LION Publishers thanks the sponsors of our 2022 Local Journalism Awards for their support. Learn more about the sponsors below and contact them to get connected with their work.
The Google News Initiative offers journalists and publishers of all sizes a range of resources, products, digital expertise and collaborative solutions that spur progress across the news industry. Our partnerships support the advancement of quality journalism and help publishers build stronger and more sustainable business models. To that aim, we’re working alongside newsrooms, news startups, researchers and content producers worldwide to build a more sustainable, diverse and innovative news ecosystem – so that everyone, everywhere has access to reliable information. Learn more about our work, journalist tools, innovation challenges, and funding opportunities at newsinitiative.withgoogle.com.
Contact: Casey Pallenik, cpallenik@google.com, 609-915-4610
Democracy Fund is committed to achieving an inclusive, multi-racial democracy that is open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. As the media landscape shifts, we envision a future where every American — no matter where they live or who they are — is able to get the news and information they need to engage in civic life and to use their voice without fear of being harassed or silenced. Learn more here.
Contact: Christine Schmidt, cschmidt@democracyfund.org; (773) 531-3704
Indiegraf is a network of small and startup community news outlets pooling technology, capital, audience and revenue resources to accelerate their growth. We add capacity, lower costs and create new revenue opportunities so publishers can focus on what’s most important: serving their communities with quality journalism. Learn more here.
Contact: Joe Lanane, publishersuccess@indiegraf.com
Ezoic was founded as a technology solution for digital publishers looking to earn more website revenue while balancing UX and was the first solution in the industry to incorporate AI into its features and products. We have been perfecting our craft for over a decade and leading the way when it comes to best-in-class technology to enhance UX, solutions that put publishers in control of their revenue, and a team that is dedicated to helping publishers grow and succeed. Learn more here.
Contact: Tyler Bishop, tylerbishop@ezoic.com
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) works with the news industry, professors, students and others to make sure journalism has a long and bright future. As a “think-and-do” tank that opened its doors in 2008, RJI uses its guaranteed funding to work exclusively to strengthen journalism in the service of democracy. It’s part of the Missouri School of Journalism. Learn more here.
Contact: Randy PIcht, RJI Executive Director, pichtr@rjionline.org
Spot-On helps local news publishers reach political and advocacy ad buyers interested in reaching voters and community leaders. Our automated direct buying service, Pinpoint Persuasion, helps buyers find the outlets they need – around the corner or across the country. Pinpoint Persuasion preserves publishers' political rate cards, offers pre-publication creative review and tracks ad performance and other metrics providing a safe, clear path through the political buying and selling landscape. Learn more here.
Contact: Chris Nolan, advertise@spot-on.com, (415) 771-7133
News Catalyst helps news organizations transform themselves into sustainable digital businesses. We accomplish this by providing tools, fostering collaboration, and promoting experimentation within the news industry. Our focus is in areas which news organizations have traditionally underinvested, like product development, data, analytics, digital storytelling, mobile and engagement. Where there are gaps in capability, News Catalyst fills them by providing tools, technology, training, hands-on support and expertise. Learn more here.
Contact: Aron Pilhofer, aron@newscatalyst.org
Founded in 2012, SmartNews is a leading global information and news discovery company, dedicated to delivering quality information to the people who need it. SmartNews provides news that matters to millions of users thanks to its unique machine learning technology and relationships with over 3,000 global publisher partners. For more information or to download the app, visit: www.smartnews.com
Contact: Bernie Davis, bernie.davis@smartnews.com, 646-522-1422
Ballotpedia is America’s most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and public policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a collection of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate, and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to more than 330,000 professionally authored articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.
Contact: Leslie Graves, CEO and Publisher, leslie.b.graves@ballotpedia.org
BlueLena was founded by an experienced team of publishers, journalists and news media marketing executives to create a sustainable future for independent local media. We do so by deploying world class technology, and delivering the expertise and professional services to build and support subscription, membership and donation models for long-term success. Today, over 180 news organizations have chosen our audience management and strategic marketing to accelerate their digital transformation. Learn more here.
Contact: Ned Berke, Chief Strategy Officer, ned@bluelena.io
The Independent News Sustainability Summit is hosted by LION Publishers, News Revenue Hub and RevLab at The Texas Tribune. Thank you to Knight Foundation for being our presenting sponsor, and to The Lenfest Institute and Google News Initiative for supporting this conference.
