Chicago lived up to its Windy City nickname last week as publishers and staff gathered for the annual LION (local independent online news) Conference.
This digital enterprise has been a member of LION for a bit more than two years and it is safe to say that our modest investment has helped cut the learning curve that comes in launching an online news site.
As 25-mile an hour and higher winds whipped through the South Loop, discussions inside one of the city’s historic office towers centered on ways to fill the gap left by the continued cutbacks at daily and weekly newspapers.
Overall, the tone was one of cautious optimism as we shared successes and setbacks. All too often the occasional shutdown is chronicled in great detail by online and print media, with not-so-subtle message that digital is a poor substitute for print.
This simply isn’t true as one talked with LION members who operate “hyperlocal” sites that fill areas that have sometimes become “media deserts.” Delaware is not yet a desert, although one more wave of cutbacks might leave it in that place.
LION sites are not to be mistaken for blogs that air news and comment with a strong point of view. Instead, the mission of LION members is journalistic in nature. DelawareBusinessDaily.com and the Bulletin newsletter are among the few “vertical” hyperlocals that cover a specific niche.
LION co-founder Dylan Smith, who publishes the Tucson Sentinel in Arizona sees no reason why nearly every city and town in the U.S. should not have its own hyperlocal operated by people with a passion for the well being of a community.
For hyperlocals to grow and gain critical mass, owners will have to put their entrepreneurial skills to work. Indeed, much of the focus was on creative ways to grow revenue within a “journalism-first” mission.
Much of that work was evident at the LION conference as sites in locations as varied as central Texas, upstate New York, Nashville , and the Washington, D.C. suburbs chalk up sales well into the six figures. A number of these sites have been in operation for six to 10 years.
Indeed, a large number of sessions dealt with revenue ideas ranging from crowd-funding to newsletters (our specialty) to online prom coverage and sponsorships.
Still, the hyperlocal ecosystem is fragile and LION faces the challenge of building and nurturing a modest membership base. One idea is to establish an academy of sorts for fledgling publishers. It will require persistence and creativity, qualities LION members have in ample supply.
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