by Joe Siegel

News is Out, a collective of several LGBTQ media outlets, gathered in New York City along with the Local Media Association for its April 2025 summit. 

“The folks at Google were kind enough to host us for a few days and we always relish the opportunity to get together in person to strategize and plan for what’s next for News is Out,” said Dana Piccoli, the collective’s managing director. “We even got a chance to gather at the hallowed ground of Stonewall and tour the Stonewall Visitors Center.”

Leo Cusimano, publisher of Dallas Voice, said the purpose of the meeting is to “deepen our missions” and “to tackle the challenges in our industry. As a publisher and working at Dallas Voice for 32 years, whenever I can get together with my peers, it really does help me understand I’m not alone. It helps me understand some of the challenges [they have been facing].”

Cusimano appreciated the one-on-one interactions with other publishers and editors during the dinners and workshops. 

One topic of discussion was regarding challenges posed by the Trump administration, particularly higher prices due to the ongoing trade war with Canada and other countries.

Most of all, the participants were able to discuss where the media industry is at as a whole.

“You gain understanding of what the best principles are for our industry and what the trends are and where they’re going,” said Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News. “We’re able to find out what’s working for some publications and what’s not working for others. It’s a good learning experience.”

Cusimano also praised Google for providing information about their products.

“I think Google deeply understands how important it is to support local journalism, more than some of the other tech companies out there. As an organization, [News Is Out] is focused heavily on sustainability. Looking at new revenue sources, strengthening community partnerships. We talked about strategic planning and what’s next for us on the horizon. We have been increasing our numbers as well.”

“It was inspiring to be surrounded by people from so many different parts of the country, all focused on the same goal,” said Nina Joss, project manager for the LMA’s Lab for Journalism Funding. “It was a room full of knowledge and curiosity, and I loved that energy.”

Joss is in charge of coordinating communications with the Lab for Journalism Funding program participants, answering questions and helping develop, plan and implement its curriculum. The lab is a six-month program that trains local news leaders on how to develop philanthropic strategies for their newsrooms, according to the group.

Segal said having the opportunity at the summit to learn about Google’s artificial intelligence programs was “just amazing.”

Joss agreed: “The opportunity to hear from product leaders at Google was amazing. The tech industry is so important and powerful in our modern-day news landscape, and I know it’s rare to get to hear directly from the people working in that space.”