Local Media Association is pleased to announce the news organizations selected to participate in the 2026 state cohorts of the Lab for Journalism Funding, serving newsrooms across three states in New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wyoming. This intensive, six-month program will bring the lab’s proven fundraising practices to 17 independent news organizations across these states.

The organizations selected for the 2026 Lab for Journalism Funding state cohorts represent local newsrooms ranging from print newspapers to public radio stations. The organizations serve diverse communities across the states of New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wyoming, and are all united in their focus on civic journalism. These cohorts of the Lab for Journalism Funding are made possible with support from Google News Initiative and are in partnership with the Granite State News Collective, Oklahoma Media Center and Wyoming Local News Fund.

Since its launch in 2020, the lab has helped more than 200 news organizations raise more than $40 million to support local journalism. Newsrooms in the new cohort will learn best practices documented in LMA’s industry report, Pathways to Philanthropy, and its 2024 report, Sustaining Philanthropy for Journalism.

The lab will help local news organizations develop and execute comprehensive programs to secure philanthropic support for their essential local journalism that is responsive to community priorities. Each publisher in the cohorts will set a fundraising goal, receive customized coaching and create and pitch a journalism project to be funded through philanthropy. Newsrooms will also gather for an in-person training and have the chance to compete for stipends to kick-start their projects. The lab runs from August through February 2026.

The news organizations selected are:

New Hampshire:

Oklahoma

Wyoming

The cohort will be led by Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer at LMA. The cohort will be supported by project and programming manager Nina Joss and Liz White Notarangelo, former publisher of the Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) and a graduate of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding and LMA Advanced Fundraising Lab.

The newsrooms will work one-on-one with a team of best-in-class coaches including Joaquin Alvarado, who has been instrumental in the development of philanthropic funding at The Seattle Times and other local newsrooms; executive coach Joanne Heyman; experienced media executive Samantha Johnston; and Judi Terzotis who, as CEO, has helped dramatically grow philanthropic support for journalism at Georges Media Group.

LMA is excited to bring this training to news organizations serving their local communities, thanks to support from Google News Initiative and local partnerships in each state.

“As a long-standing partner of the Lab for Journalism Funding, we remain dedicated to supporting the 2026 state cohorts,” said Suzanne Perron, News Partner Manager at Google. “Building on last year’s success, we are thrilled to support the program in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, and we look forward to our continued work alongside LMA and its members.”

“Collaboration has always been at the heart of what we do,” said Melanie Plenda, executive director of Granite State News Collaborative in New Hampshire. “No single newsroom can solve the challenges facing local journalism on its own, but together we can learn faster, test new ideas and build stronger support for the journalism our communities rely on. We’re excited to work alongside news organizations from New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wyoming to explore new fundraising strategies and bring those lessons home to strengthen local news across our state.”

“Oklahoma Media Center recruited several local news outlets to join us in this innovative revenue training opportunity,” said Rob Collins, executive director of Oklahoma Media Center. “This cohort will provide crucial insight into how newsrooms can thrive in the current environment, and we can’t emphasize enough how exciting it is to work with outlets from other states and learn from them as well.”

“Each of these organizations serves a different Wyoming community and audience, but all are working toward the same goal of building stronger, more sustainable local journalism,” said Melissa Cassutt, director of the Wyoming Local News Fund, about the newsrooms selected for the Wyoming cohort. “I’m excited to see them join peers from Oklahoma and New Hampshire to explore new philanthropic strategies, share ideas and build relationships that will strengthen local news long after the cohort ends.”

LMA will publish case studies on publisher lessons and successes from the lab that can be applied across the news industry.

Meet the Newsrooms

Business NH Magazine

“At Business NH Magazine, our goal is to bring quality journalism to the (New Hampshire) business community through our print publication, e-newsletters, podcast episodes and online coverage. As part of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding, we look forward to learning new strategies to support and advance our journalism through philanthropic giving so we can continue to bring our audience the relevant and in-depth content they have relied on us to provide for over 40 years.” 

– Christine Carignan, co-publisher and chief operating officer

Concord Monitor

“We’re really excited to go through the LMA philanthropy lab for a second time. The Monitor’s first time through five years ago was our first effort in understanding how to align journalism with philanthropy. We came out of it with strategies for a reader advisory board, an annual impact report and an environmental reporting project, all of which continue to this day. This year’s program will help us reach a new level as we look to incorporate philanthropy more deeply into our mission and structure.”

– Steve Leone, publisher

Granite State News Collaborative

“In New Hampshire, we’ve seen what’s possible when we work together, and I’m excited to bring that collaborative mindset to this cohort. I hope to learn new approaches to philanthropy that will help us build even stronger, more sustainable local news organizations back home.”

– Melanie Plenda, executive director

Ink Link News

“For a small, independent newsroom like ours, this cohort is an opportunity to learn from peers, strengthen our long-term sustainability and deepen our relationship with the communities that have made Ink Link News possible for the past 12 years.”

– Carol Robidoux, founder and publisher

The Keene Sentinel

“Our Sentinel team is excited to join the LMA fundraising cohort to learn from peers who are shaping the future of sustainable local journalism and to bring back ideas that can strengthen our own work. We’re equally eager to share our own experiences, contribute to the conversation, and (build) relationships that help advance journalism for everyone.”

– Sean Burke, president and chief operating officer

Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

“Developing a sustainable philanthropy strategy is vital to our future, and we are excited to participate in this LMA program. We appreciate the opportunity to hone our fundraising skills and prepare to take our next steps.”

– Heather McKernan, publisher

Valley News

“Joining the Lab for Journalism Funding is a pivotal opportunity for the Valley News to move beyond successful individual campaigns. We are excited to learn from our peers and develop the long-term strategies necessary to turn fundraising into an enduring pillar of our newsroom’s mission.”

– Rich Wallace, publisher

Broken Arrow Sentinel

“The Broken Arrow Sentinel is delighted to be accepted for Local Media Association’s Lab for Journalism Funding program. Grassroots funding is very important to local news and we look forward to learning how fundraising efforts can help us increase the reach of the Sentinel and fulfill our mission of serving local readers.”

– John Dobberstein, editor and publisher

Crosswinds News

“I’m excited to learn alongside other Oklahoma news leaders and especially looking forward to building relationships and learning new strategies that help turn community trust into long-term, sustainable impact.”

– Kelly Tidwell, CEO

“I’m hoping to learn how to build sustainable support for Native-focused reporting while centering listening and community voice.”

– Brittany Harlow, executive director

Oklahoma City Free Press

“As a fully independent news outlet, Oklahoma City Free Press relies entirely on the engagement and participation of our community to keep doing the work and serving the people of our city. The opportunity afforded to us by the (Lab for Journalism Funding) and this new cohort is a way to learn about strengthening those bonds and increasing those partnerships at the deepest levels, opening up funding streams that have felt out of reach for such a small outlet and offering new ways to engage and invest in the culture of Oklahoma City.”

– Brett Fieldcamp, owner and editor-in-chief

Oklahoma Media Center

“Working alongside partner newsrooms, our statewide collaborative is ready to learn and eager to implement new fundraising strategies in this comprehensive cohort.”

– Rob Collins, executive director

OU Daily

 “Learning best practices for sustaining our journalism through philanthropy is a natural next step in strengthening the future of the OU Daily. Participating in prior Oklahoma Media Center projects has elevated the work our organization provides to the communities we serve and accentuated the leading-edge media experiences University of Oklahoma students gain at the Daily. We’re looking forward to learning from Local Media Association’s experts and our peers in this cohort while deepening our relationships with those invested in OU and Norman.”

– Seth Prince, OU student media director

Tulsa Flyer

“This is exactly the right time for the Tulsa Flyer and The Oklahoma Eagle to dive into all the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has to offer. Some of the best practices I’ve learned in my career have been from colleagues I’ve met in groups like this. I know our new friends in Wyoming and New Hampshire are among the best in the business. This is going to be fun.”

– Daphne Dowdy, chief development officer

Blazing Trails Media

“We are honored to have been one of the newspapers selected for this program. As the way journalism funding changes, we hope to learn from this program and use it to the success of our company.”

– Matt Adelman, president

“Being added to a group of newspapers from Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Hampshire is exciting. I’m hoping to learn as much as I can from the lab and help our local newspapers not just survive, but thrive.”

– Joshua Wood, assistant general manager

KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio)

“I’m excited to connect with like-minded people from a diverse group of news organizations to share ideas and work together to keep our communities informed and engaged!”

– Reed Russell, business development director

The Sheridan Press

“The Sheridan Press and Bighorn Journalism Foundation teams are so eager to work with other journalists around the state to glean tips on how to keep our critical industry moving in a positive direction. With proven success of nonprofit funding already underway, there’s nowhere to go but upward and onward to a new future for journalism. This cohort is a testament of the positive future for local news.”

– Ashleigh Snoozy, managing editor of The Sheridan Press and executive director of the Bighorn Journalism Foundation

TODO TV Foundation

“TODO TV Foundation is excited to join the LMA Lab Journalism Funding cohort and deepen my understanding of sustainable funding models for local journalism. I look forward to learning practical strategies that will help strengthen and expand our community-focused news coverage for the Greater Tetons, WY.”

– Alicia Unger, founder