Progressive Media and Investigative Journalism
The rise of social media and the collapse of much of the traditional news media has been a boon to the right wing in America. Conspiracy theories can spread unchecked through sites like X and Facebook, while a dearth of trusted news sources has made it harder than ever for Americans to maintain a shared sense of what’s true and what’s false. While most major media institutions largely lean to the left, those same institutions have also lost credibility with far too many Americans, leaving them prey to rightwing disinformation and partisan news sources. Below, we explain what’s at stake in this area, go over the best strategies for strengthening progressive media, and provide tips for donors getting started.
Why Donating for Progressive Media is Important
Today, Americans face a deeply fractured media landscape. The right has thrived in this environment, with outlets including Fox News, locally focused conglomerates like Sinclair, and the Wild West of social media, where right-wing propaganda accounts and influencers of all stripes freely spread vile ideas and outright lies. But there is also hope for progressives, as social media and the internet have lowered barriers to entry for many more niche, left-wing publications and media ventures that would have otherwise struggled to find an audience, let alone one that could pay directly to support their work. Progressive donors have many good choices of where to give.
Where to Donate for Progressive Media
Progressive media outlets. One of the most important achievements of the conservative movement has been the creation and legitimation of independent, right-leaning media projects, ranging from high-minded journals of opinion on foreign policy to outright propaganda rags. The right’s donor base has been highly effective in supporting these media outlets, which serve as training grounds for young conservative reporters, editors and thought leaders. Progressives also maintain a similar stable of publications, though typically with much tighter budgets. To level the playing field, donors should support progressive outlets, including established magazines like The Nation, The American Prospect, and Mother Jones, and upstarts like The Lever.
Investigative news projects. Investigative reporting is crucial for holding the powerful accountable, and donors have good options in this area. ProPublica is the leading name in nonprofit investigative journalism and has also developed a serious local reporting network. Two other well-known groups are the accountability-focused Center for Investigative Reporting and the Center for Public Integrity.
Organizations building the pipeline of young and diverse journalists. Good journalism requires well-trained journalists from diverse backgrounds, and a number of organizations give out fellowships, grants and internships every year with exactly that goal in mind. These programs can include small grants to journalists to pursue investigative projects, while others support jobs for journalists in specific local or national newsrooms. Some of those groups include the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Type Investigations and The Ida B. Wells Society.
Issue- and place-focused media. Donors who want to stay tightly focused in specific issue areas or communities can often find good options for left-leaning media in their chosen niche. Examples include the Marshall Project, focused on criminal justice; Grist, focused on climate change; More Perfect Union, which works to help “working people to be seen and heard in media coverage”; Capitol and Main, which focuses heavily on California; and City Limits, a progressive media site that covers New York City. Courier Newsroom is a national media organization explicitly focused on building liberal news sources at the local level, including in important swing states like Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina and others.
Media watchdogs. While building a strong progressive media ecosystem will help in the fight against disinformation, progressives should also support other means of waging that battle — like supporting groups that critique and correct mainstream media. The most prominent group playing this role is Media Matters for America, which tracks mostly conservative media, pushes back against disinformation and pushes for advertiser boycotts of right-wing propaganda. Another good option for donors is the smaller and more left-wing Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, or FAIR, which likewise conducts studies and publishes critiques of the media meant to hold journalists accountable for their coverage and framing choices.
For Donors Getting Started
Learn more about journalism, disinformation and the news media. Donors should follow the links above to see what these organizations and media projects are up to, and read about the current battles over bias and disinformation in particular at places like FAIR and Media Matters. Also, check out Inside Philanthropy’s white paper: “Giving for Journalism and Public Media.”
Think about your giving in the bigger picture. An informed public is critical for creating a strong democracy and making progressive change. In contrast, a misinformed public can pose a profound threat to democracy and political stability. No matter what issue you care about as a donor, media and journalism are important, and all donors should consider at least some giving in this crucial area.