Business transformation is one of our four strategic pillars. To LMA and LMF, business transformation in the local media industry can mean many things: innovations in advertising and marketing services; new approaches to sales and revenue management; new product development; consumer revenue and membership models, and more.

Current initiatives such as The Branded Content Project and past programs such as the GNI Subscriptions Lab reflect our commitment to researching, supporting, and leading business transformation efforts for the future of local media. We also believe work toward our other strategic pillars — industry collaboration, journalism funded by philanthropy, and sustainability for publishers of color — represents profound business transformation opportunities.

Here are recent articles on our work to support business transformation in local media.

LMA FIMS Lab

12 family-owned, independent local media companies join LMA’s new sustainability lab

(May 25, 2023) — Local Media Association has selected 12 local media companies to join the new Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab — FIMS Lab for short — aimed at finding paths to sustainability for family-owned and independent local media organizations. Thanks to funding from Google News Initiative, a team of expert consultants will […]

Business Transformation — FIMS Lab

Reasons family, independent media should consider applying for FIMS Lab

Are you working hard to sustain and grow your family-owned or independent local media organization in today’s rapidly changing landscape? LMA’s Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab — FIMS Lab for short — is here to help you overcome common challenges and unlock the potential of your local newsroom. Local newsrooms often face hurdles such […]

What AI chatbots (might) mean for local news

I still remember the very first email I sent. My best friend Dave and I each installed the CD-ROM. We set up AOL accounts and created usernames. We called each other in the afternoon via land lines to exchange our “email addresses,” whatever that was. Then I sent Dave an email to meet me that […]

Small publishers share growing, diversified revenue streams

Reader revenue and sponsored content — accelerated by mission-minded brands during the COVID-19 pandemic — are becoming steady and growing pieces of the revenue pie chart for local publishers. At the Mather Media Revenue Symposium in Atlanta in March, Vince Johnson, publisher of The Sumter Item, and Dana Peck, director of digital solutions at The […]

In-depth lessons from Borrell Miami 2023

Close to 400 media and ad tech executives gathered in early March at Borrell Miami 2023. Themed “Navigating Local Media’s Brave New World” for this year, the conference is an annual look at new digital revenue opportunities and the latest strategies for media. It’s a great measure and predictor of how different media categories will […]

5 Knight Media Forum 2023 takeaways from LMA

The largest annual convening of journalists and those who fund journalism took place in Miami Feb. 21-23 at Knight Media Forum. It’s the longest-running gathering of funders of journalism, and marked a return to in-person after two years of virtual-only conferences. The forum is a bellwether for the future of funding for journalism. Despite headwinds […]

From failure to success: How to make your old product initiatives earn new revenue

We’ve seen it more times than we want to admit. The publisher, general manager or CEO spearheads a new initiative: “We are going to do [fill in the blank].” The newsroom and sales teams drop everything to focus on this new project because of the potential revenue and audience opportunities. Cost is no object! But […]

5 questions with Daniel Williams, BlueLena CEO and new LMF board director

Daniel Williams is the founder and CEO of BlueLena, a leading full-service technology and marketing solutions provider that supports media organizations with audience and revenue growth strategies. He is an experienced entrepreneur and senior media executive with more than two decades of experience. Daniel began his career with McClatchy and has held leadership positions with […]

3 reasons the local Black press has a strong future

Although we mostly concentrate on prominent people, businesses, and events from the past during Black History Month, it is imperative that we also focus on the future of the Black press.

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