With the selection of an impressive second lab cohort of 10 media companies, Local Media Association’s Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab, or FIMS Lab for short, embarks on a year of immersing in business transformation strategies intended to build long-term sustainability and financial independence. 

The 2025 FIMS Lab, funded by the Knight Foundation and Google News Initiative, comprises 20 media companies. The new cohort of media companies will join the original FIMS Lab cohort, now in its third year, for joint group sessions, in-person meetings, and working sprints.

The 10 media companies selected to participate in the second FIMS Lab cohort are:

The returning media companies from the first FIMS Lab cohort are:

“This is an amazing group of media companies,” said John M. Humenik, who is leading the FIMS Lab as the full-time program director. “We’re ready to get to work producing next-level success through focused strategic initiatives, collaboration and experimentation.”

Industry-leading subject-matter experts also will serve as FIMS Lab coaches and consultants. In addition to receiving consulting support, each participating media company will receive a $10,000 stipend to conduct an experiment to grow audience or revenue. 

Serving as co-leads with Humenik will be Liz White Notarangelo, LMA co-chief executive officer; Julia Campbell, LMA chief business transformation officer; and Jay Small, LMA co-chief executive officer. Judi Terzotis, CEO at Georges Media Group and former FIMS Lab participant, will join the FIMS Lab as a consultant and coach.

“We can’t wait to work with this impressive group of family and independent media owners and leaders, who are deeply committed to serving their communities,” said Liz White Notarangelo. “They are all excited to collaborate, innovate and share successes. We know it will be a dynamic group that will learn from each other and share what they learn with the industry.”

In the year ahead, program directors will consult with the FIMS Lab participants on product, process, operations, technology, revenue opportunities and general strategy. The lab will have regular full-cohort calls, participate in benchmarking and work on goal setting that aligns with their strategic priorities, Humenik said.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the new group of publishers joining the FIMS Lab,” Terzotis said. “Having experienced firsthand how this program helps media companies tackle strategic plans with urgency while learning from local owner peers, I know the impact will be transformative.

“I can’t wait to see the innovative ideas and growth that will come from this cohort,” she added.

FIMS Lab leaders also will develop curriculum based in part on the strategic needs identified by the participating media companies. “And the experiments they conduct in the lab will help them explore critical elements of business transformation,” Humenik said.

“It is an honor to have been selected for FIMS Lab,” said Chase Heatherly, chief revenue officer for the Post and Courier/Evening Post Publishing in Columbia, South Carolina. “I believe it is the family-owned and independent media organizations that will lead the way in our industry’s digital-first transformation.”

“I am excited to hear from the best in our business and share ideas that will contribute to the sustainability and evolution of our industry,” he continued.

“We’re all in, and the timing is perfect,” said Nathan Alford, editor and publisher, CEO of the fourth generation, family-owned Lewiston Tribune, of Lewiston, Idaho.

“As economic headwinds continue to build, working together with other independents from across the country will, no doubt, help us all build a path forward,” he continued. “We have the passion and commitment. We can’t wait to learn and add to the energy and innovation efforts of other FIMS Lab partners.”

David Cook, co-owner and publisher of the Aspen Daily News, agrees. “We’re thrilled to be part of the FIMS Lab cohort and to collaborate with some of the most forward-thinking minds in local journalism.

“At the Aspen Daily News, we believe that innovation and independence go hand in hand, and this opportunity allows us to explore new revenue models, strengthen our digital strategy and share insights with industry peers,” Cook added.

The FIMS Lab focus areas will include:

  • General strategic planning
  • Business transformation
  • Building sustainable advertising, branded content and marketing services portfolios, especially focused on digital
  • Consumer (reader) revenue and first-party data strategies
  • Rethinking local media as both product and service
  • Making the most of journalism funded by philanthropy
  • Optimizing technology applications to strengthen revenue opportunities, make processes more efficient and better control expenses
  • Developing opportunities for participants to collaborate on topic-focused journalism projects with philanthropic funding

Humenik said delivering the highest-quality local journalism, especially audience development, is also among the FIMS Lab participants’ strategic priorities.

“Like many other legacy news organizations, we recognize the need for a long-term plan to ensure our survival,” said Eliza Gaines, publisher, WEHCO Media, Inc. “Our goal is to provide impactful local journalism for generations to come, and we believe the executives involved in the FIMS Lab will help us on our path to sustainability by providing valuable insights and practical solutions.”

Jay Nolan, chairman and CEO of Nolan Group Media, said that accurate local media sources play a vital role in serving communities with critical information. “Keeping trustworthy news information sources vibrant and thriving is a real challenge in today’s economy. That’s why our team at Nolan Group Media is so excited we were chosen as one of only 10 companies nationwide to be in this FIMS Lab cohort,” he said.

“We are eager to learn how to use technology and innovation to make us a better news source and to better serve our readers and our communities,” he continued.

Clint Schroeder, president and corporate publisher of Hagadone Newspaper and Media Groups, underscores the immense value of local news. “In an evolving media landscape, finding new ways to strengthen independent journalism is more important than ever. I look forward to gaining insights, sharing experiences, and developing strategies that will help ensure a vibrant future for community media.”

The FIMS Lab participants also agree success starts with the formation and execution of a solid business strategy with focused initiatives, especially initiatives to drive digital revenue and audience growth, Humenik noted.

“We hope to gain valuable insights that will help us grow our digital revenues as we continue to transform our media company,” said Brian Bachynski, president of Great West Media LP. “We feel a tremendous responsibility to deliver quality journalism to the markets we serve.

“In order to do that, we must build long-term revenue sustainability, and digital revenue growth must play a vital role,” he added.

Humenik said that the lab’s participants also agree that having access to a variety of expert resources and each other’s experiences are among the advantages of being in such a results-focused lab, especially a lab where collaboration is a true hallmark of the overall experience.

For example, the FIMS Lab is providing a travel stipend for each participating media company to send its main stakeholder to an in-person, full-cohort meeting in New York in early April and Chicago, coinciding with LMA Fest in August. Many of the FIMS Lab media companies will send additional team members, Humenik said.

“I’ve seen firsthand how getting smart people together and working toward new initiatives can pay huge, immediate dividends,” said Andy Pennington, President of APG Media of Southern Wisconsin. “I also look forward to collaborating with other media leaders around the country to share ideas and find new paths forward.”

Timothy Dwyer, president and publisher of The Day Publishing Company, agrees that collaboration is important. “We are honored to be chosen to participate in the FIMS Lab and look forward to the experience of collaborating with the other participants,” he said.

“What we hope to accomplish is to come up with strategic goals for our company that will ensure sustainable revenue to create a pathway to long-term success for our company,” he added.

Bruce Potter, chief operating officer of Rappahannock Media and publisher of InsideNoVa, said positioning for the future is a focus of his company. “I’m looking forward to working with the FIMS Lab to position InsideNoVa for growth and sustainability for years to come. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from the experiences of our peers as well as experts in the industry.”

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 pure-plays, and research and development partners engage with LMA as members or constituents of our programs. As a 501(c)(6) 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, serves as 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.