13 Journalism Organizations to Know in 2026

Here’s our list of the 13 publishing organizations and communities to know in 2026.

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1. International News Media Association

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The International News Media Association (INMA) hosts webinars, conferences, and provides resources for journalists across the globe. They have a number of conferences planned for 2026, including the Media Subscriptions Summit, a virtual Latin America Media Summit, and the Media Advertising Summit.

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Some upcoming online webinars will be on topics such as subscriber retention, young audiences, and newsrooms and AI.

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2. LION Publishers

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Representing over 450 local news publishers in the US and Canada, Local Independent Online News (LION Publishers) helps build sustainable news businesses through Sustainability Audits, an annual summit, and coaching. LION offers a tiered membership structure based on the size of your newsroom’s annual revenue, so smaller publishers can still access membership benefits.

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LION’s annual Publishers Sustainability Awards honor publishers in categories like Operational Resilience, Financial Health, and Community Engagement, while separating publishers into categories based on their annual revenue.

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This year, the 2026 Independent News Sustainability Summit will be held in San Diego on September 9-11.

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3. Local Media Association

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The Local Media Association’s focus is reinventing sustainable business models for local news. They offer membership to a broad range of news organizations, including newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and digital media. The LMA conducts research and labs to help boost revenue for local news.

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4. Online News Association

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Founded in 1999, the Online News Association (ONA) offers educational programs to members, including an AI in Journalism Initiative. The ONA’s annual Online Journalism Awards have been running since 2000 to honor digital journalism, and winners are announced at their annual conference.

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5. Canadian Association of Journalists

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Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is the biggest organization advocating for journalists across Canada, offering individual memberships to professional journalists, students, and retired media workers. The CAJ runs an annual conference, a mentorship program, and an annual diversity survey to assess the demographics of the journalism industry in Canada.

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6. National Association of Black Journalists

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) offers membership to individual journalists who support their mission of advancing opportunities for Black journalists in the United States. Members get network opportunities, discounted convention tickets, and employment databases.

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NABJ’s 2026 convention will take place in Atlanta from August 12-16.

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7. National Association of Hispanic Journalists

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With membership open to individual journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) offers a unified organization for Hispanic journalists in the United States. Originally founded in 1982, the NAHJ now has over 4,000 members. They offer an updated 2025 Cultural Competence Handbook for all journalists to help promote fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the media.

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8. Sembra Media

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With a mission of supporting the sustainability of Spanish language digital media, Sembra Media represents publishers in over 20 countries. Originally focused on Latin America, Sembra has since expanded to include Spanish language publications in the United States, Canada, and Spain.

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Through their Sembra Media School, they offer online classes focused on the business side of journalism, as well as a directory of funding opportunities for independent Latin American publications.

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9. Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas

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Since its founding in 1946, the Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas (FENAJ), or the National Federation of Journalists Brazil, advocates for its over 40,000 affiliated journalists in Brazil. It also works with affiliated unions to provide support for Brazilian journalists.

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10. Tiny News Collective

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The Tiny News Collective works with aspiring news entrepreneurs to launch and grow community news organizations. They help with building a business plan from scratch, and learning about audience needs, and defining success for your news business.

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Membership in the Tiny News Collective is also a great way to obtain a fiscal sponsor at a discounted rate, which allows you to collect tax-deductible donations to your newsroom. Other perks for members include free Canva premium and access to Lawyers for Reporters resources.

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11. Institute for Nonprofit News

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Founded in 2009, the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is one of the largest publishing organizations for independent news in North America, representing over 500 members. Membership is open to publishers who demonstrate a focus on editorial excellence, independence, and financial transparency.

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INN has published a 2025 report covering different aspects of local news’ sustainability, covering revenue, staff, and expenses tracked over seven years.

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As a member, you’ll get access to resources on startups, press freedom, and fundraising. INN members also get access to the end-of-year fundraising program NewsMatch, which offers matching for funds raised between November 1-December 31 each year.

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12. Association of Alternative Newsmedia

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The Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN) represents over 120 publications across North America. Their members include both print and digital publications that have a focus on local news, narrative journalism, and reporting on issues that may be ignored by mainstream media.

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The AAN works to provide training, support, and community to its members. They’ve hosted annual awards since 1996, and a convention since 1978.

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13. News Product Alliance

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The News Product Alliance focuses on training news product professionals to help build more sustainable news businesses. They offer a News Product Management Certification that brings together news professionals from the global news industry.