Cardinal News was awarded the top honor from LION Publishers at the LION Independent News Sustainability Summit in St. Louis on Wednesday.
Cardinal co-founder and executive director Luanne Rife accepted the Business of the Year award on behalf of the Cardinal team. She and finance director Tonya Hart earlier in the day had presented a panel to their peers on how budgeting tells your organization’s story.
LION Publishers, founded in 2012 as a professional association for local independent news publishers, has over 575 American and Canadian members. The LION name stands for “Local Independent Online News” and includes among its members both for-profit and nonprofit news ventures.
LION News Business of the Year is the highest honor awarded at its annual summit. It recognizes excellence in meeting the three pillars of sustainability: operational excellence, financial health and journalistic impact.
The judges wrote: “Cardinal News’ growth is impressive by any measure, especially given the organization’s size and age. They’ve successfully diversified their revenue sources … while also cultivating meaningful membership programs and offering engaging experiences like Zoom meetings with reporters.
“Their willingness to experiment with products like puzzles alongside essential offerings such as weather coverage and contextualized community history shows both creativity and a strong understanding of their audience.
“Operationally, they’ve expanded their staff over the past four years, reflecting steady, strategic growth grounded in service and sustainability.”
“I was delighted to accept this honor on behalf of the Cardinal team,” Rife said. “It recognizes all of the skills and dedication they bring to telling the stories of our communities. It also recognizes the support that our members contribute to ensuring Cardinal grows in its impact.”
Cardinal was founded in 2021 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It began with an editor and two reporters and now has 20 employees. Cardinal is funded by a mix of donations, grants and sponsorships.