AUSTIN, TX — Montana Free Press has been named “Business of the Year” at the 2022 Lion Local Journalism Awards.
MTFP also earned top honors in the category of “General Excellence: Operational Resilience” for its innovative and industry-leading operational practices and was named “Product of the Year” in the 2022 Election Guide.
The Lion Awards celebrate excellence in sustainable business and journalism in independent online news across the country. LION Publishers membership includes over 440 independent news outlets.
“People in Montana have come to see the MTFP as a valuable and authoritative source of detailed information on the issues most important to them. We are recognized leaders in our field of independent online news organizations,” said John Adams, MTFP Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief.
Founded by Adams in 2016, MTFP is Montana’s first statewide, digital-first news agency with coverage focused on the economy, government, public policy, education, environment, politics and power.
“The Montana Free Press has demonstrated a very sophisticated approach to holistic and resilient operations,” said the jury when presenting MTFP’s Operational Resilience Award. “Their approach and processes are responsive to the needs of his team and his members, while maintaining critical communication transparency and collaboration among staff.”
Montana Free Press has spent most of the past five years building its press and business teams, refining its editorial products, and building trust with its readers. MTFP is focused on sustainable financial practices and supports staff through benefits such as unlimited paid leave, extended leave and paid parental leave.
“This is an organization built to last,” said the judges as they awarded MTFP Business of the Year honors. “The quality of their work in building organizations that serve the people of Montana is on par with the best news organizations in the United States of all sizes. Lion and his entire community are outstanding examples for them.”
Judges were also impressed with MTFP’s interactive Election Guide ’22. This guide includes candidate bios, detailed candidate surveys, campaign finance data, and selected candidate news coverage.
The Lion Awards judges said: sign up. What an effort! This is a beautifully designed package with clearly the best community values. ”