Liberal Philanthropists Have Their Sights on Local News

Now, more than ever, the news has a credibility problem.

Thanks to the rise of so-called pink-slime news outlets, stories that might read like news reports are increasingly often ideological advertisements rather than journalistic endeavors. These newspapers and digital outlets present themselves as fact-based local media but in reality are partisan or ideological propaganda mills affiliated with political consultants and funded by ideological donors who sometimes remain anonymous. Perhaps the best-known of these outfits is Courier Newsroom, founded by longtime Democratic operative Tara McGowan and recipient of one of President Joe Biden’s rare one-on-one interviews.

But the growing partisan media sphere is about far more than just “dark money” newsgathering outfits aligned with political operatives. Left-wing institutions are making a major investment to make local news, which public opinion polling shows is more trusted than national news, a font of liberal and progressive messages and opposition research.

Read the full article here [paywall].

This article was published in the Baltimore Sun on July 26, 2024.