LkldNow is independent news to connect you with Lakeland, Fla. By illuminating the community, our aim is to empower Lakeland residents to become more engaged with their community. Our reporting focuses on quality-of-life issues in Lakeland.
Nonprofit
Lkdlnow.com is the primary project of a Lakeland 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Linking Community Now Inc.
Vision: A sustainable model of non-profit public service journalism that provides open access to local news and community information across digital platforms.
Mission: To educate community members and cultivate civic engagement by reporting and curating local news and community information in an accessible, user-friendly digital format.
Staff and board members are listed here.
Documentation of Linking Community Now’s activities can be found on the organization’s profile on ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, which includes our IRS form 990 filings.
What Sets Us Apart
- LkldNow focuses its news coverage on quality of life in Lakeland.
- Our staff and board members are all Lakeland residents who value our community and want to see it prosper. In our reporting, we illuminate Lakeland’s qualities as well as examine what can be improved.
- Being a community-supported nonprofit keeps the reader at the center of everything we do. You won’t find click-bait headlines aimed at driving up clicks to appease advertisers.
- LkldNow is free to access. No paywalls, No article limits. We believe local news is a vital part a community infrastructure and everyone should have access to it.
- We’re hyperlocal. At a time when newspapers are collapsing, LkldNow is part of a national movement to rebuild local news through independent, grassroots newsrooms that seek to provide equitable access to impactful local news.
- No opinion page. LkldNow’s founder and board made a decision early on to not publish opinions or letters to the editor. In a world of social media, there is no shortage of platforms for individuals to express their opinions. There is a desperate shortage of outlets for straightforward, factual, impartial reporting.
- Our community-centered approach and responsiveness to readers have earned us the trust of our audience, a compact we take very seriously and strive to safeguard. We value your trust and appreciate the opportunity to make a positive impact on our community.
Support
Lkldnow is dedicated to providing frictionless access to news and information about Lakeland, so we do not charge readers to read our news. We sustain independent community journalism through a combination of memberships, donations, business sponsorships and grants. We are grateful for our donors.
Publishing
Lkldnow publishes on the web, Threads. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and email newsletters. Most posting takes place on weekdays, with publishing less frequent on weekends and holidays.
New models for community journalism
Lkldnow.com is a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers, whose motto is, “Building the Future of Local News.” The group’s mission, which aligns with LkldNow’s, is: “Foster the viability and excellence of locally focused independent online news organizations and cultivate their connections to their communities through education and action.”
We’re also a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, an organization that provides education and business support to nonprofit news organizations and promotes the value and benefit of public-service and investigative journalism.
As digital communication continues to reshape the ways people access news, independent sites across the country are exploring new models to sustain journalism that connects readers with their communities. Along those lines, here are some of the beliefs and values that drive lkldnow.com:
Beliefs
- Journalism’s primary mission is to inform people so that they can become educated voters and participants in civic life.
- News and community information should be easy to access and available when and where the reader is ready for it.
- Civic engagement leads to a better community.
Values
- Taking responsibility for accuracy in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information
- Supporting the open and civil exchange of views
- Treating news sources, subjects, colleagues, and members of the community with respect
- Acting independently and avoiding conflicts of interest
- Being accountable and transparent in our relationship to the community.
Barry Friedman gave a slightly different version of the site’s guiding principles in his “10 crazy dreams” for community journalism at the LkldNow launch event.
Readers who want to explore these ideas further might be interested in “Geeks Bearing Gifts: Imagining New Futures for News” by Jeff Jarvis.
Policies
Commenting
Article comments are a great way to add more voices to the story. All comments are reviewed before publishing. Please use your real name. Anonymous comments will not be approved. Neither will comments that contain personal attacks, derogatory language, unproven allegations, etc.
Add us to your home screen
Lkldnow.com is configured for mobile devices. For quicker access, consider adding an icon to your home screen. Here’s how:
iPhone, iPad: In the Safari browser, go to lkldnow.com, then tap the Share button (That’s the square one with an arrow pointing up). Tap the Add to Home Screen icon. Then tap Add. (This isn’t available in the Chrome browser.)
Android: In the Chrome browser, go to lkldnow.com, then tap the “hamburger” menu button and select Add to homescreen.
Check a howtogeek.com article for more details and illustrations.
I love your format and appreciate your work.
I have a question regarding Minnie Park. I know that awhile back there was a lot of discussion regarding what was going to replace the statue
Any decision?
Thanks.
The city held a public workshop last year to share ideas for the park, but there are no firm plans yet.