named “The Hottest Travel Destination of 2018.”

Registration will be available soon, but lodging has already been secured for those who want to start making their travel plans. LION Publishers has arranged for blocks of rooms for Oct. 24-26 at two locations: the Cambria Nashville Downtown, just a block from Music City Center, at a special discounted rate of $249 for single and double rooms. Guests can either call the reservations number at 888-223-1458 and request the rate for Lion Publishers, mention “LION Group” or use link below: 

https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/bl92r2?checkInDate=2019-10-24&checkOutDate=2019-10-27&ratePlanCode=BTDDBU

The deadline for obtaining that rate is September 27, 2019, but the block of rooms will be filled up by then, so act soon. The group rate will be honored up to 3 days before and after the conference, for those who wish to spend some extra time in Nashville.

Nearby accommodations are also available at the Comfort Inn, 412 White Bridge Place, Nashville, TN, six blocks from the conference venue. Phone: (615) 356-0888 

The post Find your rhythm at the LION Publishers Summit in Music City – Nashville—Oct. 24-26, 2019 appeared first on LION Publishers.

October 11-13, Thursday morning through Saturday evening, on the downtown urban campus of Colubmia College Chicago. Sessions on Thursday and Friday will be held in the Film Row Cinema and classrooms on the 8th floor of 1104 S. Wabash, just off South Michigan Avenue in the Loop. Friday night's reception will be held on the third floor of that building. Sessions on Saturday will be on the second and ninth floors of 618 S. Michigan Ave., just a few blocks north, with the closing reception on the second floor.

See the conference Map page for more.

Where should I stay?

Check out updates on hotel rooms in this blog post.

LION Publishers has arranged a block of rooms for Oct. 11-13 at the Best Western Grant Park Hotel in Chicago, just a block from the site of the summit, at a special discounted rate of $199 for single and double rooms. Register online here or call the hotel at (312) 922-2900 and mention "LION" to reserve a room. The deadline for obtaining that rate is Sept. 11, but the block of rooms will be filled up by then, so act soon. The group rate will be honored up to three days before and after the conference, for those who wish to spend some extra time in Chicago.

Because of a quirk in the online reservation system, it's difficult to book rooms online for a stretch that includes Wednesday-Saturday nights. It's possible to book Weds/Thurs/Fri and a separate booking for Saturday night, or Weds and Thurs/Fri/Sat. We've asked Best Western to figure out what might be happening, but that's a work-around for the moment.

Another block of rooms is available at the Congress Plaza Hotel, four blocks up Michigan Avenue from the Best Western. Rooms there are $179 per night (possibly cheaper via your favorite online booking outlet), but Saturday night is sold out. Reserve online or call 312-427-3800 x 5025 or 800-635-1666.

Also, you can check out other nearby hotels listed on our Map page. A Travelodge is just a few blocks up Wabash from the conferences site, but rooms are limited on Saturday night. If you're looking for a fancier hotel than the Best Western, the Loop is filled with them. The Hilton's a couple blocks away, and there are even snazzier ones. Columbia College also maintains a list of recommended hotels, and for those on a very tight budget, there's a hostel within walking distance that can be as low as $40 per night (that's cheaper than a cab ride from the airport). Need a roommate? Use our Roomate Roster list to help find someone to split hotel costs.

How can I get downtown from the airport?

CTA's L train is available between downtown Chicago and both O'Hare  ($5 from airport, $2.25 return) and Midway ($2.25 each way) airports. Metro stops are indicated on the map with an "M." Trains from O'Hare take about 45 minutes to travel downtown, while Midway trains take about 30 minutes. A taxi or Uber ($40-60) will take about the same amount of time, or be considerably longer in traffic.

What does my registration fee cover?

Three days of excellent networking and learning from each other and industry experts, focused squarely on local independent news: revenue, management, tech, editorial and more. Plus, we provide food and drink throughout the conference: Thursday morning coffee and a light lunch, a Thursday evening welcome reception with light dinner and hosted bar; continental breakfast and a lunch buffet on Friday, a Friday night reception with a buffet meal and hosted bar; and breakfast, lunch and a few evening drinks to wind things up on Saturday. 

Do I have to be an indie publisher to attend?

We welcome everyone who's interested in sharing concrete ways we can rebuild local journalism. Non-members are certainly welcome — each year we have attendees from across the country and around the world who are thinking of founding independent news organizations, or just want to be part of the discussions about what is coming next.

What if I'm a student?

Then you should definitely attend: you're the future of journalism. We offer special low-cost student registration, because we want to hear your fresh ideas as well as let you learn grizzled veterans.

What about my dietary restrictions?

Leading up to the conference, we'll send out a survey that will include a section of diet preferences. As always, we'll strive to honor requests for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other food options for each meal we provide.

Where can I get the conference app?

Download our iOS and Android apps, with a complete sesson guide, personalized schedules and other information. We'll update any changes both on the LION website and the app.

How do I get on wifi at the conference?

Network name: LION

Password: tutasWE4 (capital W, capital E)

What's the hashtag?

#LION18

Does LION Publishers have a Code of Conduct?

Yes. We recognize the important values of respect and courtesy that have long been the foundation of our members' interactions: LION is committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, productive, inclusive, welcoming and harassment-free experience for everyone. Check out of complete Code of Conduct.

Is the conference on the record?

Yes. A number of activities of LION Publishers are designated as strictly off the record, but the conference is a public event. We'll be videotaping nearly every session, and livestreaming many of them. We believe it's important to spread the word that local news can work if it's independent and invested in local communities, and want to encourage the founding of more outlets for great local journalism by new publishers.

I just found out I can't make the trip. Can I get a refund?

That depends, but we'll miss you either way. All refunds must be requested by Sept. 30, 2018. No refunds will be given after that date. We must charge a $50 administrative fee for refund requests made after Sep. 15, 2018 (There is no fee for student refunds.) The fee will be deducted from your refund amount. Refunds will be credited back to the original form of payment, or a refund check will be mailed after the conference. Refund requests must be made via email to membership@lionpublishers.com. Not attending the conference without requesting a refund does not constitute a cancellation of your registration.

Why Chicago?

Columbia College Chicago, a private liberal arts school, has graciously hosted each year of the national conference of LION Publishers. Their support has helped us offer very affordable registration rates, and the central location of Chicago makes it one of the most convenient destinations for our widespread membership. Plus, it's a fun city no matter what your interests: art, music, history, food. Every night of the conference, you'll find LIONs venturing out on safari to explore a bit of the city.

Will it be cold yet?

It'll be a bit chilly, especially for those from places that don't get much snow. Bring layers of clothing, and remember that the wind off Lake Michigan — just a few blocks away — can be cold at night. Temperatures might be in the 60s on a sunny day, and near freezing at night with the breeze. Check forecasts when you're packing your bag; it looks like there might be some rain in store heading into the weekend of the conference.

What about the temperature in the conference rooms?

A light sweater or sport coat may help you deal with any temperature fluctuations during the conference days. 

Why can't I sit in the back row of the auditorium?

While we like to encourage attendees to sit near the front because the LION conference is as much about participation as it is about learning, we keep the back row clear mainly to facilitate organizers being able to move around — making sure that audience commenters have microphones, checking video cameras, checking on speakers, etc., mean many miles of walking every day. Having a path across the back of the house keeps us from wearing out our shoes.

I'm a speaker. What can I expect?

An crowd that is attentive, eager to learn and ready to ask challengine questions — you're talking to folks in the news business, after all. Every session at the LION Summit, whether it's a presentation in the main auditorium or a breakout roundtable discussion, includes elements of discussion. We're all attending to learn from each other — industry experts, publisher speakers and moderators, and audience alike.

The plenary session space, the Film Row Cinema, seats 260 and features a full-size projection screen. The smaller breakout classrooms are also equipped with screens. 

LION records video of nearly all sessions, and livestreams some of them.

The post LION Summit FAQ appeared first on LION Publishers.

It will feature presentations, panel discussions and workshops on the business model, revenue, journalism and technology challenges and opportunities associated with the grassroots resurgence of local journalism entrepreneurship that is happening as corporate legacy media declines across the country.

The program coincides with the annual Investigative Reporters & Editors annual conference, which runs June 22-25 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa outside Phoenix.

The Institute for Nonprofit News will be holding its annual "INN Days," which is open to LION members, at the same location June 21 and 22.

Admission before June 16 is FREE for LION members, INN members, and registered attendees of the IRE conference, and is only $25 for non-members. The program will include a complimentary boxed lunch and a happy hour reception at 5 p.m.

LION has a special $89 a night rate for attendees at the nearby Courtyard North Scottsdale hotel. Hotel accommodations are also available at the IRE conference hotel, the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, as well as several other nearby hotels, including the SpringHill Suites Scottsdale.

This LION mini-conference is sponsored in part by the Knight Foundation.

Agenda

9 a.m. – Welcome

9:10 – 10:30 a.m.: Legal Defense Primer (Hosted with INN and Knight Foundation)

You’re a journalist chasing down the story, and you’ve hit a roadblock on a public records request. Do you need an attorney to navigate the appeals process? Probably not. You’ve got a prosecutor threatening to subpoena you to reveal a confidential source. Do you need an attorney to step in? Most definitely.

In this workshop, focused on independent journalists and nonprofit newsrooms, Reporters Committee Litigation Director Katie Townsend will review the types of issues and scenarios that should rise to the level of seeking assistance from a lawyer. She’ll also walk through a variety of resources that can help you navigate those issues that, while certainly complicated on their own, may not require an attorney to resolve.

Presenter: Katie Townsend, Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press Location:  Grand Sonoran I

10:45-noon – Facebook Journalism Project: Local News Initiative (Hosted with INN and Knight Foundation)

Earlier this year Facebook launched its Facebook Journalism Project, a multifaceted effort that in part is meant to improve its relationship with news organizations around the world. Facebook has been especially interested in working with local news outlets to better understand the unique challenges they face and collaborate on solutions. In this session, moderated by Stefanie Murray of the Center for Cooperative Media, you'll get an update from Facebook about the initiative and hear from several leaders of INN and LION-affiliated local news organizations who will discuss using the platform and their challenges. Time will be reserved near the end for Q&A.

You'll also hear about Facebook’s effort with the Knight Foundation to work with local journalism organizations, and learn about the role that INN, LION and the Detroit Journalism Collaborative will play in working with Facebook to open training opportunities and experimentation to smaller, independent news organizations.

Presenters: Stefanie Murray, Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University; Dorrine Mendoza, Facebook; Josh Mabry, Facebook Location: Grand Sonoran A (note that this session will be held in the Knight Foundation's conference room, a short distance up the hall from Grand Sonoran I, where LION's programming will take place the rest of the day.)

Noon – 12:45 p.m. – Lunch Break

Box lunches will be provided. Location: Grand Sonoran I

12:45-1:25 p.m. – Nonprofit vs. For-Profit: Does it depend on the founder or community?

The pros and cons of nonprofit vs. for-profit models for local news sites. Does a particular model work better for certain communities, or is it more about the personal goals of a site’s founders?

Panel: Leslie David, publisher, Benito Link; Mark Roberts, publisher, Empowering Colorado; Lance Knobel, publisher, Berkeleyside Location: Grand Sonoran I

1:30-2:10 p.m. – The State of Advertising & Sponsorships

Local independent online news sites that were built solely on a display advertising business model confront an increasingly difficult environment. From competition with Facebook, Google and programmatic, to the challenge of finding, managing and paying sales reps at a small news site, we’ll talk about current challenges and look at the promise of newer ad revenue formats, including native advertising, sponsored content and video.

Panel: Kenny Katzgrau, Broadstreet Ads; Kelly Gilfillan, publisher, Home Page Media; Lance Knobel, publisher, Berkeleyside Location: Grand Sonoran I

2:10-2:30 p.m. – Break

Brief coffee and email break.

2:30-2:55 p.m. – Intentional About Ethics

A primer on making the mission and values of your local news organization clear to readers who are visiting your site or encountering your content on social media, and how transparency about these things can help build and keep the trust of funders, readers, sources and advertisers.

Presenter: Charlotte-Anne Lucas, publisher, NowCastSA Location: Grand Sonoran I

3:00-3:25 p.m. – Collaboration that Pays

A look at how collaboration with national media organizations can be a source of revenue and audience growth for local news sites, and an overview of free stories and data sets from national organizations that can supplement coverage or be localized.

Panel: Steve Beatty, publisher, The Lens; Andy Hall, executive director, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Location: Grand Sonoran I

3:30-3:55 p.m. – Photography Tune-Up

Photography can be an afterthought at small news organizations where people are wearing multiple hats. Incorporating these best practices into your workflow can elevate the visual impact of your site’s content and your social media presence, without having to add a ton of expensive equipment or time to your day.

Presenter: Paul Ingram, TucsonSentinel.com Location: Grand Sonoran I

4:00-4:25 p.m. – Seed Funding, Sustainability and Stronger Shoestrings

Whether running a nonprofit launched with foundation money for a launch, or a for-profit where the founder has a year’s worth of money in the bank to start, there’s a critical stage for local news startups and not all are able to “leave the nest.” We’ll talk about the earnest steps publishers should be taking before the seed money runs out. Keeping overhead low is one of the biggest pieces of advice veteran indie publishers would give to someone before they launch. But what is the minimum investment? Are there certain things (i.e., hosting, libel insurance?) that you MUST have, and shouldn’t scrimp on? What is the range of prices you can expect to pay for these things?

Panel: Dylan Smith, publisher, Tucson Sentinel; Steve Beatty, publisher, The Lens; Kelly Gilfillan, publisher, Home Page Media Location: Grand Sonoran I

4:30-5:15 p.m. – 1,000 Paper Cuts Can’t Kill Local News

What will happen to local journalism in the many communities affected by accelerating and secretive rounds of cuts at newspaper newsrooms across the U.S.?  The solution will come from individual communities supporting entrepreneurial local journalism.

Presenters: LION Publishers Executive Director Matt DeRienzo and LION Board Chairman and TucsonSentinel.com Publisher Dylan Smith Location: Grand Sonoran I

5:15-6:30 p.m. – Happy hour

Join us for beer, wine and light appetizers. Location: Grand Sonoran I

The post LION tackles 'Business of Independent Local Journalism' in Phoenix appeared first on LION Publishers.

Check out the complete schedule of session for the 2017 LION Summit — more than 3 dozen presentations and conversations over 3 days, with even more speakers and discussion leaders being added soon.

LION Publishers is pleased to invite all who care about the future of local journalism to a conference devoted to the journalistic excellence and economic well-being of local independent online news sites.

The annual LION Summit will return to Chicago on Oct. 26-28, 2017, at the downtown campus of Columbia College Chicago. It will feature three days packed with an array of speakers, panel discussions and networking opportunities devoted to revenue ideas and best practices, community engagement and sustainability. We'll open with a Thursday "boot camp" of in-depth sessions with experts, an afternoon networking and informational session, and hold nightly receptions where we can all share what we've learned. Last year, more than 125 publishers and editors, academics, foundation representatives, industry experts and vendors attended our Chicago conference. In 2017, you won't want to miss the vigorous exchange of ideas.

LION Publishers has nearly 180 members in 41 states and Washington, D.C., representing both for-profit and nonprofit business models — all independently owned and operated and devoted to local journalism.

The organization’s gathering in Chicago will feature opportunities for members to discuss common issues and problems, share success stories and encourage the founding of new local news sites. Each event will feature an informative slate of speakers, workshops and panels on topics relating to local publishing, covering real-world strategies for revenue, hands-on technology demonstrations, effective reporting tips, and experts speaking on business and legal issues.

Schedule

• Check the schedule page for detailed updates »

• Thursday, Oct. 26, registration will open at 1 p.m., with afternoon "boot camp" workshops aimed at new publishers, idea-stage entrepreneurs and established publishers looking to dig into their operations, plus an evening reception and networking event.
• Friday, Oct. 27, sessions will run all day, roughly 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., followed by an evening gathering, including light food and drinks.
• Saturday, Oct. 28, sessions will again run all day, roughly 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., with "out on the town" socializing to follow.

New to the schedule this year are the boot camp sessions on Thursday. We'll hold separate tracks, with information named at startup publishers and sessions for experienced operators. There is no additional charge to attend the boot camp.

The summit will feature presentations, panel discussions and in-depth breakout sessions on advertising sales, sponsored content, membership programs, email newsletters, podcasting, video, tech platforms, expansion and scale, nonprofit vs. for-profit business models, legal concerns, FOIA, solutions journalism, local sports and database reporting.

In addition to three days of networking and sessions led by industry experts, your registration includes light breakfast and a catered lunch on Friday and Saturday, coffee and snacks, and appetizers/light dinner and drinks at the Thursday and Friday evening receptions.

Previous LION gatherings have been an excellent source of information and networking for journalists who have recently launched their own local news sites or are considering it. With a wide diversity of membership, and some publishers who have been in operation for over a decade, LION brings together the best business and reporting minds in local online news.

The post 2017 LION Summit: Keeping it real: Local news results appeared first on LION Publishers.