OU Daily was one of 17 news organizations across three states — and the only student-run outlet — selected this week for a Local Media Association training program that will help participants develop and execute comprehensive programs to secure philanthropic support for local journalism.
What it means: OU Daily leaders will participate in the Lab for Journalism Funding training program from August through February. Our team will set a fundraising goal, receive customized coaching and create and pitch a journalism project to be funded through philanthropy. LMA will publish case studies from the lab that can be applied across the news industry.
The program’s history: Since its 2020 launch, the lab has helped more than 200 news organizations raise more than $40 million to support local journalism.
Who we’ll learn from: The cohort will be led by Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer at LMA. The cohort will be supported by project and programming manager Nina Joss and Liz White Notarangelo, former publisher of the Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) and a graduate of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding and LMA Advanced Fundraising Lab.
The newsrooms will work one-on-one with a team of best-in-class coaches including Joaquin Alvarado, who has been instrumental in the development of philanthropic funding at The Seattle Times and other local newsrooms; executive coach Joanne Heyman; experienced media executive Samantha Johnston; and Judi Terzotis who, as CEO, has helped dramatically grow philanthropic support for journalism at Georges Media Group.
What they’re saying: “As a long-standing partner of the Lab for Journalism Funding, we remain dedicated to supporting the 2026 state cohorts,” said Suzanne Perron, News Partner Manager at Google. “Building on last year’s success, we are thrilled to support the program in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, and we look forward to our continued work alongside LMA and its members.”
“Oklahoma Media Center recruited several local news outlets to join us in this innovative revenue training opportunity,” said Rob Collins, executive director of Oklahoma Media Center. “This cohort will provide crucial insight into how newsrooms can thrive in the current environment, and we can’t emphasize enough how exciting it is to work with outlets from other states and learn from them as well.”
“Learning best practices for sustaining our journalism through philanthropy is a natural next step in strengthening the future of the OU Daily,” said Seth Prince, OU Student Media director and OU Daily newsroom adviser. “Participating in prior Oklahoma Media Center projects has elevated the work our organization provides to the communities we serve and accentuated the leading-edge media experiences University of Oklahoma students gain at the Daily. We’re looking forward to learning from Local Media Association’s experts and our peers in this cohort while deepening our relationships with those invested in OU and Norman.”
Participants and supporters: Organizations selected for the state cohorts represent local newsrooms ranging from print newspapers to public radio stations across Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Wyoming. These cohorts are made possible with support from Google News Initiative and in partnership with Oklahoma Media Center, the Granite State News Collective and Wyoming Local News Fund.
• Oklahoma participants:
• New Hampshire participants:
Granite State News Collaborative
• Wyoming participants:
Blazing Trails Media (The Saratoga Sun, Glenrock Independent, Douglas Budget, Pine Bluffs Post)
KHOL (Jackson Hole Community Radio)
About OU Daily: The Daily has been the independent student voice serving OU and Norman since 1916. No content is influenced by the university, advertisers or anyone outside our staff. Read more about the ethics and values that are the foundation of our student-run organization.
