Meet the 74 finalists of the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards
Meet us in Durham for the Southeast News Sustainability Meetup and LION Awards Ceremony to celebrate our finalists and winners.
LION Publishers is delighted to announce that 99 entries have been recognized as finalists of the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards. The LION Awards recognize excellence by local independent online news businesses in award categories focused on our pillars of sustainability — journalistic impact, financial health, and operational resilience.
Our members deliver news that their communities need while paving the way for a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable local news ecosystem. And here at LION, we know that’s something worth celebrating. We received nearly 300 award submissions this year, and this record-breaking uptick is further proof that the independent news industry is flourishing.
The fifth annual LION Awards Ceremony will recognize the outstanding work of 74 independent news organizations (many of which are up for multiple awards) across 10 award categories. Thanks to our generous sponsors, LION will be distributing at least $55,000 in cash prizes to award winners. Each winning entry will receive at least $1,000.
Winners will be announced live, in-person at the LION Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Tuesday, October 3 in Durham, North Carolina, during LION’s Southeast News Sustainability Meetup October 3-4, 2023.
You can purchase tickets here to the LION Awards Ceremony and the Southeast Meetup. Early-bird pricing ends for member and non-member tickets on Wednesday, August 23!
This awards ceremony, dinner, and cash prizes are made possible by the generous support of our sponsors:
Presenting Sponsors
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Carol Oppenheim & Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund
Platinum Sponsor
Google News Initiative
Gold Sponsor
Microsoft
If you’re interested in sponsoring the awards ceremony, please email [email protected] for more details about the packages and sponsor benefits.
Now here are the finalists:
Finalists were selected by an independent panel of judges. Finalist descriptions were self-reported and slightly edited by LION staff for length and clarity. Finalists are listed in alphabetical order. You can select each category below to scroll to that specific section.
LION Business of the Year Award
Recognizes a LION member who has achieved transformational impact for their news business by working to achieve sustainability through operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact.
Micro/Small Revenue Tier
Less than $500,000 in annual revenue
The Food Section is a newsletter that covers food and drink across the American South, using independent food journalism to help its readers better understand the diverse region. In the past year, The Food Section diversified its revenue and revised its sustainability strategy. They collaborated with the independent publication The Assembly to open bureaus across North Carolina. They also launched a sponsorship program, published an e-book, created an online course, and held several successful in-person and online events.
Santa Cruz Local exists as a public service: to produce deep, community-oriented journalism that its competitors either can’t or won’t. This year, Santa Cruz Local launched a Spanish news initiative for Pajaro Valley. They created a fundraising-focused board that helped raise $72,000 to launch the initiative. Additionally, they took a deliberate, data-informed approach by conducting interviews with more than 170 Spanish-speaking residents to understand what news they want and how they want it delivered.
Medium Revenue Tier
Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
Cardinal News covers Southwest and Southside Virginia, and tells the stories of rural communities that have often been overlooked. In two years, Cardinal News has grown from $300,000 seed funding to a $1.3 million annual budget – nearly all of it local funding. Their newsroom staff has gone from 3 people to 12, and they grew their newsletter subscribers by more than 11,000 in the past year. They hosted a speaker series to reach more community members, and now offer sponsorships to continue building diverse, strong revenue streams.
In the past year, the Houston Defender Network has undergone a digital transformation. They revamped their website to focus on three targeted audiences: Black Women, Under 40, and Community. They generated over $500,000 in new revenue through branded content, philanthropic grants, and new digital products. They also substantially increased their audience, including an increase in younger audience members through targeted content focused on high school sports. Their digital transformation has expanded their reach and introduced their brand to new audiences.
In the past year, El Tímpano quadrupled its newsroom size, going from two full-time employees to eight. Its revenue tripled and grew more diverse, specifically through their civic partnerships revenue strategy. El Tímpano partners with government and nonprofit agencies seeking to connect with “hard-to-reach” communities and provide them with information and resources. This strategy is El Tímpano’s fastest-growing revenue stream, and it has invested this revenue in growing and diversifying its team.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue
Once an up-and-coming blog, Grist has evolved into an authoritative digital magazine centered on climate change, environmental justice, and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. Grist has diversified its revenue sources and invested in reporting on environmental justice, Indigenous affairs, and investigative and data reporting. Alongside these changes, Grist improved staff benefits and compensation. During a time when climate change is impacting all of us, Grist is provoking conversations that keep climate change front of mind, uncovering threats to vulnerable communities, and highlighting solutions.
Detroit-based Outlier Media has transformed its business in the last year. They created a fully operational nonprofit entity with a governing board, nearly doubled their budget, added reporters and beats to their news coverage, launched a new website, and managed a news collaborative of 9 outlets across their region. Additionally, Outlier Media supported and cultivated the Detroit Documenters program, in which they recruited and trained nearly 500 residents to cover public meetings in Detroit. Outlier Media staff continues to serve on panels, host conversations, and share their story so other independent publishers can learn from their newsroom’s model.
Founded in 2020, El Paso Matters has focused on revenue development, audience engagement and high-quality journalism to become El Paso’s leading provider of in-depth and investigative journalism. Their revenue has doubled since 2021, and their audience has more than tripled in that same period, thanks to expanded marketing and a focus on SEO for online content. Their recent investigative and public service journalism includes coverage of disturbing working conditions for women police officers in El Paso, and their local voter guides, published in both English and Spanish and online and in print.
New LION Business of the Year Award
Recognizes a business — founded after January 1, 2022 — that exhibits, even in its very early stages, a clearly-defined commitment to working toward achieving sustainability through operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact.
Micro Revenue Tier
Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
The Berkeley Scanner launched as a one-woman operation in September 2022 to provide daily public safety news for Berkeley, California. Community collaboration has been critical to their success, and, from the beginning, the community response to their launch has been strong. Despite minimal advertising, they gained 1,060 members who have given more than $90,000. In less than nine months, they have published nearly 350 stories, including over 50 deep dives on police scandals, natural disasters, courtroom drama, and government oversight.
Planeta Venus is the only publication in Kansas focused on informing the Latino community and generating journalism from a Latino perspective. Their print publication is in Spanish, and their digital presence is in English and Spanish. By putting their community at the center of their reporting, Planeta Venus has published unique stories highlighting solutions to common challenges faced by others in the immigrant community and outlining best practices for navigating the different U.S. systems.
Spinning Forward is a local, trusted independent news source that helps aspiring BIPOC creators between the ages of 16 and 34 thrive in the Toronto region. By prioritizing empathy-based storytelling and a community-focused approach, Spinning Forward creates events for young people, holds brands accountable for their portrayals of BIPOC communities, and investigates Toronto’s online racial pay gap.
Twice As Good helps Canadian-based Black individuals and allies tune in to what matters without burning out from the news cycle by providing mindful, journalistic narratives on Black life so they can engage in the news constructively and enjoyably. In their first year since launching in May 2022, they raised approximately $17,000, doubled their audience, and launched a membership platform.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
Arizona Luminaria provides equitable access to information about local civic issues, empowering all Arizonans — especially those who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented — to participate in civic life and elections. From the first year to their second, they added another full-time reporter to grow their staff from four individuals to five, grew their individual donors to 350, and brought in 16 grant funders. They published over 100 stories in English and Spanish and are on track to double that number in year two.
The Appeal’s journalism exposes the harms of a criminal legal system entrenched in centuries of systemic racism. In the last year, The Appeal’s reporting led to improved prison conditions, spurred lawyers and legal clinics to take cases, and was cited in local town halls, legal briefs, and late-night shows. They boosted their revenue from $280,000 in 2021 to just under $1 million in 2022 and signed their first multi-year grants, securing $500,000 for 2024.
Medium / Large Revenue Tier
More than $500,000 in annual revenue
Since launching as a two-person, nonprofit publication in early 2022, Bolts has covered the nuts and bolts of power and political change, focusing on two areas where local governments play an outsized role — criminal justice and voting rights. By drawing attention to its multi-local reporting, Bolts has rapidly expanded to six staff members and $1.1 million in funding, which included six revenue streams and 755 unique donors in 2022. They published 155 articles and inspired segments on “Good Morning America” and MSNBC.
The Springfield Daily Citizen believes that good journalism brings issues to light, but great journalism brings communities together. Since their launch in February 2022, the Springfield Daily Citizen has made major contributions to their community, providing significant coverage of issues impacting their neighbors. Their five-year strategic plan emphasizes earned and contributed income and the importance of sustainable operations.
Operational Resilience Award
Recognizes a LION member who has achieved transformational impact for their organization’s operational resilience by establishing processes, policies, and a company culture designed to support staff and manage growth in order to prevent burnout among the very people whose talent and buy-in are critical to their success.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue (There were no finalists in the Micro Revenue Tier)
The Appeal has created a highly collaborative newsroom, and built a democratic decision-making framework and bylaws so staff can steer the organization. Their workplace has centered community care by offering a 32-hour work week, flex time, flexible time off policy, summer and winter closures, and meeting-free weeks. They also created User Manuals, Operating Principles, and How We Work documents to help their teams communicate in a remote newsroom and make the implicit explicit.
Dallas Free Press has created a full playbook of operational processes that provide a foundation for their work. They established daily check-ins on Slack; regular meetings for their leadership, editorial team, and various programs; and monthly team social gatherings to keep employees connected and collaborative. This was essential as the staff grew from four employees in 2022 to 10 in 2023. Notably, before growing their staff, Dallas Free Press hired an operations and programming director with both the community background and human resources experience needed to ensure they could accomplish their editorial mission both efficiently and effectively.
Santa Cruz Local nearly doubled its staff in 2022 so it could launch a Spanish news initiative to serve Pajaro Valley residents. They built relationships with Latino leaders in the Pajaro Valley to find local talent and earn community trust. The newsroom tried to limit bias in its hiring process through an anonymous application review process. They paid interviewees for their time and designed a new onboarding process. To recession-proof its budget, Santa Cruz Local raised $72,000 this year to fund the new positions through June 2024.
Over the past year, Taproot Edmonton has created new and updated systems, processes, and practices to grow and strengthen its team. They built an intranet, adopted user manuals, adopted a regular mental health check-in, and established a regular opportunity to celebrate wins and gratitude. Throughout the process, Taproot Edmonton sought feedback from their team, such as how to improve their weekly meetings, what to add to the intranet and training videos, and how to incorporate the user manuals into their process.
Medium / Large Revenue Tier
More than $500,000 in annual revenue
Bridge Michigan, a publication of the Center for Michigan, executed sweeping organizational succession in the past year. The organization’s founding CEO worked with his successor as she transitioned from a foundation program officer to leading the organization. During the succession transition, Bridge Michigan created a new, staff-created mission and values statement emphasizing inclusivity, credibility, and a workplace where every employee thrives. They also brought on a new chair to their board of directors, along with three new appointees, and surpassed $1 million in their annual membership revenue three years ahead of schedule.
The Prison Journalism Project was founded in 2020 as an all-volunteer organization with the mission to train incarcerated writers as journalists and publish their stories. They now have 11 full-time and part-time employees. Over the past year, PJP has implemented processes, policies and benefits to bolster sustainability and resilience, including healthcare coverage, a 50% increase in PTO, onboarding and offboarding processes, an annual staff retreat, and structured performance reviews. This has helped create an organizational culture where employees feel supported and connected to one another.
In their 10th year of operation, Richland Source focused on how they could create a better, more inclusive company culture by reevaluating their benefits and operational policies. They expanded the definition of what it meant to be safe at work, increased the number of paid holidays and vacation days, expanded their employer-funded emotional health supports, and updated their drug testing policies to align with current societal norms. By making these changes and explicitly stating their workplace norms, Richland Source aimed to create a more inclusive work environment that was easier to feel a part of and understand.
Financial Health Award
Recognizes a LION member who has achieved transformational impact for their organization’s financial health by making progress toward developing a plan for earning money, managing a budget, and/or monitoring revenue and expenses to extend their financial runway.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue (there were no finalists in the Micro Revenue Tier)
As Ohio’s only LGBTQ+ newsroom, The Buckeye Flame has leaned into its unique position. Instead of letting its content speak passively for them, they’ve incorporated their approach to Ohio news into their financial model: centering their position as an LGBTQ+ newsroom in grant applications, pitches to potential advertisers, and fundraising appeal letters. Proudly proclaiming how they do something different than every other newsroom in Ohio has made all the difference.
The Hoser’s coverage focuses on the needs of marginalized communities who are not fairly or adequately represented in mainstream media. Over the past year, they increased their revenue tenfold, which enabled them to increase their content output and develop and refine systems and strategies to meet their growing editorial needs. Their revenue success stems from developing a diverse fundraising strategy and building a network of engaged donors. They have also secured several grants and hosted in-person fundraisers centered around building community and discussing The Hoser’s work.
Shasta Scout launched in the spring of 2021 and saw solid early revenue growth. Over their second year of operations, they developed strong financial policies and processes and instated a data-driven financial plan to sustain and grow the newsroom. Their commitment to financial health and equity over the last year has been, at its heart, a commitment to their community.
Medium / Large Revenue Tier
More than $500,000 in annual revenue
Cardinal News accomplished in one year what they intended to do in five by going from $300,000 in seed funding to more than quadrupling their annual budget They attribute their success to gaining support from local foundations and corporations, building an audience, and actively converting readers to donors. They’ve hired a full-time development director, and offer sponsorships for their newsletters and website. They’re planning strategically to identify the right funding mix and the personnel needed to support it.
Since 2019, Charlottesville Tomorrow has been in “growth mode,” working to build a news organization that meets the changing needs of its community and utilizes a model that creates a healthier, more diverse news ecosystem for central Virginia. In these last three years, they’ve bumped up their budget by 72%, and a wildly successful rebrand in 2022 resulted in their highest number of individual donations in over 15 years in operation.
A small city in the middle of the country decided that local news was important — and they invested in it. Richland Source serves the citizens of North Central Ohio and often receives requests to expand their coverage. The conversation usually ends once the question of funding comes up — but this time, in partnership with News for North County, a team of employees came together to solve that problem for Shelby, Ohio. After almost an entire year, this team raised $216,000 from the community of less than 10,000 people to fully fund a reporter for three years.
Collaboration of the Year Award
Recognizes a LION member who has successfully formed a short-term or long-term collaboration with at least one other organization to positively affect their journalistic impact, financial health and/or operational resilience.
Micro / Small Revenue Tier
Less than $500,000 in annual revenue
Boulder Reporting Lab developed a project investigating the far-reaching impact smoke damage has on wildfire survivors’ lives. This project was driven by survivor accounts of health issues inside homes. The Boulder Reporting Lab and the Center for Environmental Journalism collaborated on this project to provide in-depth, public service journalism. To build a team large enough to tackle this issue, the Boulder Reporting Lab created a course at CU Boulder – a “pop-up newsroom” – for students to investigate this topic in collaboration with fire survivors and researchers.
Upon discovering that one of their staff members had been living in a car due to displacement caused by a home sale, the Racine County Eye team began a year-long series investigating the issue of housing insecurity. They highlighted the urgent need for affordable housing and resources to assist those facing homelessness. The series emphasized solutions-based journalism and the root issues surrounding this struggle for safe and affordable homes. The series was a collaborative effort between various organizations, including The Center for Public Integrity, a local television station and several housing non-profits.
Tone Madison and Madison Minutes
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Tone Madison and Madison Minutes conducted a survey of Madison residents on family planning and abortion. The responses they received helped reporters identify themes to pursue, from the impact on fertility care to the implications for Madison’s queer community. Staff reported a series of six in-depth stories, balancing the complex human impact of the ruling with broader political and medical context.
Verified News Network (VNN)
Verified News Network (VNN) Oklahoma and Lucinda Hickory Research Institute collaborated on “Stealing Tvlse,” an investigative series on the mostly untold Allotment Era history of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa was known as the “Oil Capital of the World” during the 1900s and much of that oil came from land stolen from Native American people. The government began to dismantle the Mvskoke Creek people’s communal way of life by way of land allotments. Those who selected land allotments in Tulsa would find even more injustice when oil, coal, natural gas, and other minerals were discovered on their land.
Medium Revenue Tier
Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
La Noticia partnered with WFAE and WFDD to create inclusive journalism that amplified the voices and perspectives of immigrant communities in North Carolina. Reporters produced interviews, features, and investigations that focused on immigrant voices. Reporters produced English audio stories and written pieces for WFAE and WFDD’s websites, while also creating Spanish versions for La Noticia’s newspaper and website. Through compelling journalism, extensive community engagement, and data-driven insights, this joint effort created awareness about immigrant issues, bridging gaps in understanding and fostering empathy.
While child care availability and affordability is a common concern across the nation, the Springfield Daily Citizen took an uncommon approach to inform their community through a collaboration with KY3 News, the local NBC affiliate with the largest reach of any news organization in Southwest Missouri. Together, the Daily Citizen and KY3 six-day series helped readers and viewers understand the extent of the childcare accessibility crisis. Each day, the Daily Citizen unveiled a new in-depth report, and each evening KY3 produced two separate complementary on-air reports.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue
Broke in Philly was a collaborative reporting project on economic mobility and solutions reporting on poverty that ran from April 2018 through June of 2023. The project was led by Resolve Philly. By the end of the project, the collaboration had grown to 29 partner newsrooms, working in six languages and had published more than 3,000 articles. Though the formal collaboration has ended, Broke in Philly’s partner newsrooms continue to report on these topics. Broke In Philly has driven real impact in Philadelphia and the initiative’s collaborative journalism model has been replicated worldwide.
Chalkbeat and The Colorado Sun
“Last Resort” is a Colorado News Collaborative-led four-part investigation into the collapsing system of schools that serve some of Colorado’s most vulnerable students by Chalkbeat Colorado, The Colorado Sun, and KFF Health News. The state is scrambling to shore up these “facility schools,” which enroll thousands of students with intense mental and behavioral health needs. Meager state funding, staffing shortages, and changes to federal law have pushed the system to the brink. The collaboration pooled the collective strengths of news organizations with different subject matter expertise and geographic reach.
Dallas Voice was a partner in creating the national LGBTQ news collaborative “News Is Out,” as part of the Local News Association. They collaborated with six other local LGBTQ news media organizations to start the collaborative, hire a director, and then work together to create top-notch content addressing all segments of the LGBTQ community. This national collaborative engages, amplifies, and connects the LGBTQ community. The collaborative aims to advance LGBTQ equality through solutions-oriented journalism, in the face of continued discrimination.
A joint investigation by Wisconsin Watch and The Sheboygan Press revealed long-concealed internal investigations into widespread sexual harassment within the Sheboygan Police Department. The two news organizations — one for-profit, the other nonprofit — teamed up to tackle the sprawling story, which involved a dozen Sheboygan Police Department officers, some of them engaged in behavior that could land a civilian in jail. The collaboration between the newsrooms resulted in an impactful series that informed the public and held officials accountable.
Product of the Year Award
Recognizes a LION member who developed a successful and creative short-term or long-term product to strengthen their journalistic impact, financial health, and/or operational resilience.
Micro Revenue Tier
Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
VozColectiva is a community newsroom of five Latina women in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, launched by 2PuntosPlatform in August 2022. They discuss, analyze, and produce journalism about the problems and possible solutions that affect Latino and migrant communities. The first topic VozColectiva chose to report on was domestic violence, and so far, the newsroom has produced nine episodes in collaboration with other organizations that support Latino communities. They won the 2023 Advocacy Champion Award from Women Against Abuse.
Austin Vida’s Cultura Guides curate the best of Latino cultural arts in Austin, Texas, — but it’s about more than discovering enjoyable things to do. The Cultura Guides have helped Austin Vida foster community, spotlight marginalized events and groups, and ultimately create belonging. Each month, the Cultura Guide takes deep dives into the cultural heart of the Latino community. Their readers tell them they feel more connected to their roots because of their work, and that community-first spirit has made it a go-to resource, now available in digital and radio formats.
Conecta Arizona’s Cruzando Líneas is not just another podcast. It is an act of resilience, through which a group of independent, migrant, and Latino journalists tell stories about the good that happens along the U.S.-Mexico border. Its goal is to revolutionize the way people think about the border. Episodes are produced en español, and inspired by a memory, a person, a smell, a taste, or a social fight representing their land, their communities, and their perspective of the border where they live.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
RANGE Media created CIVICS in September 2022 to empower all members of their community to stay informed on decisions that affect them before those decisions are made. This weekly series breaks down what’s coming up in municipal meetings, so the community can get involved and speak out about the issues they care about. CIVICS makes civic news interesting, engaging, and accessible by explaining processes and defining legal jargon, giving people who would otherwise be left out of civic processes a way to meaningfully get involved.
The Green Line fills gaps in news coverage by delivering community-driven, hyperlocal journalism to Gen Z/Millennial Torontonians and other underserved communities. They encourage readers to take tangible, real-life action on the issues they learn about in the publication and do this through their original Action Journey model, which explores a systemic problem facing Torontonians over the course of each month.
Medium Revenue Tier
Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
Cardinal News launched in the summer of 2021 and has since created a Speaker Series to bring newsmakers and thought leaders together to talk about important topics. Their first event brought in about 100 new subscribers, $2,500 in donations, and, most importantly, brought a roomful of people together to engage in conversations they wouldn’t have otherwise had. Four events later, Cardinal News has a dedicated group of partners to sponsor their events, added hundreds of new subscribers, and created considerable buzz about its program and publication.
Jacksonville Today at WJCT Public Media
The Jacksonville Today newsletter responds to a need for quality local news, local coverage in digital mediums, and WJCT Public Media’s need for digital audience growth. Their team finds and shares stories from diverse sources, and focuses on neighborhoods and populations in Jacksonville that have historically suffered from a lack of local coverage. Although the newsletter is free, over 520 readers supported its mission financially within its first year. The publication currently reaches about 19,000 people.
LatinaCon is the largest Latina-centered summit in North Carolina. This dynamic and impactful platform empowers and celebrates immigrant women in their entrepreneurial pursuits. LatinaCon provides a space for networking, mentorship, and skill-building, fostering a vibrant and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in North Carolina. The annual summit brings together a diverse community of immigrant women, providing them with valuable resources, connections, and inspiration.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue
In August 2022, Grist launched Parched, a package that spotlighted U.S. communities suffering from drought and solutions to water shortages. A series of stories were published on the site and also included in a three-month pop-up newsletter. The newsletter was sponsored for $10,000 by Fat Tire, a beer company, and Grist’s development team ran a campaign consisting of four email appeals, newsletter CTAs, and a site takeover that brought in nearly $10,000 from more than 200 donations, including 32 monthly members.
Montana Free Press recognized that finding information on the 2023 Legislative Session via publicly-available resources was a challenge for most Montanans, so they created the Capitol Tracker to provide a single resource for anyone following the 2023 sessions. Users could search for and track progress on every bill and find detailed information on their state representatives. Live information from the tracker was fed into the Montana Free Press website to accompany related reporting.
Recognizing the need for fact-based election information, Spotlight PA created One Vote, Two Pennsylvanias. This initiative portrayed the vastly different visions for the state held by the 2022 gubernatorial candidates and the stakes of how people’s lives would be affected should either be elected. They put voters first, eschewing horse race coverage and candidates’ messaging through comprehensive candidate guides, explainers to combat misinformation in real time, voter email alerts about key developments, and a new Election Center website.
Accountability Award
Recognizes general excellence in journalistic impact that led to the accountability of those in positions of power and a demonstrable positive outcome for the affected community.
Small Revenue Tier
Less than $500,000 in annual revenue (there were no finalists in the Micro Revenue Tier)
The Kansas City Defender’s coverage of Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old Black teen shot by a known racist white man, epitomizes their commitment to rigorous and equitable reporting. Yarl’s case, overlooked and misreported by local legacy outlets, was brought to international light through the Kansas City Defender’s vigorous investigation, innovative digital techniques, and community engagement. They used data and insights to challenge the prevailing narrative, exposing a severe racial injustice that would have otherwise remained hidden.
The Mendocino Voice’s coverage of Mendocino County’s new public records fees ordinance focused on the importance of access to public records, leading to the overturning of the ordinance 11 months after its passage. Their reporting covered the government process, and engaged local media, community members, and transparency advocates to ensure that public records would remain economically accessible to everyone.
In January 2021, senior city officials intentionally and illegally destroyed evidence in several police shootings, violating city policy and possibly their agreement with California’s Department of Justice. Open Vallejo’s reporting revealed a troubling pattern of anti-transparent practices by Vallejo Police. In response to Open Vallejo’s article, the city launched a third-party investigation. The purge now faces scrutiny from the California and US Departments of Justice and has triggered calls for a federal takeover of Vallejo Police. Recently, the state attorney general’s office announced that it would seek a court-ordered settlement agreement to reform Vallejo police.
In a three-part series, Streetsblog reporters revealed that loose regulations have created a massive black market for temporary license plates, enabling dangerous motorists to conceal their identities and drive with near impunity on the road. The investigation involved seven months of reporting across three states. Since its publication, public officials in New Jersey and New York City have introduced policy changes aimed at dismantling the black market for temporary license plates.
Medium Revenue Tier
Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
The Assembly
The Assembly hired two reporters dedicated to covering courts and criminal justice with a focus on those most affected by the criminal justice system: Black and brown, often poor, North Carolinians. Their reporting included covering the chaotic launch of a pilot digitization program for court records in North Carolina, and an investigation into the case of Charles McNeair, who was 16 when a white woman accused him of rape. He accepted a plea deal because he thought his life was on the line, and remains in jail 43 years later – despite his claims of innocence.
After lawmakers removed Mississippi Free Press Reporter Nick Judin from a Mississippi House Republican Caucus meeting in 2022, the publication challenged that determination before the Mississippi Ethics Commission. The commission voted that the Legislature is not a “public body,” and therefore, neither is the House Republican Caucus. This sparked an effort in the Mississippi Senate to change state law to clarify that the Legislature is, in fact, a “public body.” The Mississippi Free Press is appealing the ruling and believes this work to increase transparency is vital to democracy and accountability.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue
A prominent Chico State biology professor had sex with a graduate student, bought guns and threatened the life of two colleagues, and was barely punished by the university. That’s what EdSource found in an investigation into the California State University system’s handling of sexual and gender misconduct complaints. The investigation revealed the failure of Cal State Chico to adequately protect students and faculty. Following EdSource’s reporting, the university suspended the professor and is now seeking to have him permanently banned from campus.
The El Paso Matters team reported extensively in 2022 on problems at the El Paso District Attorney’s Office. Their reporting was met with fierce resistance by the district attorney – from attempts to block access to public records to attempting to strip El Paso Matters of its 501(c)(3) status, which would have shut down the news organization if successful. The team continued reporting despite the threats. Their reporting showed major dysfunction and potential criminality in the District Attorney’s Office, and the district attorney eventually resigned after the stories’ publication.
Grist’s reporting highlighted how companies — from petrochemical refineries to oil and gas wells — have devised creative ways to bypass Clean Air Act regulations. For those living close to polluting facilities, these emissions, which contain a slew of carcinogens and respiratory irritants, take a toll. This two-part investigative series was widely read by both a national and Gulf Coast audience. The series exposed wrongdoing and armed affected communities with the information needed to fight for change.
In a three-part series, Wisconsin Watch explored the roots of racial and gender-related backlash that gripped the small town of Kiel, Wisconsin. The turmoil began when the school district investigated students’ reports of being bullied over their race or gender identity, and it escalated to bomb threats that shuttered schools, halted in-person government meetings and canceled the Memorial Day parade. After two stories were published, parents rallied to prevent the ousting of a popular superintendent, who a small but vocal group of parents targeted. Two far-right school board members resigned, restoring the board to a more moderate majority.
Community Engagement Award
Recognizes general excellence in journalistic impact that demonstrates a systematized community listening strategy to consistently tell stories for, with, and by the people that a LION member is working to serve.
Micro Revenue Tier
Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
This year, 2PuntosPlatform formed new collaborations with universities, community organizations, nonprofits, and other media outlets across two continents. They contacted Politécnico Grancolombiano to recruit graduating journalism students to expand their team. In Philadelphia, they’ve worked with Presente! Media and Women’s Way. They also distribute content and information from Factchequado and support small Latino businesses with the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. And recently, their VozColectiva newsroom was honored with an award from Women Against Abuse.
Burlington Buzz is a daily online news publication serving Burlington, Massachusetts. It grew out of a lack of understanding of, and engagement in, their town’s government. Due to their reporting, community members are now more informed about issues that affect them, including the town’s resistance to DEI initiatives and negative disposition toward the LGBTQ+ community. After reading about these issues in the Buzz, more community members have become involved in championing these initiatives, raising visibility, and demanding accountability from their elected leaders.
TheReportingProject.org is the nonprofit news organization of the Denison University Journalism program. It’s staffed by students and faculty who seek to fill gaps in local reporting in rural communities east of Columbus, Ohio. By hosting interactive events and forums, the publication responds directly to what their audience members say they want from their news. They’ve created offerings tailored to their specific needs, including a one-stop community calendar and a workshop to help people get the word out about their organizations to local media.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
On any given day, more than 2 million people are detained in U.S. jails and prisons, and their voices are missing from criminal justice coverage. The Appeal centers these marginalized voices by directly partnering with incarcerated writers to tell their own stories. Nearly 70% of their readers are activists or formerly or currently incarcerated individuals. In 2022, 14% of their writers were previously or currently incarcerated. Christopher Blackwell, one of these writers, just became their first Contributing Editor. He is now training fellow incarcerated journalists.
In response to community concerns, The Discourse Cowichan embarked on deep community collaboration to surface solutions for drought-struck local watersheds. Editorial lead Shalu Mehta built relationships with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Holders, and journalists to ensure that the work is rooted in the wisdom of the original stewards of the land. The team attended and hosted community events and built partnerships with local groups and community members. The resulting series has built community and shared knowledge, especially about innovative solutions and ways for everyday people to get involved and make a difference.
Santa Cruz Local puts community engagement at the core of its newsroom. They honed their “People’s Agenda” elections coverage approach this year. They also used community engagement in developing the Spanish audio news product they are launching, and delivered on a two-year investigation on homeless services spending at the county level based on questions that came from their community. Community engagement news stories are tracked through weekly staff meetings, ensuring that the entire staff is aware of and how community engagement guides editorial decisions.
Shasta Scout’s stories by, with, and for unhoused people in their community have amplified their voices, provided respectful insight into their lived experiences, explained government decision-making processes that affect them, documented how community responses on their behalf often miss the mark, told the truth about how unjust programs and policies affect them, highlighted the legal aid attorney who supports them, and revealed the inappropriate use of state funding intended for their support.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue (there were no finalists in the Medium Revenue Tier)
At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack across the country, Block Club Chicago launched a newsletter, podcast series, and vertical dedicated to LGBTQ+ news — and doubled down on their efforts to support the city’s diverse and resilient queer community through visibility. They sponsored the Queer Fam Pride Jam, partnered with the Brave Space Alliance, wrote dozens of stories on how to support local LGBTQ+ businesses, created an ally guide, and profiled queer families across the city.
Resolve Philly’s Community Engagement Team aims to change how historically mis- or underrepresented communities interact with, and are reflected in, local news. The team facilitates Sound Offs, which provide a signature space for Philly residents to discuss important issues. This initiative has built trust with communities whose information and resource needs often go unmet, and insight is used to inform reporting among newsroom partners so that local news is increasingly community responsive.
Public Service Award
Recognizes general excellence in journalistic impact that successfully connects people with the information and services they need to navigate their lives and help make their communities more inclusive and equitable.
Micro Revenue Tier
Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
A five-part Coronado News series brought new attention to a nearly century-old sewage problem and public health crisis that not only affects the affluent community of Coronado, California but also the impoverished cities of Imperial Beach, California and Tijuana, Mexico. The Coronado News’ reporting resulted in Imperial Beach and Coronado working together along with other public officials to try to get the attention of the White House to expedite funding and to finally fix a problem that has existed since the Great Depression.
For their 2022 election coverage, State Affairs assembled an Election Team of 10 distinctly different Georgians to share their experiences with reporters. Reporters called “E- team” members every Tuesday in the month leading up to the November election. Reporters asked about an “issue of the week,” based on recent polling: inflation, preserving democracy, abortion rights/health care and crime. Through a series of nine stories, reporters learned more about how people across the state were thinking and feeling about the election beyond the sound bites and traditional headlines — shared those insights with State Affairs readers.
Watershed Voice examined the benefits and drawbacks of teletherapy, which is more common than ever after the COVID-19 pandemic practically made its use a necessity. Watershed Voice reporters spoke with individuals with different experiences addressing mental health with the help of technology to find out what works and what doesn’t. The story was part of the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s Mental Wellness Project, a solutions-oriented journalism initiative covering mental health issues in Southwest Michigan.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
Over the past year, The Buckeye Flame created a wide variety of content to cover often difficult-to-understand anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that would have dramatic effects on the lives of LGBTQ+ Ohioans. The Buckeye Flame faced the challenge of cutting through the inaccessible legislative language and procedures that prevent non-bureaucrats from fully understanding the bills being proposed. The resulting range of content included: stories describing legislative proceedings, analysis pieces that solely utilized quotes from hearings so readers could more effectively “hear” proceedings, primer pieces on each bill, and a BINGO card that readers could use to track common phrases at various hearings.
California Health Report aimed to explain, uncover and propose solutions to health access issues that affect pregnant people who live in rural, low-income areas of California that are outside of those covered by traditional media. The stories brought to light the inequalities that exist in California, especially at a time when the state is publicly claiming to be a leader both in climate regulation and abortion access.
ClearHealthCosts and Epicenter-NYC
Three news organizations – ClearHealthCosts, Epicenter-NYC and TBN24 – collaborated on an 18-month project to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to an undervaccinated neighborhood in New York City. Drawing on unique knowledge born from reporting on the failures of the vaccine rollout, journalists organized a system to deliver vaccines to one of the 33 neighborhoods the city had identified as Taskforce For Racial Inclusion and Equity neighborhoods, which suffered more than any other areas from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project vaccinated thousands of people, tested tens of thousands and passed out hundreds of thousands of at-home tests and pieces of literature.
Medium Revenue Tier
Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
In Buchanan County, part of a remote Appalachian region that doesn’t get much attention from larger media outlets, two flash floods in less than a year’s time left an already struggling community in shambles. Scores of homes were destroyed or damaged. One person was killed. FEMA refused to help homeowners. Cardinal News’ coverage of the floods brought the disaster home to readers across the state and to lawmakers who went on to approve an $11 million state flood relief fund.
Since 2020, Mississippi Free Press reporters have documented dozens of polling-place changes that go unreported by local and state election officials, leaving many voters with inaccurate information when they head to the polls. This work gained the notice of key voting-rights organizations in 2022, which cited these stories while urging the Mississippi Secretary of State to make changes to ensure voters have access to accurate information. In 2022, this work revealed that 97 polling places had changed since 2020, though local election officials failed to report many of those changes to the secretary of state.
San José Spotlight published a series of in-depth articles explaining how local government works, how to watch and participate in legislative meetings and how to understand the influence of money in elections. This was a response to their 2022 reader survey, in which readers said they want to be more civically engaged and involved in local policymaking, but don’t know where to start. All of the stories can be translated into Spanish or Vietnamese – the top two languages other than English spoken in Silicon Valley.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue
Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside
The Affordable Housing Guide – a collaboration between Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside – was created to offer housing-insecure people an easy-to-navigate resource. In the guide, reporters answered the most pressing questions they receive from people seeking affordable housing and provided a roadmap for those trying to get on a waitlist and into a new home. The guide was published online and in a pocket-sized print version for those who may not have reliable internet access.
Ahead of Chicago’s 2023 municipal election, Block Club Chicago created The Ballot, a free comprehensive voter guide. Block Club Chicago brought Chicagoans hyperlocal coverage of the mayoral election and all 50 ward races. They hosted all of the mayoral candidates in an interview series, The Ballot Live, so readers could ask the questions that matter most to them. They also rolled out a new election podcast, hyperlocal newsletter voter guides, and texted need-to-know voter information straight to readers. On Election Night, Block Club Chicago delivered live election results, bringing readers the latest from the ground.
As America’s culture wars extend to libraries, the small west Michigan community of Jamestown Township became ground zero last summer when taxpayers twice voted to defund the community library to protest LGBTQ-themed books on the library shelves. Bridge Michigan broke what quickly became a national story as the library faced imminent closure. Their coverage spurred a successful crowdfunding campaign, which led to more than 4,000 donors giving nearly $300,000 – providing the library with 18 months of operating expenses while it works to build a more inclusive future electorate.
“Vote with confidence: A guide from the Detroit Documenters” is a step-by-step, non-partisan voting guide collaboratively produced by 15 community members and reporters and editors from various newsrooms. This project was about helping Detroiters understand the fundamentals and foundation of civic infrastructure. Instead of telling people who to vote for and why, Outlier Media editors and reporters teamed with Detroit Documenters to help residents find the resources to decide for themselves. Those who engaged with the guide said they felt encouraged to participate in the democratic process and felt equipped to make well-informed decisions before they cast their valuable votes.
VTDigger’s “Full Disclosure” series exposed deficiencies and a lack of transparency in how Vermont legislators file ethics disclosures. VTDigger created a searchable, sortable database to help members of the public learn about their lawmakers’ professional and financial ties. The database informed a five-part series examining a variety of conflicts lawmakers must navigate — with their day jobs, the boards on which they serve and, in many cases, their status as landlords. The series led to immediate action, with the Senate and secretary of state acting swiftly to make ethics disclosures more readily available to the public.
Outstanding Coverage Award
Recognizes a LION member who achieved general excellence in journalistic impact by building increased awareness or influencing public conversation about a specific issue that has reverberated throughout a community.
Micro Revenue Tier
Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
The Broken Arrow Sentinel introduced a special report, Sudden Death, to detail the challenges that fentanyl trafficking causes for Oklahoma families, first responders, educators, and others. This seven-article series aims to help the public — especially teens — understand the risks of using illicit drugs, and was designed to go beyond the typical studies and statistics.
The Coronado News’ reporting on a century-old sewage issue and health crisis affecting three communities (Tijuana, Mexico; Imperial Beach, California and Coronado, California) resulted in these communities working together, along with other public officials, to try to get the attention of the White House to expedite funding and finally fix a problem that has existed since the Great Depression. Their reporting has already gotten the attention of local and federal officials, including U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, who traveled to the international wastewater treatment plant in June 2023 to address the trans-border water pollution taking place.
Through its independent and original food journalism, The Food Section aims to help its readers better understand the diverse region in which they live, recognize the power differentials which have shaped it, and discover how to engage in meaningful culinary experiences that give equal shrift to joy and justice. For example, they’ve alerted readers to Cherokee efforts to reclaim apple cultivation, the intergenerational trauma that informs some New Orleanians’ eating habits, and how African-born restaurateurs in Atlanta connect with the existing Black community.
Oviedo Community News developed a 2022 Voter Guide to provide their community members with critical, hard-to-find election information. They spent months collecting reader questions for the candidates, which involved attending events and collaborating with other local organizations in addition to their individual outreach efforts — the result: a comprehensive, accessible guide that explored topics and concerns most important to voters.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia used a School Climate Star Rating system to measure a school’s environment for learning and thriving. State Affairs looked into the system, and their investigation found that schools in lower-income, predominantly non-white districts were likely to earn just one or two stars, while schools in wealthier districts often achieved higher ratings. In their two-part series, they speak with education leaders, teachers, students, and parents about the system and why its results can be so disproportionate.
Small Revenue Tier
Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
Like many cities, Asheville underwent a dramatic change as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. The Asheville Watchdog’s 12-part series, Down Town, examined the enormous complexities behind the increase in unhoused residents in downtown Asheville by telling the stories of all those impacted, including unhoused individuals, merchants, police and firefighters, paramedics, and homeless service providers. The city responded with a “Downtown Safety Initiative” and credited Asheville Watchdog.
The Bay City News Foundation’s project recognized the weight and legitimacy of often conflicting narratives about homelessness: the tragic situation of those living unsheltered and the impact of homelessness on neighbors, local businesses, tourism, and public safety. By highlighting the failures and mistakes made by those in power, while presenting all narratives fairly, their reporting has already made a difference: their feature on Site F near Pier 94 led to engagement by the city Board of Supervisors and, ultimately, their unanimous resolution to oppose the closure.
After years of fighting to be heard, a group of seniors in Nanaimo, Canada, took their walkers and wheelchairs outside to protest deteriorating conditions in their nonprofit housing complex. The Discourse reporter Julie Chadwick spent hundreds of hours listening to the seniors and investigating their concerns, which led to an eight-part series that revealed, among other things, that seniors had been left dead or in distress for days — or months — after the landlords ended a practice of wellness checks. Following the close of the series, the seniors now report positive changes in management and a renewed sense of community.
New Mexico In Depth’s project Blind Drunk tackled the crisis of alcohol abuse in the state. New Mexicans die of alcohol-related causes nearly three times the national average, causing more deaths than fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamines combined. State lawmakers had no idea. Following publication, legislators filed several pieces of legislation and state lawmakers passed the first alcohol tax increase in 30 years, but when the governor vetoed it, advocates were undeterred. In mid-May, they launched a website to recruit community members to keep the pressure on.
Medium Revenue Tier
Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
For months in 1963, Black residents of Danville, Virginia, took to the streets to peacefully protest segregation. On June 10, a day that came to be known as Bloody Monday, violence erupted as police came after protesters with billy clubs and fire hoses. In honor of Bloody Monday’s 60th anniversary, Cardinal News took a deeper, unprecedented look at its history, the change that followed, and how the day is remembered by the community and by the people who were there 60 years ago.
Over the past several years, many state and national parks have started to set visitation records. While the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of spending time outdoors have been exhaustively documented, some parks were unprepared to handle the increased traffic. The series Trails (Too) Well Traveled introduced the idea that our natural resources can be “loved to death” and discusses solutions that seem most realistic.
Mission Local trains a diverse cadre of young reporters to do high-impact journalism, to ask why, and to dig deep. Their mission is visible through their crime reporting, which demonstrates the rewards of a deep source base that questions the prevailing narrative, the impact of questioning the city’s settlements with police officers, and the value of pre-reporting to develop a rich narrative.
Large Revenue Tier
More than $1.1 million in annual revenue
Documented has been covering New York’s current migration crisis along three main lines: issues that migrants face after arrival, the city’s response, and the migrants’ own experiences. They’ve reported on the scarcity of shelter resources, the lack of legal representation, the long lines outside immigration court hearings, this crisis’s impact on mental health, and how migrant children adjust to their new lives. Hoping to break the cycle of extractive immigration reporting, their coverage has also included actionable information on working rights of undocumented workers and asylum seekers.
Spotlight PA’s coverage of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana industry revealed serious flaws, inequities, and inefficiencies. Their coverage included critical reporting on patients being punished for using the drug despite state laws supposedly protecting them, the lack of oversight of doctors approving patients, and the state’s potentially dangerous expansion of allowable conditions. This reporting resulted in increased worker employment protections, public questioning of doctors and third-party certification companies, and a fight for public records, which led to a court ruling that created legal precedent for anonymized data.
Wisconsin Watch’s series, False Choice, is all about marginalized children. It reveals that taxpayer-funded private “voucher” schools are allowed to expel students who identify as LGBTQ+ or who have disabilities. It also uncovers a similar dynamic for children with disabilities attending public school outside their home district, known as open enrollment. This reporting revealed that these “choice” programs are allowed to systematically exclude, discipline, or expel students for immutable traits — and there is little in the law to protect them.
Special thanks to this year’s volunteer judges, without whom the 2023 LION Awards would not be possible: Chris Amico, Andy Bechtel, Alex Ben Block, Christopher Brennan, Idalmy Carrera-Colucci, Felicitas Carrique, Maria Catalina Colmenares-Wiss, Neil Chase, Bene Cipolla, Elise Czajkowski, John Davidow, Tom Davidson, Natalya Dreszer, David Grant, Sam Gross, Lori Henson, Rocio Hernandez, Yaoshiang Ho, Erika L Hobbs, Natalie Van Hoozer, Dan Hu, Kevin Thomas Hulten, Philip John, Maple Walker Lloyd, Andrew Losowsky, Nicole Mastrangelo, Elizabeth McNamara, Cassie Miller, Ana AX Mina, Jen Mizgata, Amalie Nash, Mike Orren, Mark Potts, Max Resnik, Kelly Roche, Wendy Rosenfield, Adam Schweigert, Dylan Smith, Kimberly Spencer, Louise Story, Hanaa’ Tameez, Kakie Urch, Mandy Van Deven, Andrew Vogel, Graham Watson-Ringo, Monica Williams, and Yan Wu.
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