Local Independent Online News Publishers

Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) was founded in 2012 to support mostly smaller, hyperlocal media outlets, 90% of which publish online. 2/3 are for-profit newsrooms and 1/3 are nonprofit. LION focuses on helping these outlets have a more sustainable operation by focusing on the business aspects of a media company. Some media startups have business expertise but lack journalism skills, while the outlets with journalism expertise are hoping to get business tips through LION like on finding insurance or using certain digital tools. The annual conference has been its main event every year since its founding after the 2011 Block by Block Community News Summit.