Knight x LMA BloomLab, Lab for Journalism Funding, FIMS Lab and Branded Content Project will be extended, expanded

Local Media Foundation will extend and expand four major programs — the Knight x LMA BloomLab, the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding, the Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab, and the Branded Content Project — in 2025 and beyond thanks to $4.95 million in new funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The new funding provides crucial resources to these four programs, all aimed at enhancing the sustainability and financial independence of local news organizations.

“In these four programs, we focus intensely on ways to keep local news viable for media organizations of all types and sizes,” said Jay Small, co-CEO of Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation. “This support from Knight Foundation means so much to our success in these efforts and everything we do. Words can’t properly express our gratitude for this funding.”

“Knight Foundation is proud to support LMA’s efforts to deliver affordable services to publishers while driving revenue growth and cost savings,” said Duc Luu, director/journalism, Knight Foundation. “LMA is a trade association that is built for the 21st Century and its innovative model to serve publishers is one that can — and should — be replicated for the benefit of the entire local news industry.”

To foster greater collaboration with Knight Foundation during the multiyear funding period, Luu will join the LMF board effective immediately as a new director serving a three-year term. 

Here’s how the new funding will evolve and amplify each program:

Knight x LMA BloomLab

The Knight x LMA BloomLab launched in early 2022, with $3.2 million funding from Knight Foundation, to provide strategic and technical support to Black-owned local news media on their paths to long-term sustainability. In just the first two years, BloomLab participants cumulatively achieved 194% digital revenue growth, grew philanthropic funding to more than $4 million, and saved more than $3.25 million on new or upgraded technologies acquired with lab stipends.

BloomLab directors John Celestand, Apryl Pilolli and Robert Walker-Smith

New funding will drive a three-year evolution of the lab toward a self-sustaining shared services model, building on the “teach me how” approach of the first three years to add “do it with me” capabilities in these areas:

  • Fractional Head of Technology service: Directed by Apryl Pilolli, this service will broker best-possible rates and support for crucial technology services; and add subject-matter experts to address needs for custom development, integrations or process improvements.
  • Fractional Head of Funding service: Directed by John Celestand, this service will assist participating organizations to research and vet funding opportunities; establish communications with funders; develop plans and pitches; write grant proposals and help with reporting requirements.
  • Fractional Head of Revenue service: Directed by Robert Walker-Smith, this service will expand BloomLab sales training efforts to include direct selling. It will include programming for in-market seminars; lead lists, packages and pricing for sales calls; and follow-up processes on sales and campaign performance.

Each shared service will consist of a pilot group of participants to prove out the model. Participant organizations will pay monthly fees to participate. This “skin in the game” is necessary to test the viability of such programs. By Year 4, each fractional service is expected to have up to 20 participating publishers with little to no further philanthropic funding. The model is being built to serve the entire local media industry, and learnings will be shared broadly with opportunities to scale.

BloomLab directors will continue to provide periodic group training and individual consulting on subjects relevant to participants’ sustainability roadmaps.

Lab for Journalism Funding

Since 2021, more than 100 companies have completed the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding, resulting in more than $28 million raised to fund journalism and business transformation initiatives. Over the next three years, the new funding from Knight Foundation allows LMF to:

  • Grow and scale the lab to include more media companies.
  • Develop alumni programming to provide ongoing training and support.
  • Upgrade and enhance NewsFuel, LMA’s web platform that connects media companies with funding opportunities.
  • Significantly increase the amount of philanthropic funding Lab participants receive, which will in turn increase the number of journalists covering local news and information in communities across the country.

The LMA Lab for Journalism Funding is led by Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer of LMA/LMF, along with a team of industry-leading coaches.

Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab

The FIMS Lab, as it is best known, works with a cohort of family or independently owned local news media — some of the companies have multiple news outlets and locations, while others cover a single geographic region. The Lab provides resources, training and consulting to help these legacy media companies remain sustainable and independently owned.

With new Knight Foundation funding, LMF will expand the FIMS Lab to a second cohort of up to 10 companies. It will also add a stipend program available to all participants, intended for experimentation toward audience development and engagement growth.

John M. Humenik, who in recent weeks has led LMA’s AI Community Journalism Lab that includes FIMS Lab publishers, will take on the role of program director for the FIMS Lab overall. Humenik, a respected industry consultant and former chief content officer and vice president/news at Lee Enterprises, will focus in particular on introducing the second cohort of publishers to FIMS Lab programming and opportunities.

The Branded Content Project

No program in LMA history has been more successful in driving revenue for local media companies — over $100 million — than The Branded Content Project. BCP is a partnership between LMA and the Local Media Consortium that launched in 2019 with significant funding from the Meta Journalism Project.

The program offers training, consulting, certifications and other resources to media organizations of all sizes on developing new business, sales strategies and revenue via best practices in branded content and content marketing.

With new Knight Foundation funding, in 2025 the partners will roll out four new BCP training cohorts and conduct fresh research on branded content efficacy that updates and builds on work to date.

In addition to its support for these four programs, in late 2024 Knight Foundation became the lead funder of a new first-party data initiative for Word In Black, with a $1.5 million grant to the Word In Black Racial Equity Fund at LMF.

About Knight Foundation

We are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Learn more at KF.org.

About Local Media Association / Local Media Foundation

Local Media Association brings all media together to share, network, collaborate and more. More than 3,000 newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, digital news organizations, and research and development partners engage with LMA as members or constituents of our programs. As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association, LMA is focused on the business side of local media. Its programs and labs focus on revenue growth and new business models. LMA helps local media companies develop their strategies via cutting-edge programs, conferences, webinars, research and training.Local Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable trust, is the innovation and transformation affiliate of LMA. Incorporating our four strategic pillars — business transformation, journalism funded by philanthropy, industry collaboration, and sustainability for publishers of color — LMF helps provide local media companies the strategies and resources for meaningful innovation and impactful journalism projects.