By Nicole D. Batey,
AFRO Contributing Writer
Eight Black-owned local news organizations, selected by BloomLab and Local Media Foundation (LMF), will each receive a $50,000 technology grant and participate in the second cohort of the Knight x LMA BloomLab.
Initially funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Knight x LMA BloomLab is a three-year, immersive experience with 26 Black-owned local media outlets, featuring training and one-on-one coaching from the lab’s three directors and outside experts.
Publishers will receive in-person visits from the directors, who work with each team to advance technology tools and implementation, sales outcomes and organizational capacity.
Selected for the latest cohort are:
The Baltimore Times
The Philadelphia Tribune
Black Voice News (Riverside, Calif.)
The Cincinnati Herald
The Dallas Examiner
QCity Metro (Charlotte, N.C.)
The Miami Times
The Community Voice (Kansas City Metro Area
“Our second cohort represents a fantastic mix of publishers and markets,” said Nancy Lane, CEO of the Local Media Association and Local Media Foundation. “As we read the applications and letters from the CEOs, it was apparent that these eight were truly ready to transform to the next level in their path to long-term sustainability. We are very grateful to the Knight Foundation for funding this important work and can’t wait to get started.”
Leaders from all eight organizations will meet with members of the BloomLab and LMF teams on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 in Atlanta for the official Cohort 2 launch event.
“BloomLab’s focus on resilience, audience growth strategies and diverse revenue models, as well as its collaborative approach to journalism is just what we need as we continue our organization’s transformation. We look forward to joining BloomLab’s next group of premier news organizations as we continue to produce high-quality, data-enhanced and solutions-focused reporting for our community,” said Paulette Brown-Hinds, publisher of Black Voice News.
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