Q. Is the BloomLab geared more to established newsrooms or can startups apply?
A. The BloomLab is a program tailored to work with established news organizations. The lab focuses more on sustainability and advancement of already established local black owned news organizations.
Q. What is the BloomLab?
A. The BloomLab is a $3.2M initiative funded by the Knight Foundation to help drive sustainability of Black locally owned and operated media. The lab will focus on technology upgrades, business transformation consulting and shared learning opportunities for 26 Black locally owned and operated media organizations.
Q. I have never applied for a cohort before, do I need to talk to someone at LMF?
A. Please review eligibility for the cohort by clicking here. If you determine that your organization meets the eligibility requirements as outlined, we strongly encourage you to apply.
Q. Who reviews my application? Who decides if my application is approved?
A. The review committee will vet all applications and make recommendations to the leadership team of the BloomLab. The review committee is made up of outside judges who are familiar with our work and the goal of the cohorts. We will be open and transparent in naming the judges when the process ends.
Q. What is the deadline for submitting my application?
A. The deadline for submission of your application is April 28, by 8:00 pm EST.
Q. What does Local Media Foundation mean by Black-owned & operated?
A. For a for-profit organization LMF defines a Black-owned and operated business as a business where a person who identifies as Black holds at least a 51 percent or greater stake in the business and where the management and daily business operations of the business are controlled by a person who identifies as Black. For non-profit organizations to be eligible at least 51% of the members serving on the non-profit organization’s Board of Directors must identify as Black.
Q. How does Local Media Foundation define a majority Black audience?
A. LMF defines a majority Black audience as one where at least 51 percent of your combined audience identify as Black.
Q. How does Local Media Foundation define serving a local audience?
A. For the purpose of the BloomLab, LMF is looking for organizations where the publisher and their content are specifically geared to serving local audiences and communities as opposed to a national audience.
Q. I can’t provide my organization’s gross revenue for the last three years because we are younger than three years old. How should I proceed?
A. For organizations younger than three years old please provide as much financial background as possible. If you can only provide two years (2021 and 2022) please do so. If you can only provide one year (2022) please do so.
Q. What can the technology stipend funds be used for?
A. The tech stipend funds can be used to purchase digital tools, resources, and new software to help advance participating news organizations’ digital footprint. Funds can’t be used to hire additional staff members, purchase hardware, or for renewing of licenses for previously purchased software.
Q. If selected, how much time will participating organizations have to spend the tech stipend funds?
A. Media organizations participating in the BloomLab will have until Dec. 31, 2024, to spend the funds.