We’re awarding a flat stipend of $600 per attendee selected to receive a travel stipend. We aim to notify all selected attendees to receive a travel stipend by July 31 to ensure they have time to arrange flights and book hotels. Stipends will be paid the week following the event, and payment is contingent on checking into the event.

The application to apply for a travel stipend is below and will open on June 27.

To apply, you must be a LION member and be traveling to the conference. If you are a local publisher who may need lodging only, please reach out to summit@lionpublishers.com. Check here if you are unsure whether you’re currently a member.

If you have additional questions, please email summit@lionpublishers.com.

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Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: What is your 30-second elevator pitch (or 75-word pitch) to a LION member on what RJI does?

Kat Duncan, Reynolds Journalism Institute: RJI empowers journalists with knowledge, tools and funding to strengthen journalism through practical innovation. We tackle timely challenges, needs and gaps to help build safer, stronger, more equitable, diverse and inclusive journalism, news spaces and relationships with the communities we serve. We serve small newsrooms and community-centered journalists. It is incredibly rewarding because, in my experience, they are the most forward-thinking and excited to experiment to find new ways to better serve our communities.

Hayley: And what do you do at RJI? Why did you join the team?

Kat: I am the director of innovation; I lead our innovation team, which builds and manages all our innovative projects, tools, programs and initiatives. I joined RJI after years of working in newsrooms across the country as a visual journalist, editor and manager. I always loved managing teams in newsrooms but often felt like I wasn’t provided with the resources to support my teams the way they needed and deserved.

RJI offered me the opportunity to help journalists every day. I get to build tools, programs, training and opportunities that help them be safer and more supported and give them the cutting-edge skills they want — and I get to do it in a way that makes it accessible and affordable for them. It is truly an honor to do this work, and I am so thrilled every day I get to do it.

Hayley: What’s a recent success story you’d like to share about how RJI has helped a LION member collaborate with another outlet or institution, experiment with a new idea, or develop skills to improve their news business’s sustainability?

Kat: Last year, I launched our Community-Centered Symposium. I consistently hear from the newsrooms and journalists we work with that training and conferences are too expensive, and they have no support or resources from their newsrooms to access them. I also hear over and over that many small newsrooms and community-centered journalists often feel like they’re working on an island, without a like-minded network to share ideas or help them when they need it. 

So I built the symposium, which helps community-centered journalists not only access an innovation-driven journalism workshop at very little cost to them (we provide hotel rooms, two meals a day and some flight scholarships) but is also built to make the collaborative experience as helpful to their day-to-day challenges and needs as possible. 

Last year, we had our first cohort of 28 journalists who spent a weekend at RJI working and learning with each other and then went on to pursue new-to-them projects in their newsrooms. I have loved working with these journalists over the past eight months to support, build out and launch their ideas in their communities. I can’t wait for next year’s group to get started. If you’re interested in joining us in October, applications are open through June 28!

Hayley: What’s one actionable, practical, low-lift tip you want to share with LION members?

Kat: That innovation does not mean expensive, shiny or high-lift. You can do so many practical, useful and impactful things for your newsrooms and communities that won’t cost you extra money from your budget — the most important step is to free up some space and time to try something new. Start small, listen to your communities and don’t be scared to try something just for a few weeks or months and see what happens.

Hayley: What’s one question you think the independent news industry — our members, academic institutions like you, support organizations like us, and funders — should be asking about the future of doing this work?

Kat: I think everything we do should be centered around “How does this help the communities we serve?” I often see our industry get caught up in shiny trends or fall back on just continuing old-school traditions — rather than asking ourselves if what we’re doing truly serves those we’re here for. Are we listening to our communities or just assuming we know what they need? If we’re truly here for them, they will see that through our actions and choices, which is what will build trust and investment in our newsrooms and our future.

Hayley: Are there any upcoming or future initiatives that RJI is working on that you want to preview for us?

Kat: We always have a few exciting things on the horizon! We’re currently building a toolkit with The Appeal to share how to implement their worker-led processes, structure and policies. We hope this will help newsrooms embrace equitable power sharing, thriving wages and care-centered policies for their journalists. We’re also building a resource with the KC Defender to show newsrooms how to replicate their community-centered initiatives and social strategy. We announced our 2024 fellows, who will all be working to build useful and much-needed resources for journalists starting in July.

Hayley: What’s the best way for LION members and others to try or learn more about RJI’s offerings?

Kat: I send out a newsletter once a month with all our innovation team projects, programs, workshops and opportunities. Just once a month, I promise. You can also follow me on LinkedIn or my team on Instagram. And, of course, my virtual door is always open; feel free to book time on my calendar to talk to me.

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The Bedford Citizen has been reporting on its community, Bedford, Massachusetts, for over ten years. Board President Elizabeth Hacala and Executive Director Teri Morrow say the Citizen has survived because of the dedication of its volunteer board of directors, which has functioned as a “working” board since its inception. 

But over time, Elizabeth and Teri began to notice that these volunteers were burning out. They wanted to transition from a “working” to a “managing” board and streamline tasks and decision-making to pursue new revenue growth opportunities. So they applied for LION’s Sustainability Lab for help with this challenge.

The Results

Through conversations with LION Sustainability Lab coach John Davidow, two things became obvious: The Citizen needed more revenue and more capacity — a classic “chicken and egg” situation. By combining several of LION’s financial and revenue templates and worksheets, they developed a customized spreadsheet that provides a bird’s-eye view of new revenue opportunities.

It includes the essential information you would expect such a tool to have, like columns for calculating expenses and assessing the potential return on investment for each idea, but it also assesses mission alignment, resource availability, financial feasibility, and, most importantly, staff capacity. Starting off strong, this master spreadsheet revealed nearly a dozen new and reimagined ideas. 

They started implementing those that already had a foundation and were a lighter workload lift. For example, they had been publishing obituaries for years but never charged for them, so they created a pricing framework and an Airtable intake form. They then started charging for public notices, which are similar in scope.

In addition, they decided to develop a mid-level donor program to convert existing supporters into larger donors. They utilized their spreadsheet to calculate how much staff time they could dedicate to this initiative now and in the future. Doing so helped them realize they would need to free up some of Teri’s time to accomplish this project, but it was doable. They selected a mid-level donor program over another project that would have theoretically brought in more revenue, but the capacity requirement for the other project was too steep for their current staff.

Another focus area for the publication is The Bedford Guide, a “resource for life in Bedford” mailed annually to every residence in town — and a substantial undertaking. One board member, Gene Kalb, volunteers more than 160 hours a year to the project, so the team devised a plan to streamline his responsibilities and shift some smaller ad renewals to the operations manager to focus the volunteers’ time where it has the most impact. This year, editing was handled by a board member emeritus, a current board member, and the managing editor. Next year, they are hoping to use funds raised by the guide to hire a dedicated editor. 

Moving forward, they will continue to use their spreadsheet to explore and experiment with revenue-generating ideas and start budgeting for stipends to honor volunteers’ time and work.

The Wins

• Created a master spreadsheet to track all revenue-generating ideas and calculate the corresponding return on investment (ROI) and capacity
• Pursued low-lift revenue opportunities for public notices and obituaries, while also developing a mid-level donor program
• Shifted roles and responsibilities for board and staff members to avoid burnout

Have a success story to share about the business side of your news business? Email the LION team at hello@lionpublishers.com!

The post How The Bedford Citizen prioritized its internal operations to pursue revenue growth and avoid burnout appeared first on LION Publishers.

Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: What is your 30-second elevator pitch (or 75-word pitch) to a LION member on what Indiegraf does?

Sam Hoisington, Indiegraf: Indiegraf offers technology and services to help independent publishers make more money and grow their audiences. Our tech bundle includes a website, ads manager, and newsletter platform, so you only have to work with one technology solution. Our audience and advertising support services are super flexible, from one-time project support to ongoing coaching.

Hayley: And what do you do at Indiegraf? Why did you join the team?

Sam: I have a pretty unique role here! I’m the publisher partnerships manager, working with prospective partners to figure out how Indiegraf can help them accomplish their goals. I’m also an Indiegraf network publisher myself through my work with The Bentonville Bulletin. As the company’s entrepreneur-in-residence, I blog about my experience with founding a news startup in our newsletter.

Hayley: What’s a recent success story you’d like to share about how Indiegraf has improved a LION member business’s sustainability?

Sam: One success story that’s personally very meaningful to me is our successful NewsMatch collaboration with The Buckeye Flame. With the help of Indiegraf senior audience strategist Emily Fearon, we helped them raise over $41,000, including matching funds. The Buckeye Flame is using the funding to cover a Report for America corps member, who will be the only known “Rural LGBTQ+” beat reporter in the country.

Hayley: Do you have any actionable, practical, low-lift tips you want to share with LION members?

Sam: Yes! I’m always looking for easy wins.

1. Recirculate your “old” content. If you have a daily or weekly newsletter, include the links from the last edition at the bottom of the new one. We did this at Madison Minutes, a daily newsletter I started in 2021 and sold last year, and the links for “yesterday’s news” were very popular.
2. Send more fundraising/subscription offer emails. If you do, you will almost certainly make more money. If you’re nervous about it, sign up for newsletters from a legacy newspaper or an established nonprofit outside journalism. In both cases, you’ll see they almost always send way more fundraising emails than indie publishers typically do.

Hayley: What’s one question you think the independent news industry — our members, vendors like you, support organizations like us, and funders — should be asking about the future of doing this work? 

Sam: Right now, news founders selflessly assume all of the responsibility and risk when launching a news startup. They often invest their own money, even when they personally don’t have many resources. In this way, local news founders are more philanthropic than Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates combined.

How do we reduce that risk? This is a societal problem — we should be supporting news founders way more comprehensively.

Hayley: Are there any upcoming or future initiatives that Indiegraf is working on that you want to preview for us?

Sam: We’re in the early stages of expanding our growth services in the form of Indie Experts, project-based support across all aspects of running an indie news business. As of now, there are limited audience and ads/sponsorship growth services available on a one-time and recurring basis.

Hayley: What’s the best way for LION members and others to try or learn more about Indiegraf’s services?

Sam: If anybody wants to talk about Indiegraf — or news entrepreneurship in general — they can book a call with me here. Our website also has details on all of our products and services.

Indiegraf is a technology and growth services company that provides an all-in-one package for news publishers who need a website, email, and ad platform, as well as access to expert support under one umbrella. Learn more at https://indiegraf.com/.

The post An all-in-one solution: How Indiegraf helps independent news publishers save time and money appeared first on LION Publishers.

Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: What is your 30-second elevator pitch (or 75-word pitch) to a LION member on what BlueLena does?

Ned Berke, BlueLena: BlueLena is an independent publisher’s audience development back office. We’re collaborators, coaches and cheerleaders for our publishers, and serve as an extension of their teams. With experts in campaign management, audience growth strategy, tech stack management, newsletter and engagement product development, and donor/subscriber stewardship, we bring the technology and cross-disciplinary skillsets required to execute on sustainability goals and give publishers more time and resources to focus on what matters most: serving their communities.

Hayley: And what do you do at BlueLena? Why did you join the team?

Ned: I’m the Chief Strategy Officer, and since BlueLena’s primary product is strategy development and execution, I’m responsible for conceiving, delivering and refining our product offering — including how we collaborate with clients and the solutions we build for them. I’m also chiefly responsible for delivering on their audience and revenue goals. 

I was BlueLena’s first hire in 2021, and I joined because we’re driven by a mission to support independent news publishers — without limiting our support to coverage area, tax status or revenue model. We require only that our publishers serve their respective communities and are driven to do better every day and act with integrity and respect for their audiences. I’m a former LION publisher and one of the founding board members who helped write the original bylaws of the organization. I know first-hand the overwhelming challenges publishers confront every day, and when we envision solutions, it’s always steeped in these experiences and designed to continually lower barriers to sustainability. 

I could go on at length there, but I’ll leave it at this: independent local media is the backbone of democracy and an equitable civic ecosystem, but it’s increasingly outmatched by market forces, tech platforms and the resources of deep-pocketed corporate media. We work to level the playing field by making tools, technology and talent more accessible to independent publishers.

Hayley: What’s a recent success story you’d like to share about how BlueLena has improved a LION member business’s sustainability?

Ned: Oh gosh, we do this all day, every day, and it’s hard to pick one. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done from pre-launch to ongoing management of some of the American Journalism Project grantees, including Mirror Indy, Springfield Daily Citizen and Spotlight Delaware. It’s so much harder to build audiences today than it was a decade ago, and these publishers found quick footing, produced impactful journalism, and today have the financial backing of thousands of readers. For Shawnee Mission Post (now Johnson County Post), we’ve pioneered robust subscriber funnel management tactics, rebuilt site technology and provided marketing guidance that’s grown and retained their subscriber base over four years. And the work we’re doing with Montana Free Press and CalMatters to leverage data and automation to grow large gift-giving pipelines and swell the mid-tier gift-giving numbers is so exciting because it stands to make non-profits far more resilient and less reliant on foundation and major philanthropic support.

Hayley: What’s one actionable, practical, low-lift tip you want to share with LION members?

Ned: Don’t be shy. Publishers are often afraid of coming off as needy or annoying and so they hold back when trying to engage readers, but they don’t realize how eager readers are to invest in work they believe in. Yes, readers encounter a lot of noise and you need to be respectful of that. But in reaction to the noise, readers are not looking for silence — they’re looking for signals! You need to make yourself heard.

Hayley: What’s one question you think the independent news industry — our members, vendors like you, support organizations like us, and funders — should be asking about the future of doing this work? 

Ned: Just one question? Fine. How do we turn the tide on the rising costs of independent media ownership and distribution? At least since the invention of the Gutenberg press, every technological advancement in the history of media has lowered barriers to independent ownership. That means more people with more ideas reaching more audiences — powering a thought marketplace that has accelerated our march toward a more equitable and just world. I think the last 10 years have seen a reversal in that trend; while the ideas still proliferate for now, they’re shared on channels that are not independently owned and that have been steering towards more moderation. It’s now more expensive, and requires greater investment in tools and talent, and still with no certain path to sustainability. That’s a huge risk, not just for the industry but for democracy. And since media spins off ever smaller margins, there’s not a lot of incentive for tech providers to invest in the innovation of affordable products that let independent media operators own their audiences. So I think that’s what the industry should be thinking about — how to get back to the centuries-long trend of increasingly accessible, affordable ownership of distribution channels for independent media.

Hayley: Are there any upcoming or future initiatives that BlueLena is working on that you want to preview for us?

Ned: Yes! We recently launched BlueLena Academy, a reader revenue training program that provides the technology and the skills to grow reader support in-house. And we’re getting past the pilot period with our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) managed offering, which is where we leverage newsletter and site engagement data to inform large gift-giving pipelines and automate donor stewardship to make larger revenue development efforts more efficient. But mainly? We just love to experiment. So if you’ve got a cool idea around audience growth, engagement and monetization, and want to figure out how to build it, come talk to us!

Hayley: What’s the best way for LION members and others to try or learn more about BlueLena’s services?

Ned: Schedule a call! We’d love to chat. Thanks, Hayley!

BlueLena enables success for over 200 independent news organizations by deploying world-class technology and delivering the expertise and professional services to build long-term sustainable journalism business models. Learn more at https://bluelena.io.

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The Challenge

With their 2024 planning period looming, Emma knew the growing organization would need a clear funding strategy. The team had historically focused on philanthropic funding but wanted to explore options for earned and donor revenue. They applied for the LION/GNI Sustainability Lab and were accepted into the program in September 2023.

After spending a couple of weeks researching and discussing revenue-growth ideas, a Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund representative contacted Emma and offered to match support to their VozColectiva newsroom through a $10,000 matching gift program. Emma and her team were open to this unexpected opportunity and excited to build the infrastructure they needed for their first end-of-year giving campaign. Madison Karas, 2PuntoPlatform’s chief product officer, was instrumental in setting up and executing the campaign.

The Results

They had never emailed their audience before, let alone launched an entire giving campaign, so Emma and Madison knew they had to lay some significant groundwork for their effort to succeed. LION Sustainability Lab coach Maria Archangelo helped them understand all the components of a campaign and outlined the steps to prepare for launch.

First, they needed to source platforms and services to make this project possible. Through Maria’s recommendation, Emma contracted with Indiegraf, a technology service provider for small and startup news publishers, to temporarily replace their outdated website with a dynamic donation page. All of their outreach efforts would point to this page, making it a critical aspect of the campaign’s setup. This page was then connected to Stripe, a payment processing platform that allowed them to accept and track donations. 

Next, they established a communications calendar to organize their content, messaging, and timing. This involved crafting compelling language and constructing email lists and segments. They then opened a Mailchimp account to send and monitor campaign emails. Already active on social media, they didn’t open any new accounts but worked on corresponding posts. One idea they implemented was featuring board members in short, 45-second videos explaining what 2PuntosPlatform is and why supporting its journalism is essential. They used these videos in emails and on social media. 

The campaign launched on Giving Tuesday (November 28, 2023) and concluded on December 31, 2023. Two substantial donations were received within the first two days, and support continued to pour in through mid-December. In total, the campaign raised $6,640. They received $1,725 in individual donations, and their Knight-Lenfest match was $4,915. One-time donations were matched dollar for dollar, and recurring monthly donations were multiplied by 12. Though they did not reach the maximum $10,000 goal, the 2PuntosPlatform team is proud of this project and learned a lot along the way.

One powerful takeaway? “People like hearing from us,” said Madison, noting that they now have a newsletter platform to share editorial content and create future campaigns. 

“This was a huge step in feeling comfortable. It was super cool to say, ‘LION gave us the confidence to do this.’ Otherwise, we would have been like, ‘Hey, will you maybe, maybe, consider supporting us?’” 

Emma also emphasized how vital Maria’s guidance was in undertaking this project. She’s met other publishers in similar situations who had the funding to conduct a giving campaign, but without the hands-on support, they were “lost” and “frustrated.”

“If you are a hyper-local minority with a language barrier, you definitely need support,” she said. “These opportunities are hard to come by for organizations like ours; we have some additional barriers we need to overcome. Having a coach is a luxury, and asking for help is so important.”

After the campaign ended, they began working on a new database of earned revenue and donor opportunities, continuing to flesh out ideas and experiment beyond email and social media outreach. “A 2Puntos end-of-the-year party? That may be something we see this year,” said Madison. “We’re excited for what’s next.”

The Wins

• Created a giving campaign and received a couple of major donations upon launch
• Built a donation page and system to receive and track contributions
• Established a new database to assess earned and donor revenue opportunities

Have a success story to share about the business side of your news business? Email the LION team at hello@lionpublishers.com!

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It’s a big question –– and one that’s not easily answered alone. That’s why, over the past two years, 175 LION member newsrooms have enrolled in the program to receive a detailed assessment of their news business and a roadmap for moving closer to sustainability. Each participant was also given $20,000 to implement recommendations from their Audit report. And after completing the program, 93 percent of participants say they feel more confident in their organization’s ability to reach sustainability.

This year, we’re excited to extend the opportunity to at least 170 additional LION members. Applications are open for three remaining cycles in 2024, and we’ll accept applications on a rolling basis (you can apply now for any or all of the three cycles). The first cycle, which will begin in February, is full. For consideration in the second cycle (May-July), apply by April 15. The deadlines to be considered for cycles three and four are July 8 and September 9, respectively. Our 2024 Audits are available to U.S.-based LION members who did not receive an Audit in 2022 or 2023.

We know that capacity is a major challenge for news leaders, so we’ve designed the Audit to make the most of your time by having an expert analyze your organization, then directly address your primary challenges with support tailored to your specific needs. The total time commitment to participate is just five hours over the course of about ten weeks.

Here’s what the Audit experience looks like in three steps –– you will:

1. Fill out a questionnaire that details your business’s operational readiness, financial health, and journalistic impact.
2. Schedule and complete an interview with one of our Audit analysts to dig more deeply into questionnaire responses, goals, and organizational practices.
3. Review the Audit report your analyst provides, including a high-level summary, a list of sustainability indicators, benchmarking data, a prioritized list of recommendations, and more. You’ll have a chance to reconnect with your analyst after you receive the report to ask questions and gain any necessary clarity.

After the program, you’ll then submit a funding request to receive the $20,000, outlining two to three recommendations your business will act on. 

Here’s what past Audit participants say about their experience:

What opportunities might your Audit report uncover, and how could those findings propel your organization forward? Find out by applying for your Audit today. To learn more about the program, sign up for our virtual Q&A on Friday, January 19, at 2 p.m. ET, or contact Andrew Rockway at andrewrockway@lionpublishers.com.

Sustainability Audits are provided at no cost to LION members. If you’re not a LION member, check out our membership benefits and how to enroll.

The post Applications are open to receive a Sustainability Audit in 2024 appeared first on LION Publishers.

The Challenge

When the Canadian federal government passed the Online News Act (Bill C-18) this summer, Energeticcity General Manager Adam Reaburn suspected he would have to revise the organization’s funding strategy. Bill C-18 requires large tech companies to compensate organizations if they host Canadian news content on their platforms –– and Meta ultimately responded to this new law by blocking Canadian news from its platforms.

For the past three years, Energeticcity has been providing its clients –– small to medium-sized community businesses –– with digital marketing services. These services are critical to the British-Columbia-based news outlet as they fund its journalism. When Bill C-18 passed, traffic to Energeticcity’s website dropped by 30 percent, as its news was no longer being pushed on Meta’s platforms. With fewer people clicking through to Energeticcity’s website and viewing its clients’ display advertising, the outlet knew it could no longer rely on selling that service for revenue growth. Adam was right; the organization had to pivot to another plan.

The Results

Working with LION coach Richard Brown, Adam and his team determined precisely how much money the organization needed to raise by the end of 2024 to compensate for the lost revenue. The $150,000 figure initially felt daunting, but they worked together to break it down into more manageable steps. Adam created a dynamic sales spreadsheet to calculate how much a single client needed to spend, how much they could generate with existing clients, and how many new clients they needed to attract (knowing some would churn) each month. In the end, Adam was surprised at “how small that number became” when he realized they only needed to bring in 1-2 new clients per month to hit their goal. With this achievable outcome in mind, they could get to work on the plan.

The first step was to refine how they tracked and reported the performance of each campaign to their clients. They built an automated reporting system to help clients glean essential insights, and now have a staff member review monthly statistics and provide feedback. Showing how their services get results reduces client turnover, and by better understanding which clients’ campaigns perform best, they are more intentional about which businesses they solicit and work with.

Energeticcity continues to explore and expand its digital marketing services, working around display advertising to offer innovative ideas to its new and pre-existing clients.

The Wins

• Developed an annual revenue goal of $150,000 and a manageable plan to reach it
• Created an automated reporting system to track client success
• Revamped solicitation outreach and methods

Have a success story to share about the business side of your news business? Email the LION team at hello@lionpublishers.com!

The post Reimagining Client Services and Products to Achieve Funding Goals appeared first on LION Publishers.

His work includes:

• Designing and maintaining our tech stack, including our website and Salesforce, to ensure they meet our product and programming needs
• Creating documentation and trainings for our staff to understand how to navigate these systems
• Continually making recommendations on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our technology systems 

Stel most recently worked at SF Made. Prior to that, he was the database administrator and technology consultant at Family Promise HCR.

Stel is based in New York.

Please join us in welcoming Stel to the LION team — you can reach him at stelduncan@lionpublishers.com.

The post Stel Duncan joins LION Publishers as our Associate Director of Technology appeared first on LION Publishers.

The sold-out event brought local news publishers, supporters, and funders together to create connections, help solve collective challenges, and gain fresh insights on how to build more sustainable news businesses. Attendees also cheered on their peers during the fifth annual LION Local Journalism Awards Ceremony on October 3, which was held in conjunction with the Meetup.

And while the Meetup attracted many folks from the Southeast, we were thrilled to welcome individuals from around the country and Canada. The group included:

• 130 LION members from nearly 30 states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and others extending into the Mid-Atlantic
• 31 LION Award winners who were honored at the Awards Ceremony and accepted a total of $55,800 in cash prizes 
• 44 people who received nearly $30,000 in travel scholarships to help them attend

LION’s 2023 News Sustainability Meetups and the 2023 LION Awards were generously sponsored by The Walton Family Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Carol Oppenheim & Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund, the Google News Initiative, Microsoft, and News Revenue Hub.

Here are five takeaways from our time together:

1. News business leaders are focusing less on the day-to-day tactical work and more on the strategic thinking necessary to run a sustainable news business, and they’re starting to see (and celebrate) what this looks like in practice.

Leaders of LION member organizations aren’t stepping away from the journalism entirely, but there’s increased interest in understanding and mastering the behind-the-scenes processes to run a financially healthy and operationally resilient news business.

So it’s no surprise that funding was a central conversation topic. During one panel discussion, The Food Section’s Hanna Raskin asked her peers how they’d pitch their organization to potential funders because sometimes, “The journalism can’t just speak for itself.” Scalawag and Press On’s Alyzza May advised listeners to “Show people where their money and values can be in alignment,” which sparked deeper discussion on how and when to make a compelling case for support.

In another session, Cardinal News’ Luanne Rife spoke about demystifying the revenue funnel, which wasn’t on her radar when she launched the organization two years ago. “I was thinking about stories,” she said. “Now I think about what type of product we can develop to bring people good journalism and not only pay for it but make a little more money to support other things you can’t monetize.”

Conversely, MLK 50’s Wendi Thomas candidly noted in a keynote conversation that operational and financial work isn’t for everyone –– and that’s okay, as long as you prioritize hiring the right people to run your business.

But regardless, every news leader needs to recognize that having a business mindset will pay off. Shasta Scout’s Annelise Pierce won the Financial Health Award in the small revenue tier during the Awards Ceremony, and in her acceptance speech, said, “LION got me thinking about P&Ls [profit and loss statements] and other dumb sh*t. And I’m grateful for it.” Her comment was met with roaring applause and instantly became the evening’s winning catchphrase. There’s even talk of t-shirts (Richland Source’s Jay Allred designed the below example and posted it in our Slack channel).

2. The independent news industry bucks tradition by being deeply collaborative and community-oriented.

The importance of community representation in news organizations surfaced throughout the conference. In a panel discussion, Conecta Arizona’s Maritza L. Félix emphasized the importance of listening and adapting to audience needs. “The future of journalism is collaborative and independent,” she said. “And for us, in Spanish.”

CivicLex’s Richard Young echoed that attitude: “It’s all about the people,” he said. “Ultimately, CivicLex exists to establish trust in civic processes and help people get more involved in their local government, so we meet them where they are.”

Community engagement was a 2023 LION Awards category and many winners’ work, including Burlington Buzz, Resolve Philly, The Discourse, and The Appeal‘s, reflected the value of representation.

We commend all the LION members who are doing such intentional and thoughtful work to create a more inclusive, representative, and collaborative news industry.

3. Community building shouldn’t exist in a bubble –– it should extend within the industry.

We were blown away by the community building blossoming in real-time among attendees. “This is very special,” Mississippi Free Press’ Donna Ladd said during our closing session. “There’s real camaraderie here, and it hasn’t always been this way in the industry. Let’s take this back with us and help model it.”

That camaraderie was keenly felt during the Awards Ceremony, especially when Outlier Media’s Candice Fortman, who also co-hosted the Ceremony, received a standing ovation for winning the LION Business of the Year Award in the large revenue tier.

In addition to the informal networking throughout the event, we launched our inaugural affinity groups, facilitating connection opportunities for news leaders identifying as Black, Latinx/Latine, a Person of Color, and/or LGBTQIA+. 

“The affinity group was special,” said Spinning Forward’s Flavian DeLima, who led the People of Color affinity group. “There were deep connections all around –– people made eye contact and felt heard. It’s the kind of networking you hope for at a conference.”

4. Independent news needs more funding capital, and Press Forward has a pivotal role to play.

One of our keynotes featured LION’s Chris Krewson and the Knight Foundation’s Duc Luu discussing an initiative called Press Forward, a $500 million fund for local journalism over the next five years. Announced in September, this initiative has the industry buzzing with questions about the future of funding for independent news.

Funding applications for Press Forward aren’t available yet, and right now, the group of funders spearheading the project is focused on raising awareness and recruiting additional funders. Luu urged LION members to concentrate on boosting their internal operations, so they’re in a good position to receive the funding when it becomes available.

“National funders, like Knight, want to invest in and scale what’s working,” he said. “We’re interested in community outcomes.”

One pillar of Press Forward is direct support for newsrooms, alongside establishing infrastructure to sustain them well past the five-year project timeline. Further information on Press Forward’s next steps will be announced in November. In the meantime, organizations should continue to invest time and resources into identifying a solid revenue funnel, which can include individual donations, institutional funding, advertising and sponsorship, and membership programs.

5. At LION, we’ve learned that there’s a deep interest in convening independent news publishers in person.

Events take a lot of time to do well, which is why we decided to skip a large annual conference this year and focus on regional events (the Southeast Meetup and Deep South Meetup are the two we held this year). However, the feedback we hear from members who attend our events is that it’s an important, complementary offering to the other trainings and support we provide year-round, especially from a community and industry-building vantage point. 

That’s why we’ve decided to host another large independent news conference next year. We’ll gather in Chicago from September 5-7 to host discussions with experts, networking opportunities, and our sixth annual LION Awards Ceremony. We’ll share more details soon on how to attend the event.

Check out our photo gallery from the Southeast Meetup, and if you have feedback on how we can maximize your experience at the 2024 event, give us a shout at hello@lionpublishers.com.

The post “P&Ls and other dumb sh*t,” plus other takeaways from our Southeast Meetup appeared first on LION Publishers.

The LION Awards recognize excellence and transformational impact in 10 award categories focused on our pillars of sustainability — operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact. 

Hosts Candice Fortman, of Outlier Media, and Lisa Heyamoto, of LION Publishers, warmly welcomed more than 175 news leaders and journalism supporters to the fifth annual LION Awards Ceremony on Oct. 3 in Durham, North Carolina. 

There, we celebrated our 99 finalist entries from 74 LION member organizations, announced the 37 winning entries, and awarded $55,800 in cash prizes to 36 unique LION member organizations thanks to generous support from our sponsors. Each winning entry received at least $1,300. 

LION Business of the Year, our marquee award that comes with a $3,000 cash prize, went to Santa Cruz Local (Micro/Small Tier), The Houston Defender (Medium Tier), and Outlier Media (Large Tier). 

All 10 award categories are reviewed by an independent panel of judges every year. Additionally, LION staff selects the winner of our Community Member of the Year Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies LION’s core values. This year’s winner is Hanna Raskin, the editor and founder of The Food Section. Hanna often raises her hand to help support other members and generously shares her successes and lessons learned with them.

Given that we hosted this year’s event in North Carolina, LION also offered special recognition and a $500 newsroom donation to The Daily Tar Heel, the independent student newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to highlight their outstanding work covering recent gun violence on their campus.

We appreciate everyone who submitted entries, cheered on our winners, shared the love on social media (#LIONAwards23), supported the celebration, and made this year our best LION Awards yet.

Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards! Read more about each winner’s work below.

• 2PuntosPlatform, Winner: Product of the Year Award (Micro Revenue Tier)
• The Appeal, Co-Winner: Community Engagement Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• Arizona Luminaria, Winner: New LION Business of the Year Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• The Assembly, Winner: Accountability Award (Medium Revenue Tier)
• Block Club Chicago, Co-Winner: Public Service Award (Large Revenue Tier)
• Bolts, Winner: New LION Business of the Year Award (Medium/Large Revenue Tier)
• Bridge Michigan, Co-Winner: Operational Resilience Award (Medium/Large Revenue Tier)
• Broke in Philly, Winner: Collaboration of the Year Award (Large Revenue Tier)
• Burlington Buzz, Winner: Community Engagement Award (Micro Revenue Tier)
• Cardinal News, Winner: Financial Health Award (Medium/Large Revenue Tier)
• ClearHealthCosts, Co-Winner: Public Service Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• The Coronado News, Winner: Outstanding Coverage Award (Micro Revenue Tier), and Winner: Public Service Award (Micro Revenue Tier)
• Dallas Free Press, Co-Winner: Operational Resilience Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• The Discourse, Co-Winner: Community Engagement Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• Epicenter-NYC, Co-Winner: Public Service Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• The Food Section’s Hanna Raskin, Winner: Community Member of the Year Award
• The Green Line, Winner: Product of the Year Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• The Highlands Current, Winner: Outstanding Coverage Award (Medium Revenue Tier)
• The Houston Defender, Winner: LION Business of the Year Award (Medium Revenue Tier)
• Jacksonville Today, Winner: Product of the Year Award (Medium Revenue Tier)
• The Kansas City Defender, Winner: Accountability Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• La Noticia, Winner: Collaboration of the Year Award (Medium Revenue Tier)
• Madison Minutes, Co-Winner: Collaboration of the Year Award (Micro/Small Revenue Tier)
• Mississippi Free Press, Winner: Public Service Award (Medium Revenue Tier)
• Montana Free Press, Winner: Product of the Year Award (Large Revenue Tier)
• New Mexico In Depth, Winner: Outstanding Coverage Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• Outlier Media, Winner: LION Business of the Year Award (Large Revenue Tier)
• The Prison Journalism Project, Co-Winner: Operational Resilience Award (Medium/Large Revenue Tier)
• Resolve Philly, Winner: Community Engagement Award (Large Revenue Tier)
• Santa Cruz Local, Winner: LION Business of the Year Award (Micro/Small Revenue Tier), and Co-Winner: Operational Resilience Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• Shasta Scout, Winner: Financial Health Award (Small Revenue Tier)
• Spinning Forward, Winner: New LION Business of the Year Award (Micro Revenue Tier)
• Tone Madison, Co-Winner: Collaboration of the Year Award (Micro/Small Revenue Tier)
• Verified News Network (VNN), Co-Winner: Collaboration of the Year Award (Micro/Small Revenue Tier)
• VTDigger, Co-Winner: Public Service Award (Large Revenue Tier)
• Wisconsin Watch, Winner: Accountability Award (Large Revenue Tier), and Winner: Outstanding Coverage (Large Revenue Tier)

Presenting Sponsors

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Carol Oppenheim & Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund

Platinum Sponsor 

Google News Initiative

Gold Sponsor

Microsoft

Bronze Sponsor

News Revenue Hub

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.

Within each category, we have tiers reflecting the annual revenue of each recognized organization:

• Micro Tier: Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
• Small Tier: Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
• Medium Tier: Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
• Large Tier: More than $1.1 million in annual revenue

In some categories, we have combined Micro and Small tiers or Medium and Large tiers. Each tier isn’t always reflected for each award category, and we made these decisions based on the number of applications we received.

Winner descriptions were self-reported, and the comments were provided by our judges; both have been slightly edited by LION staff for length and clarity. You can select each category below to scroll to that specific section.

1. LION Business of the Year
2. New LION Business of the Year
3. Operational Resilience Award
4. Financial Health Award
5. Collaboration of the Year
6. Product of the Year
7. Accountability Award 
8. Community Engagement Award
9. Outstanding Coverage Award
10. Public Service Award
11. Community Member of the Year Award

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.

Winner, Micro/Small Revenue Tier: Santa Cruz Local

Santa Cruz Local produces deep, community-oriented journalism. In 2022, they created a fundraising-focused board and raised $72,000 to launch a Spanish news initiative for Pajaro Valley. They conducted extensive interviews with 170 Spanish-speaking residents to understand what news they want and how they want it delivered. 

From the judges: “Santa Cruz Local has truly excelled in its mission to bring attention to often-overlooked issues in a region characterized by affluence. By offering essential news coverage to underserved communities within the area, the organization has made an exceptional impact.” 

Finalist: The Food Section

Winner, Medium Revenue Tier: The Houston Defender 

In the past year, The Houston Defender underwent a digital transformation that expanded its reach and introduced its brand to new audiences. They revamped their website to focus on three specific groups: Black Women, Under 40, and Community, and generated over $500,000 in new revenue. 

From the judges: “The growth exhibited by The Houston Defender in the past year is remarkable and serves as a potential blueprint for other legacy print organizations seeking to transition into the digital realm. This 90-plus-year-old news organization has undertaken a vigorous shift towards a modern digital business model, successfully generating substantial new revenue streams and expanding its audience base.” 

Finalists: Cardinal News and El Tímpano

Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Outlier Media 

In the last year, Outlier Media created a fully operational nonprofit entity with a governing board, nearly doubled its budget, expanded its news coverage, and managed a news collaborative of nine outlets across its region. Outlier also developed the Detroit Documenters program, in which they recruited and trained nearly 500 residents to cover public meetings in Detroit.

From the judges: “Outlier has made significant strides toward sustainability by adapting both its business structure and content while steadfastly maintaining its commitment to community collaboration. Outlier’s journey from grassroots beginnings to its current state of expansion and collaboration for the betterment of underserved communities is truly commendable.”

Finalists: Grist and El Paso Matters

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.

Winner, Micro Revenue Tier: Spinning Forward

Spinning Forward 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.

From the judges: “Creatives in Toronto are lucky to have Spinning Forward on their side. This organization has an energetic vision for the impact it can make among creators in its target audience and a diversified way of growing its business, from mastermind groups to data journalism.” 

Finalists: The Berkeley Scanner, Planeta Venus, and Twice As Good Media

Winner, Small Revenue Tier: Arizona Luminaria

Arizona Luminaria provides equitable access to information about local civic issues, empowering all Arizonans to participate in civic life and elections. In their first year, they published over 100 stories in English and Spanish, grew their individual donors to 350, and brought in 16 grant funders.

From the judges: “Arizona Luminaria is an industry-leading example that empathetic audience listening is the foundation of great journalism and a strong business. Their belief in the people of Arizona and their excellent execution on the needs of their neighbors makes it easy to believe that they will be a light to local news for a very long time.”

There were no other finalists in this tier.

Winner, Medium/Large Revenue Tier: Bolts

Launched in early 2022, Bolts covers power and political change, emphasizing criminal justice and voting rights. They’ve published 155 articles, raised $1.1 million in funding, and inspired segments on “Good Morning America” and MSNBC.

From the judges: “Niche doesn’t mean small at Bolts, whose “multi-local” focus on criminal justice and voting rights coverage rooted in communities across the country has inspired other publishers to build upon its journalism and laid the foundation for a rapidly expanding business with several revenue drivers.” 

Finalist: Springfield Daily Citizen

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.

Co-Winner, Small Revenue Tier: Dallas Free Press 

As their staff more than doubled, Dallas Free Press hired an operations and programming director and created a comprehensive playbook of operational processes that provide a foundation for their work.

From the judges: “Dallas Free Press is constantly listening, iterating, and honing their systems, which put people first with an eye toward journalistic impact and financial sustainability. They have done stellar work developing a people-centered organization, with a view toward equity, inclusion, and a healthy working culture.”

Co-Winner, Small Revenue Tier: Santa Cruz Local

Santa Cruz Local nearly doubled its staff in 2022 so it could launch a Spanish news initiative to serve Pajaro Valley residents. To recession-proof their budget, they raised $72,000 this year to fund the new positions through June 2024.

From the judges: “Santa Cruz Local has developed strong hiring processes, which start well before job openings are announced. Their thoughtfulness in aligning required competencies, designing inclusive job descriptions, and evaluating candidates using a structured rubric is best-in-class. They have also deeply invested in their work to serve the Spanish-speaking community.”

Finalists: The Appeal and Taproot Edmonton

Co-Winner, Medium/Large Revenue Tier: Bridge Michigan 

Bridge Michigan executed sweeping organizational succession when its founding CEO transitioned to a new role. They also brought on a new chair to their board of directors and three new appointees, and surpassed $1 million in their annual membership revenue three years ahead of schedule.

From the judges: “Bridge Michigan planned and executed a truly exceptional change management plan under their new CEO. Bridge has implemented new processes and operations that demonstrate the organization’s leadership acumen and commitment to iterative development in response to staff and community needs.” 

Co-Winner, Medium/Large Revenue Tier: The Prison Journalism Project 

The Prison Journalism Project implemented policies to bolster sustainability and resilience, including healthcare coverage, increased PTO, onboarding and offboarding processes, an annual staff retreat, and structured performance reviews. 

From the judges: “The Prison Journalism Project has done exceptional work under exceptional circumstances, developing a duty of care and set of processes and principles that show they embody their values and mission while supporting the development of essential journalism. As they’ve expanded, they have moved with care to support their staff, the communities they serve, and those who write for them.”

Finalist: Richland Source 

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.

Winner, Small Revenue Tier: Shasta Scout

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.

From the judges: “Shasta Scout provides a compelling example of the growth journey for a small media outlet that prioritizes diversity, inclusion, and high-quality journalism. Their dedication, combined with strategic approaches to revenue diversification, compensation, and investment in revenue generation efforts, is poised to yield positive results.” 

Finalists: The Buckeye Flame and The Hoser 

Winner, Medium/Large Revenue Tier: Cardinal News 

In one year, Cardinal News went from $300,000 in seed funding to more than quadrupling its annual budget. They attribute their success to gaining support from local foundations and corporations, building an audience, and actively converting readers to donors.

From the judges: “What truly stands out about Cardinal News is its dedication to quality journalism, underpinned by an ambitious growth strategy centered on diversifying its revenue sources. Their data-informed approach involves meticulously implementing revenue-generating efforts bolstered by a dedicated team, clear performance metrics, and appropriate technology infrastructure. This places them at the forefront of the sustainability game.”

Finalists: Charlottesville Tomorrow and Richland Source

Collaboration of the Year Award

Recognizes a LION member that 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.

Co-Winners, Micro/Small Revenue Tier: Tone Madison and Madison Minutes

After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Tone Madison and Madison Minutes conducted a survey on family planning and abortion. They used the responses to report a series of six in-depth stories that balance the complex human impact of the ruling with broader political and medical context.

From the judges: “This collaboration embodies the spirit of people-driven, data-informed, and local-issue solutions journalism, and highlights the reproductive healthcare concerns and needs of a diverse set of people, all of whom are impacted in different ways by the SCOTUS decision.” 

Co-Winner, Micro/Small Revenue Tier: Verified News Network (VNN)

Verified News Network (VNN) Oklahoma and the Lucinda Hickory Research Institute created the series “Stealing Tvlse,” which investigated Tulsa’s Allotment Era history when the government stole oil-rich land from the Mvskoke Creek people. 

From the judges: “This is a groundbreaking, eye-opening report with many angles of accessibility for exceptional storytelling and reporting. The series details the struggles amongst groups of indigenous people whose concerns and lives have a long history of being marginalized.” 

Finalists: Boulder Reporting Lab and Racine County Eye

Winner, Medium Revenue Tier: La Noticia 

La Noticia partnered with local public radio stations WFAE and WFDD to produce stories focused on immigrant voices, both in English and in Spanish. This joint effort created awareness about immigrant issues through compelling journalism, extensive community engagement, and data-driven insights.

From the judges: “This collaboration is at an exciting starting point. These three entities in East Charlotte, North Carolina, are focused on the area’s largely Latino immigrant community and are producing category-leading coverage based on data and solutions.”

Finalist: Springfield Daily Citizen

Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Broke in Philly 

Led by Resolve Philly, Broke in Philly was a five-year collaborative reporting project on economic mobility and solutions reporting on poverty. The project included 29 newsrooms working in six languages. They published more than 3,000 articles and drove real impact in Philadelphia. 

From the judges: “Broke in Philly sets the bar for a collaboration that excels at addressing an issue that affects people and considers many perspectives. It uses data to tell the full story in a masterful way that informs people and inspires change.”

Finalists: Chalkbeat and The Colorado Sun, Dallas Voice, and Wisconsin Watch

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.

Winner, Micro Revenue Tier: 2PuntosPlatform

Launched in August 2022, 2PuntosPlatform’s VozColectiva is a community newsroom of five Latina women in Philadelphia. Their first reporting topic was domestic violence, and they won the 2023 Advocacy Champion Award from Women Against Abuse.

From the judges: “Voz Colectiva excels in its ability to focus on a specific audience and devise effective strategies for its benefit. Their innovative approach lies in seamlessly integrating various formats to create a unique and engaging experience.” 

Finalists: Austin Vida and Conecta Arizona 

Winner, Small Revenue Tier: The Green Line 

The Green Line fills gaps in news coverage by delivering hyper-local journalism to Gen Z and Millennial Torontonians and other underserved communities. They encourage readers to take action via their Action Journey model.

From the judges: “The Green Line has pioneered a new product that blends elements of explanation, feature reporting, in-person events, and follow-up coverage. This reflects a thoughtful analysis of its target audience, the most effective means of engagement, and the necessary steps to bring the project to fruition.” 

Finalist: RANGE Media 

Winner, Medium Revenue Tier: Jacksonville Today 

Jacksonville Today at WJCT Public Media’s free newsletter reaches about 19,000 people and focuses on populations in Jacksonville that have historically suffered from a lack of local coverage.

From the judges: “Jacksonville Today’s newsletter is a winning model for growing an audience and driving new reader revenue, supported by a highly adaptive and metrics-driven approach.” 

Finalists: Cardinal News and La Noticia

Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Montana Free Press

Montana Free Press recognized that finding publicly available information on the 2023 Legislative Session was a challenge for most Montanans, so they created the “Capitol Tracker” to provide a single resource for anyone following the session.

From the judges: “Montana Free Press’s Capitol Tracker is a data-rich resource hub, meeting readers where they are and delivering actionable information for driving civic engagement.” 

Finalists: Grist and Spotlight PA

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.

Winner, Small Revenue Tier: The Kansas City Defender 

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 was overlooked and misreported by local legacy outlets, and the Kansas City Defender’s investigation exposed a severe racial injustice that would have otherwise remained hidden. 

From the judges: “This powerful piece of journalism is thorough and hits all the marks. The Kansas City Defender provided context and a deep understanding of racial and socioeconomic issues at play and used data to support the lived experiences of those quoted in the story, clearly demonstrating a strong understanding of their work and the audience they serve.” 

Finalists: The Mendocino Voice, Open Vallejo, and Streetsblog

Winner, Medium Revenue Tier: The Assembly 

The Assembly hired two veteran reporters to cover courts and criminal justice, focusing on those most affected by the system: Black and brown, often low-income, North Carolinians. Their reporting uncovered the case of Charles McNeair, who was 16 when a white woman accused him of rape and remains in prison 43 years later –– despite his claims of innocence. 

From the judges: “The case of the 16-year-old convicted of a life sentence for rape was deeply reported and well told. The depth and diligence of the reporting shines a spotlight on the human cost of a flawed justice system.”

Finalist: Mississippi Free Press

Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Wisconsin Watch 

In a three-part series, Wisconsin Watch explored the roots of racial and gender-related bullying that gripped schools in the small town of Kiel, Wisconsin. After two stories were published, parents rallied to prevent the ousting of a popular superintendent, and two far-right school board members resigned, restoring the board to a more moderate majority.

From the judges: “The judges unanimously agreed that this is one of the most outstanding pieces of journalism they have read in a long time. Huge lessons for the whole country in this well-told saga of a small town swept up in standing up to hate, intolerance, and bigotry. Bravo! This is why local news matters.” 

Finalists: EdSource, El Paso Matters, and Grist

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.

Winner, Micro Revenue Tier: Burlington Buzz

Burlington Buzz serves Burlington, Massachusetts, and covers local issues that affect its citizens, resulting in more community members championing important initiatives, raising visibility, and demanding accountability from their elected leaders.

From the judges: “The Burlington Buzz designed itself to enable the community to actively shape its initiatives, which has formed a positive feedback loop that is essential to increasing civic engagement.” 

Finalists: 2PuntosPlatform and TheReportingProject.org

Co-Winner, Small Revenue Tier: The Appeal

The Appeal highlights voices missing from traditional criminal justice coverage by directly partnering with incarcerated writers to tell their own stories. In 2022, 14% of its writers were previously or currently incarcerated.

From the judges: “The team at The Appeal demonstrates a deep and unwavering understanding of the identities and needs of their audience. Their deliberate efforts to amplify the voices of incarcerated journalists and writers showcase a genuine commitment to authentic representation. They also create a nurturing environment where marginalized voices can thrive, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive media landscape.”

Co-Winner, Small Revenue Tier: The Discourse

The Discourse embarked on deep community collaboration to surface solutions for drought-struck local watersheds. The resulting series has built community and shared Indigenous knowledge, especially about innovative solutions and ways for everyday people to get involved. 

From the judges: “The Discourse’s approach is superb with a strong foundation in community engagement. This initiative emerged from the community itself, generating resources and reporting that produced and shared insights to serve the community’s needs. The Discourse stands as a shining example, leading the way in community-driven journalism and innovative storytelling.” 

Finalists: Santa Cruz Local and Shasta Scout

Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Resolve Philly

Resolve Philly’s Community Engagement Team aims to change how historically mis- or underrepresented communities interact with, and are reflected in, local news. Their Sound Offs provide a signature space for Philly residents to discuss important issues.

From the judges: “The focused strategy, clarity of purpose, and rigorous approach that is displayed in Resolve Philly’s work serves as an exemplary model for others to emulate in their own endeavors.” 

Finalist: Block Club Chicago

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.

Winner, Micro Revenue Tier: The Coronado News

In a five-part series, Coronado News brought new attention to a serious sewage 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.

From the judges: “The Coronado News’ impressive effort in identifying a problem within their community and actively instigating change not only provided a voice to underrepresented individuals but has also highlighted the significant personal health toll. Their comprehensive and multi-faceted perspective on the personal effects had a tangible impact by prompting lawmakers to advocate for improvements in the situation.”

Finalists: State Affairs and Watershed Voice

Co-Winners, Small Revenue Tier: ClearHealthCosts and Epicenter NYC

ClearHealthCosts, Epicenter-NYC, and TBN24 collaborated on an 18-month project to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to an under-vaccinated neighborhood in New York City. The project vaccinated thousands of people, tested tens of thousands, and passed out hundreds of thousands of at-home tests and pieces of literature.

From the judges: “Journalism, at its core, is a form of community service, and this trio went above and beyond by not only highlighting disparities but also providing services that had a transformative and potentially life-saving impact on people’s lives.” 

Finalists: The Buckeye Flame and California Health Report

Winner, Medium Revenue Tier: Mississippi Free Press

Since 2020, Mississippi Free Press has documented polling-place changes that go unreported by local and state election officials, leaving many voters with inaccurate information. This work was noticed by key voting-rights organizations in 2022 and used to urge the Mississippi Secretary of State to make changes.

From the judges: “The detailed and time-consuming reporting carried out by the Mississippi Free Press team is a testament to the importance of investigative journalism in safeguarding the democratic principles that underpin our society.” 

Finalists: Cardinal News and San José Spotlight

Co-Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Block Club Chicago 

Ahead of Chicago’s 2023 municipal election, Block Club Chicago created “The Ballot,” a free comprehensive voter guide that brought Chicagoans hyperlocal coverage of the mayoral election and all 50 ward races.

From the judges: “This is an excellent example of what community and local news should aspire to be. It employs multiple formats to reach people where they are, and the project’s experimentation with text messaging opens up opportunities for future stories and projects. The enthusiasm and expertise in the content are palpable, and the quality of writing is top-notch.” 

Co-Winner, Large Revenue Tier: VTDigger 

VTDigger’s “Full Disclosure” series exposed deficiencies in how Vermont legislators file ethics disclosures. The series led to changes by the state to make ethics disclosures more transparent to the public.

From the judges: “The remarkable efforts of VTDigger have undeniably made a substantial difference in the state of Vermont after they located financial disclosures legislators obfuscated — and made them publicly available online. VTDigger’s work is both bold and brave.” 

Finalists: Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside, Bridge Michigan, and Outlier Media

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.

Winner, Micro Revenue Tier: The Coronado News

The Coronado News’ reporting on a century-old sewage issue and health crisis resulted in the three affected communities (Tijuana, Mexico; Imperial Beach, California and Coronado, California) working together to solicit the White House for support. 

From the judges: “The Coronado News has quickly established itself as a community watchdog and ambitious pursuer of truth. In this series, journalists took an in-depth look at the longstanding problem, why the progress to fix it has been so slow, the systemic failures involved, and who is being harmed. It had an immediate and important impact that should make a difference in finally addressing this crisis.” 

Finalists: Broken Arrow Sentinel, The Food Section, Oviedo Community News, and State Affairs

Winner, Small Revenue Tier: New Mexico in Depth 

New Mexico In Depth’s project, Blind Drunk, tackled the state’s alcohol abuse crisis. Following publication, lawmakers passed the first alcohol tax increase in 30 years. When the governor vetoed it, they launched a website to keep the pressure on.

From the judges: “New Mexico In Depth takes on a common problem — alcohol abuse — and explores it from several perspectives. The team not only gave a voice to individuals battling alcohol issues, but they also interviewed physicians and experts for solutions. They harnessed the power of data and graphics to deliver insights. Their seven-part investigative stories exemplify good journalism.”

Finalists: Asheville Watchdog, Bay City News Foundation, and The Discourse Nanaimo

Winner, Medium Revenue Tier: The Highlands Current 

When many state and national parks started setting visitation records, The Highlands Current’s series, Trails (Too) Well Traveled, explored solutions to preserve these precious landmarks while still promoting participation.

From the judges: “The Highlands Current adopted a multifaceted approach in these articles. The topic of access to public lands is of immense national significance, and the reporting on this specific trail provides a compelling glimpse into the complexities inherent in this issue.” 

Finalists: Cardinal News and Mission Local

Winner, Large Revenue Tier: Wisconsin Watch 

Wisconsin Watch’s series, False Choice, is all about marginalized children. Their reporting revealed that certain school programs are allowed to systematically exclude, discipline, or expel students for immutable traits — and there is little in the law to protect them.
From the judges: “The information provided in this series is incredibly important, and the reporting and investigation conducted are of excellent quality. It serves as valuable solutions journalism material, offering insights that are likely to be quite eye-opening for the majority of readers.”

Finalists: Documented and Spotlight PA

Community Member of the Year Award

Winner: Hanna Raskin, Editor and Founder, The Food Section

Hanna was chosen by LION staff due to her outstanding dedication to supporting other local independent publishers in her region. She’s often raised her hand to help other members and has generously shared her successes and lessons learned with them. This year, she worked with a fellow member, The Objective, on a series about food media, showcasing a spirit of collaboration. She has also done incredible and important journalism this year. The Food Section has published the work of more than a dozen food journalists…who otherwise might not have found a home for their hard-hitting work…and they compensated each one of them fairly. We are thrilled to honor Hanna with the 2023 Community Member of the Year Award!

The post Meet the 36 winners of the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards appeared first on LION Publishers.

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 chriskrewson@lionpublishers.com 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

New LION Business of the Year

Operational Resilience Award

Financial Health Award

Collaboration of the Year

Product of the Year

Accountability Award 

Community Engagement Award

Outstanding Coverage Award

Public Service Award

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

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

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

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. 

Houston Defender Network 

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. 

El Tímpano

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

Grist

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.

Outlier Media

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. 

El Paso Matters

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

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

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

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 Media

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

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

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

Bolts

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.

Springfield Daily Citizen 

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

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

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

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. 

Taproot Edmonton

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

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.

Prison Journalism Project

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.

Richland Source

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)

The Buckeye Flame

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

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

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

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.

Charlottesville Tomorrow

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.

Richland Source

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 

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. 

Racine County Eye

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

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. 

Springfield Daily Citizen

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

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 

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. 

Wisconsin Watch

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

2PuntosPlatform

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

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

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

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

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

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.

La Noticia

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

Grist

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

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.

Spotlight PA

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

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

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. 

Open Vallejo

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.

Streetsblog

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. 

Mississippi Free Press

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 

EdSource

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. 

El Paso Matters

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

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. 

Wisconsin Watch

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

2PuntosPlatform

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

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

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

The Appeal

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.

The Discourse Cowichan

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

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

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)

Block Club Chicago

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

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

The Coronado News

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. 

State Affairs

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

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

The Buckeye Flame

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

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

Cardinal News

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.

Mississippi Free Press

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

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.

Block Club Chicago 

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.

Bridge Michigan

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. 

Outlier Media

“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

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

Broken Arrow Sentinel 

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

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.

The Food Section

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

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. 

State Affairs

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

Asheville Watchdog 

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.

Bay City News Foundation

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.

The Discourse Nanaimo 

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

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

Cardinal News 

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.

The Highlands Current 

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 

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 

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

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

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.

The post Meet the 74 finalists of the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards appeared first on LION Publishers.