Cassie Balfour joins LION as our Membership Programming Manager

As LION continues to grow, we need a strong, dedicated advocate for our LION members and their continued success in running independent news business.

Cassie Balfour will be that advocate.

Cassie is joining us from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) where she implemented and administered programs supporting journalists from around the globe and has worked on projects focused on media entrepreneurship, digital innovation, training of trainers and misinformation.

During her time at ICFJ, she managed a project that included five full-time fellows working on projects to fight the spread of misinformation in Brazil, Indonesia, India, Nigeria and the United States. As a result of that project, fellows produced new tools to monitor misinformation on social media, reached new audiences in their own communities using local languages, and formed coalitions to more effectively handle misinformation around elections. 

No fees, no tuition, no income sharing. No financial barriers to your success. Just the hands-on support you need to launch an independent news business. https://t.co/LHVa9J2Bla

— LION Publishers (@LIONPubs) June 22, 2021

Recently, she helped administer a virtual program for young professional journalists in Brazil to help level up their journalism skills by arranging dozens of webinars on topics such as product in journalism, investigative journalism and media sustainability.

Prior to her work with ICFJ, Cassie worked with the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. She spent her college years reporting and editing for the Michigan Daily and working on local organizing projects. She is delighted to be returning to community-based journalism.

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With half of her roots in Michigan and half in Puerto Rico, she lives between the two in Washington, D.C.

Cassie will be the primary liaison between LION and its existing and prospective members. She’ll help recruit new LION members, review prospective member applications, provide existing members with support and resources, share member insights to shape LION’s work and help promote our members’ work. You can reach her at [email protected].

We’re absolutely thrilled for Cassie to join our team and look forward to her help serving our members.