This week I got the news I had been waiting to hear: PotomacLocal.com is now an official member of the Local Independent Online News Publishers organization, or LION for short.
I sort of expected it since I was at the founding meeting of the organization this past September in Chicago and because I had paid my membership dues. But it’s good to get the final confirmation and to see your name up there with about one hundred other independent publishers from around the U.S. who are all striving to put “local” back into local news.
I’d like to congratulate the others members of the organization who, like us, took a chance on building an indie news venture in their hometown. Some them did so after being laid off from other news jobs and others did it because they simply wanted to strike out on their own — and all of them betted that people still wanted quality news coverage in their communities.
We’ve been promised special LION events, seminars, and other member exclusives – all of which I know will come because I know many of the people on the Board of Directors planning them. I’ve also been asked to participate in at least one of the discussions when we all meet next year.
But this is an interesting time in community journalism, especially where we live. As a local newspaper has closed and others plan to spring up in its place, and more and more people start their own websites devoted to local happenings, I don’t have to tell you the face of local media and the way we get our news has changed.
We’re writing a new chapter of how our community connects with itself, and how we as journalists help to connector our communities. As I’ve learned from being a member of LION, there’s no right or wrong answer, there’s no one correct way to do something, and there’s never one predictable outcome – at least here hasn’t been yet.
That’s why we can take risks, experiment with new content, deliver information in new ways, all while still keeping the focus on what’s local and important to our readers. Our columnists, including our newest writer Lianne Wilkens with Mom on the Run, our Slug Tales column by Laura Cirillo, our readers, and our sponsors who support us have all decided to venture into this New World of online local news. I can’t wait to see where we end up.
Personally, I’ve always liked a sandy place with blue waters, cold drinks, and a warm ocean breeze. This video (which I found the other night while searching for the theme song for Portlandia) nearly takes me there. I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!
FEEL IT ALL AROUND from Northern Lights on Vimeo.
