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, the Family and Independent Media Lab (FIMS), LMA Digital Club, 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.
Coaching, strategy building, innovation, sustainability at core of LMA’s FIMS Lab
If you’re in local media, you never really stop learning. That’s the experience of executives from 19 local news organizations who, as members of Local Media Association’s Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab, work collaboratively to turn insights into actions that strengthen their operations. The FIMS Lab assists small-to-midsize local media companies in the United…
One year in, the Economic Opportunity Lab releases a playbook for local newsrooms
A partnership between Local Media Association, Comcast NBCUniversal, and Opportunity Insights produced a year of data-driven journalism across five U.S. regions — and a free guide for newsrooms who want to do the same. A year after its launch, the Economic Opportunity Lab has released a new playbook designed to help local newsrooms, city governments,…
Why legacy matters
“Legacy” media. We use the phrase as shorthand for “media that have failed to change with the times.” I get that. Lost, though, is another aspect of the meaning of “legacy”: what you are known for — your reputation earned over time for your work. A news organization’s legacy matters in three important ways, and…
Expanding ‘fractional exec’ services, born in BloomLab, offer new ways to add top talent to your team
If you need senior-level talent to fill gaps for your team in technology, revenue or funding development — but can’t afford to add full-time employees — Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation may have a great answer. Three “fractional executive” services for local news outlets, originally developed by LMA/LMF as part of the Knight…
Borrell report: How local advertisers are using content marketing and what it means for local media
Content marketing is helping local advertisers grow, connect with audiences, and tell stronger stories. Understanding how businesses use it today is key to unlocking new revenue opportunities for local media. The Content Marketing Advertiser Study from Borrell Associates and The Branded Content Project answers important questions, including: Click here to read more and to download…
LMA/LMF 2025 Impact Report
We’re proud to share inspiring stories of news media organizations that have benefited from our programs Dear Friends of LMA and LMF, Many great things happened in LMA/LMF programs in 2025, and this report tells those stories of successes for local media of all kinds and sizes. We would seem naive, however, if we did not acknowledge…
How news audiences feel about AI use by newsrooms: What a new LMA–Trusting News survey reveals
As newsrooms experiment with artificial intelligence to create greater efficiency, one question looms large: Are their audiences comfortable with them using AI? A new national survey funded by Walton Family Foundation and conducted by Local Media Association and Trusting News offers one of the clearest answers yet — and it comes directly from engaged local…
John M. Humenik named LMA/LMF Chief Strategy and Operations Officer
Longtime media executive, former LMA board chair has led organization’s Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab, AI Community Journalism Lab (December 16, 2025) — John M. Humenik, a respected media executive who leads two major innovation labs for Local Media Association/Local Media Foundation, has been promoted to Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for the organization.…
News consumers cautious and unsure about AI use in news
New research shows survey respondents want human involvement, guardrails, transparency if AI is used in news reports Local news consumers, especially those who engage frequently with news, are generally aware of artificial intelligence usage in news reports and open to use of AI for journalists’ routine reporting tasks. That awareness and openness are among key…
Data insights on news sustainability from FT Strategies
Newsrooms can’t serve their communities with trusted local news if they can’t sustain their business. In an environment where audience pathways to news are changing quickly, traditional revenue models are disrupted and AI creates both new opportunities and threats, it’s essential for news leaders to understand what truly drives success. FT Strategies, in partnership with…
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