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News, information and much more for independent online news publishers. 
'You can't build the Pizza Hut of local news'

That's a line borrowed from LION board chairman Dylan Smith of the Tucson Sentinel, and helps make the point in this column arguing that we should be optimistic about the "diverse local news ecosystem" that is emerging thanks to the variety of business models and niches being filled by independent online news publishers.

It was written, in part, as a response to a Nieman Lab column arguing that "as giant platforms rise, local news is getting crushed."

Lamenting the inability to scale local news, and the absence of venture capital funding, is lamenting things that wouldn't work - and ultimately be harmful - for local anyway. Who would want to eat Pizza Hut when they can dine at their authentic local pizza place? And why does local news have to generate huge profits sucked out of the community by hedge funds to be deemed successful?


Advertising doesn't have to irritate, intrude, lie and cheat
 
Let us be gentle as we deliver this message to the good companies that pay for you to enjoy (I hope) this page—as well as most content across all media—for free: Your advertising sucks. Then let us try to help them fix that, or else their generous subsidy could disappear and with it much of the media we enjoy—the rest retreating behind pay walls for the edification and entertainment of only those who can afford it. Read more at: http://tr.im/JBz2s
"Let us be gentle as we deliver this message to the good companies that pay for you to enjoy (I hope) this page - as well as most content across all media - for free: Your advertising sucks," Jeff Jarvis writes for the New York Observer. "Then let us try to help them fix that, or else their generous subsidy could disappear and with it much of the media we enjoy - the rest retreating behind pay walls for the edification and entertainment of only those who can afford it."

There's a growing consensus that the onset of ad blocking technology could spell the end of the intrusive ad formats. Some go farther and say "the time has come for the banner ad and pop-up advertising to settle into retirement." And even people who work in the advertising industry admit to using ad blockers.

Regardless, the numbers show that for publishers in the world after ad blocking, "there will be blood."


LION member spotlight: Delaware Business Daily

This week's LION member Q&A features Doug Rainey, publisher of Delaware Business Daily.

He's a print business publication veteran who decided the best way to cover this niche subject statewide in Delaware was through an independent online news site.

Rainey's future goals include more enterprise reporting. The full interview is on LION's website.



Two years in, San Angelo Live at $60,000 a month in ad revenue

Local indie news site San Angelo Live in Texas is only two years old, and as explained in a new interview with Street Fight, is seeing $60,000 a month in advertising revenue. Publisher Joe Hyde is a LION member who will be speaking at our Chicago conference about his highly successful, advertising-supported email newsletter program.

A newer indie startup, Charlotte Agenda, is taking a different approach - focusing on fewer advertisers and "deeper partnerships."


The connections between community engagement and revenue

Knight Digital Media Center looks at how some New Jersey and New York independent local news sites are deepening engagement with readers and strengthening revenue and sustainability at the same time

Also in New Jersey, Free Press is trying to "create a constituency for the news" - getting communityi members interested and engaged in advocating for and supporting better local journalism.

Josh Stearns from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation writes about why journalists should use transparency as a tool to deepen engagement.

And Media Shift writes about "public-powered journalism" that brings audiences into the reporting process.


How about replacing story comments with reader questions?

Here's a thoughtful look at the problem with online story comments. It's not just that they're nasty and toxic. It's that they come at the end of the story and the end of the process of local journalism.  How about getting the community involved at the beginning of the process, and using readers' questions to enrich journalism?


Have you registered yet for LION's Chicago summit?

Join us in Chicago Oct. 1-3 for a conference packed with practical advice, tips and ideas on growing advertising and other revenue, choosing the right technology for your site and business, effective community engagement and improved journalism.

And the most valuable part of the experience is meeting and networking with fellow local independent online publishers who are wrestling with the same problems and opportunities you face.

LION's annual summit is open to members and non-members alike. Register by Sept. 15 for discounted rates.



Tools and Tips: Advertising and Revenue

SALES TRAINING: The Center for Cooperative Media in New Jersey is offering an advertising sales training boot camp for independent local news sites.

MOBILE: The decline of the mobile browser is a threat to search. Will mobile search dethrone Google? Coincidentally, Google will soon start punishing mobile sites that use annoying app install interstitial ads. As expected, desktop ad spending is declining as mobile grows. Can ‘out-stream’ video ads make mobile advertising more lucrative?

FLASH: Google Chrome will begin blocking Flash web ads.

PODCASTING: Thinking of starting a podcast? Read this first. Related: how podcasts have changed in 10 years and how and why journalism schools should start teaching podcasting.

APPLE NEWS: Apple adds more publishers for Its news app, which will launch soon.

CROWDFUNDING: Contributoria closes, but team still sees future for crowdfunding. A crowdsourcing advocate says don't get all crazy when a crowdfunding platform dies. Related: the story of the radio station saved by crowdfunding and the Young Turks Network plans to crowdsource its way to providing local news and commentary across the globe.

SEARCH: Six ways local merchants can compete in organic search results. And Yahoo follows Google In building out local search marketing reseller program.

AD VIEWABILITY: A new wave of media upstarts are hoping to sidestep the ad viewability issue by designing ad-friendly sites early on.

CLIENT SERVICES: Why your media company should be your client’s web partner.

AD PRICING: On ad pricing, Condé Nast bows to the reality of digital.

WEDDINGS: Wedding hashtags are bringing in new business for the billion-dollar industry.


Tools and Tips: Journalism and Technology

JOURNALISM MATH: Math doesn’t get the media attention it deserves.

MESSAGING APPS: Messaging apps: Worth trying (carefully) for community engagement.

EXPLAINERS: 'We aren't in the news business, we're in the understanding business' – a Q&A with Mathew Ingram.

ARTICLE TAGS: Do article tags matter? Maybe not for traffic, but publishers are using them to glean insights.

COVERING SUICIDE: Five ways to prepare your newsroom to cover suicide more effectively.

RAPE JUSTICE: How an Ohio reporter helped convict more than 100 rapists.

AUTOMATION: From earnings reports to baseball recaps, automation and algorithms are becoming a bigger part of the news.

FOIA: New service MuckRock Projects will pay for FOIA requests and reporting alike.

REALLY SMART PHONES: Soon, publishers will be able to determine when smartphone users are bored and push content at them. And here's some advice on writing for mobile.

TWITTER NEWS: Twitter and the news: How people use the social network to learn about the world. And Twitter is testing new photo and video editing tools.

FALSE DATA: Why data mined from social media alone is garbage.

VIDEO SHAKE: These recommendations can come in handy next time you struggle with shaking hands while filming video on your phone.


Industry News

INDIE POLITICS SITE: Florida political website owner breaks news, but is it journalism?

PROPUBLICA: New York’s ProPublica is giving investigative journalism a new life online.

FOOD NEWS: Naomi Starkman's mission to bring food policy news to the masses.

PAYWALLS: A Cincinnati TV station with a paywalled site is challenging the city’s leading daily newspaper.

CANADA PRINT: An expert’s forecast — Canada will have few if any print newspapers by 2025.

REDUCING DAYS: California newspaper goes from daily to twice-a-week.

MILLENNIALS: Millennials, although just a few years apart in age, have drastically different. relationships with media.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND COPS: Facebook, Twitter play role in modern policing.

UNIONS TARGET DIGITAL: News Guild starts $500,000 campaign to organize digital newsrooms.

MCCLATCHY: Financial maneuvers bring McClatchy share price back up.

WIKIPEDIA: Wikipedia bans hundreds of paid editors who created promotional pages on its site.

BUSINESS INSIDER: Business Insider publishes directly on social sites with new ‘Insider’ project.

COMCAST VIDEO: A sneak peek at Watchable, Comcast’s online video service.

VERIZON VIDEO: Verizon said to start pared-down video service in coming days.

AOL MOBILE: AOL is buying Millennial Media to expand In mobile ads.

INSTAGRAM: Instagram: The new political war room? And Instagram's video ads are called 'highly efficient' at 2 cents a view.

SNAPCHAT: Snapchat now drawing 4 billion video views per day, challenging Facebook.


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 www.lionpublishers.com/members/dues 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.)

Thanks to our current members who have already renewed!
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