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News, information and much more for independent online news publishers. 
In 2 weeks, we'll see you in Chicago. (We will, right?)

Would you benefit from ...

... Meeting local independent online news publishers who've faced and learned from the same challenges you are experiencing?

... Advice on how to choose a website CMS that fits your needs?

... Best practices and new ideas for native advertising and sponsored content?

... Tips on fundraising and membership campaigns?

... Training on free Google publishing tools?

... Training in advertising sales and recruiting sales reps?

... An overview of Google AMP for small publishers?

... Ideas for monetizing video?

... Information on better reader engagement, the state of Freedom of Information Act battles, investigative reporting with small staffs, reporting with drones, and revenue ideas you can take home and implement?

All of this and more is on the growing schedule for the LION Summit Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Chicago.

THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER. Join us!


LION joins news orgs pushing Obama on transparency

LION Publishers has once again joined a group of 40 journalism organizations in pushing President Obama to be more transparent about the release of information about the federal government. 


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FROM A SPONSOR:
This year's LION Summit in Chicago has been made possible by sponsors that include Hearken.
 

Hearken is a new model for audience-first journalism. Our supporting platform enables newsrooms to engage the public throughout story creation at the pitch, assignment and reporting phases. Traditionally, newsrooms don't get the benefit of public feedback and insight on stories until it's too late ‒ after stories are published. Hearken corrects for this flaw through a combination of process and supporting custom technology. Newsrooms using Hearken have found these stories significantly outperform other stories on measures including pageviews, uniques, time on site and social shares. The Hearken model results in original, relevant and high-performing content as well as generates valuable email leads for newsletters and membership.


Hearken recently took home the 2016 SXSW Accelerator Competition's "Best Bootstrap Company" prize.  Our platform is less than a year old and is already powering engagement in 50+ newsrooms across 8 countries, leading to all variety of reporting products (from podcasts to TV to print). Hearken works for news that's hyperlocal to international, as well as for topic verticals, events and follow-up stories.

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ICYMI: 6 reasons you should be at the LION Summit

Six reasons you should be at LION's Chicago Summit Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Also, free beer and wine and great food included, candy at the registration desk, and some great speakers, panels and workshops!


Gannett ups Tronc bid, cuts newsroom jobs in New Jersey

Tronc - the renamed Tribune newspaper chain that includes the L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel and Baltimore Sun - is said to be considering a revised, higher bid for the company from the nation's largest newspaper chain, Gannett.

It begs the question: What will happen if Gannett overpays for Tronc?

Well, here's what happens after a normal Gannett acquisition. Mass layoffs are underway in New Jersey following the company's purchase of the Bergen Record.

Finally, a timeline of the messy newspaper war between the two companies. Also, Gannett is investing in the news curation site Digg.

Ken Doctor asks: Why doesn’t Gannett just drop its Tronc bid and swoop back in after the stock price collapses?


ASNE stops counting journalism job losses at newspapers

After years of continual layoffs, buyouts and attrition, and decreasing transparency about the details, the American Society of Newspaper Editors has given up trying to count total job losses in American newsrooms.

It's annual survey on newsroom diversity shows that U.S. newsrooms seem to be getting a little more diverse. But minority journalists are still significantly under-represented.

That means newspapers still don’t reflect communities they serve.


News About Local Independent Online News Sites

BILLY PENN EXPANDS: The Incline, Billy Penn’s new sister site, launches in Pittsburgh.

MEDIA LAW: A free workshop on media law for journalists, next week in Washington, D.C.

PROPUBLICA: Electionland, a joint project between ProPublica and six other orgs, will cover Election Day voting issues.

TEXAS TRIBUNE: What The Texas Tribune learned after 1 year of collecting data on police shootings.

WEST SEATTLE BLOG: As 10-Year mark approaches, West Seattle Blog sticks to profitable basics.


Tools and Tips: Advertising and Revenue

AD BLOCKING: Adblock Plus is selling ads. And more on a key driver of ad blocking: Malware and when good ads go bad.

ADVERTISING: Study: Premium content sites deliver premium results for digital advertisers.

APPLE NEWS: Apple News tweak dings publishers’ websites.

CROWDFUNDING: Beacon Reader, a journalism crowdfunding platform, is closing down.

E-COMMERCE: E-Commerce is a boon for rural America, but it comes with a price.

FACEBOOK: Facebook wants to make it easier for publishers to make money. But where are local advertisers going? Facebook, new research suggests.

FUNDRAISING: Fundraising on a budget and understanding the fundraising budget.

MEDIUM: Facing shutdowns and stagnating readership, independent publications are finding new life on Medium. Why Medium placed its bet on attention metrics.

MEMBERSHIP: How memberships can work for non-profit journalism.

NATIVE ADVERTISING: Study finds third of native ads fail to comply with fed guidelines, and perform better. Branded content may be king, but it’s still accountable to someone.

PODCASTING: An island no more: Inside the business of the podcasting boom. Are you ready to pay for a Netflix for podcasts? Outlook for podcasting includes growing profits, better user experience. Media buyers hail arrival of IAB podcast guidelines. And now a word from our sponsor: Host-read ads and the play between niche and scale. 65% of listeners are likely to buy a product after hearing an ad in a podcast.

VIDEO: Metrics define success of video strategy.


Tools and Tips: Journalism and Technology

BALANCE: The case against journalistic balance. What campaigns are really after when they talk about "fairness."

DATA: How to teach big data in a little city.

FACT CHECKING: Nine ways to improve transparency when fact-checking. Social networks unite with global newsrooms to take action against misinformation online.

FOIA: In an era of sweeping change, how can freedom of information keep up? Is a police officer a ‘public official?' The Supreme Court could decide soon.

HOMEPAGE: How The Daily Beast gets 40 percent of readers to visit its homepage.

MISSION: Six simple things your newsroom can do for democracy.

PERSONALIZATION: People want personalized recommendations (even as they worry about the consequences).

SEARCH: As Google pushes for users to stay on its platform, what are the effects for local search?

SOCIAL MEDIA: Study: When journalists get their info from social media, audiences find the reports less credible.

STORY COMMENTS: Everyone seems to hate online reader comments. Here’s why they should be treasured.

TRAINING: How scavenger hunts help train reporters to hustle.

TWITTER: Twitter's new, longer tweets are coming Sept. 19. Reporters looked at 137,052 tweets and learned hashtags are worthless.

VIDEO: Copyright tips to remember when producing online videos.

VIRTUAL REALITY: Google’s new iOS app Cardboard Camera lets you snap VR photos.


Industry News

ALGORITHMS: The dangers of big data: How society is being controlled by mathematical algorithms.

CANADA: The Globe and Mail offers voluntary severance package to employees.

CLEVELAND: Plain Dealer makes subscribers opt out of special "Investment and Retirement" guide.

FACEBOOK: Facebook wants you to think it’s just a platform. It’s not. Facebook needs an editor — to stop Facebook from editing. Facebook’s trending topics promoted an article ‘truthering’ the Sept. 11 attacks. Here's why Facebook removing that Vietnam War photo is so important. Facebook allows cross-post of videos to reach audiences on pages with different owners. The trouble with Facebook’s insular culture. At industry conference, publishers vent about power of social media companies. Former Guardian editor: Facebook sucked up £20 million of our online ad revenue last year. Facebook’s News Feed turns 10.

LEGACY MEDIA: Legacy media behemoths bankrolling the most buzzed-about national online news startups.

MOBILE: Five numbers that illustrate the rise of mobile media. The Washington Post registers 5X mobile boost from Google’s Progressive Web Apps. Phone, tablet video consumption peak at night. What Google learned from the digital diaries of 1,000 mobile users. More than half of smartphone users get news alerts, but few get them often.

ONA: Irving Washington named executive director of ONA.

POP-UP PRINT: Fast response to niche news: A pop-up paper finds success in Britain.

SCALE: News is not a venture-backed business.

TRENDS: For news media companies, it’s evolution not extinction. Ten facts about the changing digital news landscape. Gallup: Trust in media is at all-time low.

SNAPCHAT: Snapchat cuts local stories curators in strategy shift for Live.

TWITTER: Twitter now acts more like a messaging app with read receipts, typing indicators & web link previews.

VOX: Two years in, Vox.com reconsiders its 'card stacks.'

YELP: Yelp, TripAdvisor gain legal cover for negative reviews.

YOUTUBE: YouTube is building community — and it's not just about video.


Is Your LION Publishers Membership Up for Renewal?
 
For many of our LION Publishers members, it's time to renew! Your membership includes participation in the LION Publishers Den on Facebook, networking and support from fellow LION publishers, our new newsletter, discounted rates on media liability and directors and officers insurance and more. 

Plus, being a member gives you access to a members-only rate to the LION Summit – a savings of up to $175 compared to the non-member rate. If your membership is due for renewal, please go to http://www.lionpublishers.com/members/dues/renew to submit your payment. Those who opt for multi-year membership save, and easy, secure payment options are available via credit card or through Paypal. (Not sure when your membership expires? You can look it up easily on LIONPublishers.com.)
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