Local Media Association

What Local Media Association does

Local Media Association (LMA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1971 and headquartered in Lake City, Michigan, that works with more than 3,000 newspapers, TV and radio stations, digital news sites, directories, and R&D partners across the United States, Canada, and limited international markets to help reinvent local media business models. Its core products are programs rather than software: the Lab for Journalism Funding (a six-month philanthropic fundraising cohort that has trained 200+ newsrooms raising ~$40 million in cumulative funds), Knight x LMA BloomLab (a technology, revenue, and funding fractional executive service for Black-owned publishers, funded by a $3.2 million Knight Foundation grant), the Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab (FIMS Lab), LMA Digital Club ($139/month executive networking), Local Media Innovation Insights subscription research, and the Branded Content Project. Underlying technology consists of cloud-based platforms including Newspack (WordPress/Automattic) for content management and Givebutter for donations, rather than proprietary software infrastructure.

LMA's affiliated 501(c)(3) entity, Local Media Foundation (LMF), operates industry collaboratives including Word In Black, News Is Out, Oklahoma Media Center, Solving Sacramento, LatidoBeat, and the Covering Climate Collaborative, and runs the NewsFuel platform that matches philanthropic funders with journalism projects. Revenue derives from tiered annual membership dues ($495–$8,500 by company type and size), conference and event fees (LMA Fest, virtual events), Local Media Innovation Insights research subscriptions, R&D partner sponsorships, and philanthropic contributions. Go-to-market is direct sales-led through staff outreach, networking events, and an application-based membership model. The organization operates virtually with 1–10 listed employees and shared leadership between Co-CEOs Jay Small and Julia Campbell, CEO Emeritus Nancy Lane, and CSOO John M. Humenik.

Name

Local Media Association

Legal name

Local Media Association + Local Media Foundation

Website

https://localmedia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Local Media Association is a 501(c)(6) trade association working with 3,000+ newspapers, broadcasters, and digital publishers to reinvent local media business models through cohort training, fractional executive services, research, and industry collaboratives, with affiliated foundation grants from Knight and Google News Initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association and Industry Support Services for Local Media

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local media association
• Journalism funding training
• Media business transformation
• Newsroom sustainability programs
• Industry collaboration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from media companies (newspapers, broadcasters, digital-only, magazines, directories, international). Dues are tiered based on company type and size metrics such as DMA count, circulation volume, or market presence.
2. Conference and Event Revenue: Registration fees for LMA Fest (valued at $895), Spring virtual events (valued at $1,600), and various webinars. Free conference registrations provided to members as benefit.
3. Research Reports and Subscriptions: Subscription fees for Local Media Innovation Insights reports. Reduced-rate reports available for members. LMIA reports available for purchase on various topics.
4. Philanthropic Contributions: Tax-deductible donations to Local Media Foundation (501(c)(3)) supporting journalism projects, collaborative initiatives, and program operations. Administered through Givebutter platform.
5. R&D Partner Sponsorships: Advertising opportunities, event sponsorships, and membership fees from R&D partners (media industry vendors and suppliers).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Local Media Association is a 501(c)(6) trade association that delivers membership, training, research, and collaborative programs to more than 3,000 newspapers, broadcasters, digital news sites, and R&D partners. Its affiliated 501(c)(3) Local Media Foundation supports the same mission through philanthropic programs such as the Lab for Journalism Funding, Knight x LMA BloomLab, the Local News Fund, and NewsFuel. Revenue comes from tiered membership dues, conference registrations, research subscriptions, foundation grants, and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

Local Media Association (LMA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association that works with 3,000+ newspapers, broadcasters, digital news sites, and R&D partners to reinvent business models for news. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected programs and services rather than a single unified product. Core offerings include the Lab for Journalism Funding (philanthropic training), Knight x LMA BloomLab (Black-owned media sustainability), Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab (FIMS Lab), and LMA Digital Club (executive networking). Supporting programs include The Branded Content Project, Digital Innovation Awards, and Local Media Innovation Insights (research subscription). LMA also operates industry collaboratives including Word In Black, News is Out, Oklahoma Media Center, Covering Climate Collaborative, and LatidoBeat, along with fiscal sponsorship through the Local News Fund and NewsFuel platform. The Local Media Foundation (501(c)(3)) serves as the innovation and transformation affiliate, handling philanthropic initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Covering Climate Collaborative: Partnership among local newsrooms reporting on climate change with science and journalism partners including Climate Matters, SciLine, and Solutions Journalism Network.
• Knight x LMA BloomLab
• Lab for Journalism Funding
• Local Media Innovation Insights
• Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab (FIMS Lab)
• LMA Digital Club
• The Branded Content Project
• NewsFuel
• Word In Black
• News Is Out
• Oklahoma Media Center
• Solving Sacramento
• LatidoBeat
• Local Media Fest
• Accelerate Local

Products and services

• Lab for Journalism Funding A six-month cohort learning program that teaches local newsrooms strategies and best practices for sustaining journalism through philanthropy; has trained more than 200 newsrooms and enabled them to raise over $40 million collectively.
• Knight x LMA BloomLab An immersive training and coaching program for Black-owned local media outlets focused on technology transformation, business sustainability, and digital future readiness, offering fractional executive services (Shared Head of Technology, Shared Head of Revenue, Shared Head of Funding).
• Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab (FIMS Lab) A year-long program working with leaders of family-owned and independent local media companies on business transformation strategies intended to build long-term sustainability and financial independence.
• LMA Digital Club A monthly subscription networking club ($139/month) for senior-level media executives providing monthly calls on media sales, audience growth channels, reader revenue strategies, and content/audience engagement strategies.
• The Branded Content Project An initiative providing research and best practices on branded content strategies to help local media companies develop sustainable advertising and marketing services portfolios.
• Local Media Innovation Insights (LMII) A subscription-based research program providing monthly research papers, white papers, case studies, and webinars focused on innovative topics and promising trends for local media companies, with reduced rates for LMA members.
• Digital Innovation Awards An annual awards contest recognizing the best in local digital media across categories including best local website, best contest/promotion, best newsletter/email strategy, most innovative use of AI, and digital innovators of the year.
• NewsFuel A platform operated by Local Media Foundation that matches funders with journalism projects to support philanthropic funding of local news.
• Local News Fund A fiscal sponsorship program through which LMF contracts with local media organizations to define and execute journalism projects, accepting charitable donations and providing full administrative services for those projects.
• Local Media Fest An annual conference for local media professionals featuring keynotes, sessions, and networking opportunities around business transformation and innovation, with paid registration (LMA Fest valued at $895 per registration; free for members).
• LMA Membership (Newspaper, Broadcast, Digital/Magazine/Directory, International, Professional) Tiered annual association membership for media companies (newspapers, broadcasters, digital-only, magazines, directories) and international or professional members, ranging from $495 to $8,500 per year based on company type, DMA count, and circulation; benefits include access to webinars, conference registrations, case studies, and staff experts.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Report for AmericasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote philanthropic best practices to Report for America host newsrooms. Up to five Report for America newsrooms included in 2026 Lab for Journalism Funding cohort.
• Word In BlackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational collaborative of Black publishers providing high-impact journalism projects and business transformation support. LMF operates or provides resources to this collaborative as part of industry collaboration strategic pillar.
• News is OutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Queer Media Collaborative formed by six local and queer-owned LGBTQ+ publishers to deliver compelling journalism engaging and amplifying the LGBTQ+ community. LMF operates or provides resources to this collaborative.
• Oklahoma Media CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit created to support homegrown local news in Oklahoma. Partnership with LMA for Lab for Journalism Funding Oklahoma cohort. Expanding academic collaboration to cultivate new generation of journalists.
• LatidoBeatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational startup built in collaboration with seven leading Spanish-language publishers to create a united platform for Latino voices. $300,000 supported launch. Follows the Word In Black playbook.
• LMA Covering Climate CollaborativesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership among local newsrooms reporting on climate change with science partners including Climate Matters, SciLine, and Solutions Journalism Network. Supporting 22 newsrooms with climate reporting.
• NewsFuelsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform that matches funders with journalism projects. Operated by LMF to facilitate philanthropic giving to support local journalism sustainability.
• NewspacksecondaryTechnology or IntegrationWordPress-based content management platform powering LMA websites. Sponsored Best Local Website category in Digital Innovation Awards.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• America's Newspapers: Trade association representing newspaper companies in the United States. Directly comparable to LMA as both serve local newspaper members with advocacy, training, and industry collaboration services, though America's Newspapers focuses more on press freedom and policy advocacy while LMA emphasizes business transformation.
• Institute for Nonprofit News (INN): Membership organization for nonprofit news organizations. Comparable as both support the local news ecosystem through member services, training, and capacity building, though INN focuses specifically on nonprofit newsrooms while LMA serves a broader mix including for-profit newspapers and broadcasters.
• LION Publishers: Independent online news trade association serving local digital news publishers. Comparable to LMA as both provide membership, training, and industry support to local news organizations, with LION focused specifically on digital-first independents while LMA serves a broader publisher base.
• News/Media Alliance: Trade association representing news media organizations. Comparable to LMA as both serve news publishers with advocacy and industry services, though News/Media Alliance focuses more on policy advocacy and intellectual property while LMA emphasizes business model transformation.
• National Newspaper Association: Trade association representing community newspapers in the United States. Comparable to LMA as both serve local newspaper members with advocacy, training, and resources, with NNA focused on community and weekly newspapers and LMA on a broader local media ecosystem including broadcasters and digital.
• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB): Trade association representing radio and television broadcasters. Comparable to LMA as both serve local media companies with industry advocacy, training, and resources, though NAB focuses exclusively on broadcasters at a much larger scale while LMA serves a more diverse publisher base.

Emerging players

• American Journalism Project: Venture philanthropy organization supporting local news startups. Comparable to LMA as both receive funding from the same foundations (Knight, Google News Initiative) and aim to strengthen local journalism sustainability, though AJP provides direct venture-style investment while LMA provides services and training.
• Report for America: Service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Comparable to LMA as both address local news sustainability through structured programs and have partnered (Report for America host newsrooms participate in the 2026 Lab for Journalism Funding cohort), though RFA focuses on journalist placement while LMA provides broader business support.

Regional players

• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS): National public television network. Tangentially comparable as PBS serves local public media stations with programming and resources, overlapping with LMA's broadcaster membership, though PBS is a content distribution platform while LMA is a trade association serving commercial local media.

Others

• Knight Foundation: Major foundation funding local journalism and media innovation. Listed as a peer ecosystem player rather than direct competitor — Knight provides grant funding to LMA ($3.2M for BloomLab) and many peer organizations, making it a critical ecosystem influencer for all local news support organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcWXjoA7a9eSZbnzRKV9Cpw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LocalMediaAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-media-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/localmediaassoc
• Xx.com/LocalMediaAssoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local Media Association