Since the Knight x LMA BloomLab launched in the Spring of 2022, 26 Black-owned media organizations have received consultation, training and guidance toward digital transformation and long-term sustainability.
The lab, launched by Local Media Foundation as a three-year initiative thanks to a $3.2 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, is in its third year. The lab team has prepared a BloomLab Year 2 Impact Report, describing publisher results to date and providing case studies that can help guide other small local media organizations.
To date, lab directors John Celestand, Apryl Pilolli and Robert Walker-Smith have led more than 2,000 consultations, 70 webinars, 108 trainings and 19 in-person site visits with the participant teams nationwide.
Highlights from the report
- Publishers in all three cohorts combined saw 30% year-over-year growth in digital revenue.
- The three cohorts combined also saw an increase of 15% year-over-year in philanthropic revenue.
- Through collaboration and shared resources, the lab has helped publishers with more than 200 implementations of new or upgraded technologies.
- The lab helped create a 2024 Publisher Growth Playbook focused on audience development and engagement, assisted more than 15 publishers with fielding user surveys to forge strong connections with audiences and inform product decisions.
Where can I learn more?
The 19-page Year 2 Impact Report describes how each organization used technology tools, revenue strategies and audience development guidance to advance their businesses. The report is available here for free download.