The 2024 Local Media Association Digital Innovation Awards spotlighted some of the most creative and impactful revenue and sponsorship strategies from newsrooms nationwide. Here’s a closer look at the winners in the Most Innovative Revenue or Sponsorship Idea category.
First place (Less than 250,000 monthly unique visitors): The Buckeye Flame’s “radical simplicity” pays off
The Buckeye Flame, Ohio’s only LGBTQ+ newsroom, took top honors by sticking to its mission with unwavering clarity. The publication’s strategy? Accept only sponsored content that would have appeared on its site even without a sponsorship—as long as it was LGBTQ+-related and Ohio-based.
“This was a win/win,” one advertising partner told them, and the results proved it. The Buckeye Flame exceeded its revenue target by 26%, saw sponsored content draw “jaw-dropping traffic” (including stories on LGBTQ+ healthcare and mpox vaccinations), and even saw its “ads” republished by larger outlets at no extra cost.
The judges noted: “Calling it ‘a revenue strategy of radical simplicity,’ The Buckeye Flame pursued sponsorships for branded content that would be posted even without a sponsorship as long it met the standard editorial criteria: LGBTQ+ and Ohio-based stories on individuals and communities… All of the 2024 advertising partners re-signed sponsorship deals for 2025, including one that doubled their pledge, providing the site with a third of its 2025 revenue target within the first week of the year.”
Second place (Less than 250,000 monthly unique visitors): Richland Source taps community power with “Tomorrow’s Talent”
Richland Source earned second place for its ambitious, nine-month “Tomorrow’s Talent” initiative, which brought local education and business leaders together to tackle workforce development. Backed by nearly $50,000 in sponsorships from organizations like North Central State Technical College and Ohio State University of Mansfield, the newsroom conducted over 90 interviews, surveyed 1,100 students and produced extensive digital content across newsletters, podcasts, and social media.
The judges highlighted: “Source Media Properties’ ‘Tomorrow’s Talent’ project, a nine-month, solutions-focused initiative, earned recognition for its impactful community journalism and innovative sponsorship model… Culminating in a public event and specialized magazine publications, ‘Tomorrow’s Talent’ demonstrated a profound commitment to addressing Ohio’s future workforce challenges through robust, community-supported journalism fueled by sponsorships.”
Third place (Less than 250,000 monthly unique visitors): Khasokhas taps TikTok for revenue and reach
Khasokhas, based in Corona, New York, embraced short-form video as its path to growth, connecting with the Nepali diaspora through TikTok and Instagram Reels. In 2024 alone, their TikTok videos racked up over 20 million views, and the newsroom’s follower count surged 500% to 60,000. Their engaging, community-focused content also brought in over $15,000 in revenue.
The judges remarked: “The Corona, New York-based Khasokhas.com site adopted a strategy that took advantage of the popularity and power of short-form videos posted on TikTok and Facebook/Instagram Reels to create revenue opportunities and deepen its relationship with the Nepali diaspora. The videos feature well-produced discussions on key topics of interest to the community. Key performance indicators all jumped, with TikTok videos alone generating 20 million views, fueling a 500 percent increase in follower growth to 60,000. Revenue increased, too, with more than $15,000 generated. The site also experienced a 40 percent increase in community comments and content submissions.”
Honorable mention (Less than 250,000 monthly unique visitors): Sheridan Press gets creative with “Ads-by-Kids”
The Sheridan Press in Wyoming took an imaginative approach to community sponsorships with its “Ads-by-Kids” special section, where local children drew advertisements for business sponsors. Nearly 50 sponsors took part, generating approximately $11,000 in revenue.
The judges wrote: “The Sheridan Press posted a special section called ‘Ads-by-Kids’ that had children draw ads for local business sponsors. Each business that sponsored received several drawings to select to run in the special section. In all, nearly 50 sponsors helped generate about $11,000 in revenue.“
These winning projects reflect the innovation and adaptability of local newsrooms as they find new ways to sustain themselves while serving their communities with purpose and creativity.