The Journalism Accelerator combined high-touch and smart technology. We partnered with Lisa Skube during her fellowship with the Reynolds Journalism Institute to help her team develop the Journalism Accelerator.

The Journalism Accelerator approach has combined readily available, open-source technology tools in a way that promotes online collaboration. The Journalism Accelerator method focused on identifying a "how" or "why" question related to journalism innovation, recruiting smart thinkers on that topic to participate in a real-time conversation, and then drawing from that conversation the resources that can help provide solutions.

We worked with Michele McLellan, a past Reynolds Journalism Institute fellow, in her efforts to identify and support community-focused entrepreneurial publishers.

That work led to two gatherings of these publishers called the Block by Block: Community News Summit, the first in September 2010 and the second in September 2011. Block by Block marked the first large-scale assembly of community news entrepreneurs to share emerging best practices and work to solve common problems.

In addition, by working with the nascent leaders in the field, LION Publishers, a virtual support association for locally-focused independent online news organizations, was formed to keep learning and sharing at the forefront.

• With consulting support from The Patterson Foundation, LION Publishers, a virtual support association for locally-focused independent online news organizations, was formed to cultivate connections to communities through education and action.
• The Patterson Foundation funded Super Camp, a business coaching and mentoring program that helped twelve entrepreneurial online community news publishers create and execute sustainable business plans. Super Camp focused on the need for journalism innovators to achieve financial sustainability. The program was incubated with the Knight Digital Media Center.
• The Journalism Accelerator platform, an online community for journalism innovators, was created, which connected innovators and enabled them to grow and thrive.
• The Patterson Foundation supported the inaugural Block by Block: Community News Summit in Chicago, which brought together independent online news publishers from across the country for the first time.