States Newsroom

States Newsroom
Formation2019
Type501(c)(3)[1]
84-2113822
President
Chris Fitzsimon
Subsidiaries39
Affiliations11
Budget (2024)
$22 million
Staff220 (2024)
Websitestatesnewsroom.com Edit this at Wikidata

States Newsroom is a nonprofit news network with newsrooms or a partner news organization in all 50 U.S. states that focus mostly on state policy and politics.[2][3][4][5][6]

History

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States Newsroom grew out of NC Policy Watch, a progressive think tank founded in 2004 by Chris Fitzsimon, who said it "is sort of the model for the news sites we support".[7][8] He is States Newsroom's current president. In 2017, the project expanded, using the liberal group the Hopewell Fund as an incubator until 2019 when States Newsroom became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit.[9][10][2] In July 2019, States Newsroom had 13 outlets, nine of which were in swing states.[8]

States Newsroom's commentary and opinion pieces are clearly-labeled and generally lean left. The organization does not allow opinion pieces from candidates or political officeholders.[2][10][3] Many, but not all, of the organization's larger donors also lean left.[2] States Newsroom did not disclose its donors until 2020, when it started disclosing the names of all donors giving more than $1,000 since becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2019.[9] In August 2020, Inside Philanthropy reported that Google was one of the funders of States Newsroom.[9]

Organization

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States Newsroom provides funding, human resources, and digital support to journalists in the state newsrooms.[11] It typically has 4-6 journalists per newsroom[2] and allows its articles to be republished for free under a creative commons license.[11][2][3]

States Newsroom accepts no corporate donations and has publicly shared the names of all donors contributing $1,000 or more since becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2019.[2][6][12] The progressive Wyss Foundation gave $1 million to States Newsroom in 2020.[13]

In 2023, the Pew Charitable Trusts transferred its Stateline news service, which provides nonpartisan reporting on trends in state policy, to States Newsroom with $3 million to help with the transition.[10]

As of 2024, it reported having 220 full-time employees, with an annual budget of more than $22 million.[2] It grew from five affiliates upon its 2019 launch to 39 freestanding newsrooms at 11 partner outlets covering all 50 states by early 2024.[2]

Newsrooms

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"Virginia Mercury" redirects here. For the flowering plant, see Acalypha virginica.

States Newsroom has newsrooms in 39 states under its umbrella and the nationwide Stateline newsroom.

In the other 11 states, States Newsroom syndicates content from independent nonprofit newsrooms such as CalMatters,[2] CT Mirror,[14] Honolulu Civil Beat,[2] Mississippi Today,[15] New York Focus, and the Texas Tribune.[2]

Newsrooms
Alabama Reflector[16][17] Alaska Beacon[18] Arizona Mirror[19][20] Arkansas Advocate[21][22] Colorado Newsline[23][24]
Daily Montanan[25][26] Florida Phoenix[27] Georgia Recorder[28][29] Idaho Capital Sun[25] Indiana Capital Chronicle[30]
Iowa Capital Dispatch[31][32] Kansas Reflector[33][34] Kentucky Lantern[35][36] Louisiana Illuminator[37][38] Maine Morning Star[39]
Maryland Matters[40] Michigan Advance[41][42] Minnesota Reformer[43] Missouri Independent[31][44][45][5] NC Newsline[46]
Nebraska Examiner[47] Nevada Current[48][49] New Hampshire Bulletin[25][50] New Jersey Monitor[25][51] North Dakota Monitor[2][52]
Ohio Capital Journal[53] Oklahoma Voice[54][55] Oregon Capital Chronicle[25][56] Pennsylvania Capital-Star[57] Rhode Island Current[58]
Source New Mexico[25][59] South Carolina Daily Gazette[60][61] South Dakota Searchlight[62] Tennessee Lookout[63] Utah News Dispatch[31]
Virginia Mercury[64][65] Washington State Standard[66][67] West Virginia Watch[68] Wisconsin Examiner[69]

Alabama Reflector

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In May 2024, editor Brian Lyman of the States Newsroom's outlet in Alabama, the Alabama Reflector, was selected as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.[70][71][72][73] Lyman was recognized "[f]or brave, clear and pointed columns that challenge ever-more-repressive state policies flouting democratic norms and targeting vulnerable populations, written with the command and authority of a veteran political observer."[74][70]

Iowa Capital Dispatch

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Iowa Capital Dispatch was the first to report a lawsuit against a local Tyson pork-processing plant for work conditions during COVID-19.[31][75]

Reception

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Given its history of dark money funding and left-leaning editorial boards, some have questioned the partisanship of States Newsroom's journalism.[8][76] In January 2020, Steven Brill of NewsGuard asked States Newsroom to reveal their donors—which the organization did later that year.[77][3][9] But in 2021 after accepting a $1 million donation from the progressive Wyss Foundation, NewsGuard said their journalism was "bought by people with a political agenda".[13] A June 2024 NewsGuard study continued to categorize State Newsroom as a partisan outlet designed to look apolitical.[78] In June 2024, Axios called States Newsroom "one of the more strategic" of the "politically motivated websites masquerading as independent local news outlets."[6]

Other media watchers have disputed accusations of partisanship and noted the caliber of the journalists and relative autonomy from the national organization. In 2020, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism listed but then retracted adding the newsrooms as "hyperpartisan" in a map.[79][80] In 2023, Nieman noted the experience of the journalists[10] and in 2024 called NewsGuard's depiction of States Newsroom "misguided."[73] In April 2024, Cameron Joseph wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review that the outlets "are nothing like the 'pink slime' organizations that pass off partisan propaganda as local news. Many of the journalists running the local newsrooms... had previously been at major state newspapers" and that reporters and editors were largely autonomous from the national operation.[2]

At a November 2020 press conference, Missouri Governor Mike Parson refused to take a question from a Missouri Independent reporter, saying "I am not going to respond to a c4 (nonprofit) out of Virginia that is absolutely a propaganda news agency." According to PolitiFact, the Missouri Independent is a legitimate news organization, a 501(c)(3), and "not a website peddling hoaxes."[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "States Newsroom - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. May 9, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Joseph, Cameron. "This nonprofit has newsrooms in all 50 state capitals. Is it the future of state journalism?". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved August 12, 2024. While the news coverage strives to be balanced and nonpartisan, the sites' commentary section leans left.
  3. ^ a b c d Izadi, Elahe (December 6, 2021). "The troubling new void in local journalism — and the nonprofits trying to fill it". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 12, 2024. States Newsroom formed two years ago to attempt to fill a void in what many government watchdogs and civil-society experts believe is one of the biggest manifestations of the local journalism crisis: the dire shortage of reporters covering state government.
  4. ^ Robertson, Katie (October 7, 2022). "News on Statehouses, With a Twist: Covering All 50 at Once". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 12, 2024. States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit news outlets, now has a presence...
  5. ^ a b c Skipworth, William (December 4, 2020). "Soros is not the mastermind behind Missouri Independent". @politifact. Retrieved August 14, 2024. The Missouri Independent is a news outlet that was founded in October in partnership with States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by grants, donors and readers. It has created nonprofit news organizations in 19 U.S. states.
  6. ^ a b c Fischer, Sara (June 11, 2024). "Dark money news outlets outpacing local daily newspapers". Axios. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024. These types of websites are often referred to as 'pink slime,' a term that originated in the ground beef industry. The term has been used for more than a decade to describe politically motivated websites masquerading as independent local news outlets... Some of the more strategic sites are run by groups that are more much explicit about their funding and motives, such as Courier Newsroom and States Newsroom.
  7. ^ Borzi, Pat (January 14, 2020). "The Minnesota Reformer has launched. So what the hell is the Minnesota Reformer?". MinnPost. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Rickert, Chris (January 4, 2020). "With 2020 in sight, dark-money sites look to distribute their versions of the news". Wisconsin State Journal. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2024. In addition to working in television news, States director and publisher Chris Fitzsimon founded a progressive think tank and the liberal news and commentary website NC Policy Watch, which he said is 'sort of the model for the news outlets we support.'
  9. ^ a b c d Scutari, Mike (August 19, 2020). ""Fill the Gaps." A Donor-Backed Outfit Aims to Reverse the Decline in Statehouse Reporting". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved August 12, 2024. Donors listed include the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Google and the Wyss Foundation, but mostly individuals, along with 2,100 donations under $500 not listed.
  10. ^ a b c d Scire, Sarah (March 8, 2023). "Pew's Stateline finds a new home with nonprofit States Newsroom". Nieman Lab. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Supporters • States Newsroom". States Newsroom. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Vogel, Kenneth P.; Robertson, Katie (April 13, 2021). "Top Bidder for Tribune Newspapers Is an Influential Liberal Donor". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2024. States Newsroom, a group of news sites based in state capitals, received $1 million from the Wyss Foundation last year. NewsGuard, a media watchdog that analyzes the credibility of news outlets, concluded that State Newsroom's journalism had been 'bought by people with a political agenda.'
  14. ^ Pettit, Emelia (July 12, 2024). "Opinion: How Connecticut is leading the charge in sustainable wind energy". Yahoo News. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Harrison, Bobby (July 5, 2024). "Mississippi judge blocks Biden attempt to ensure LGBTQ+ medical treatment • Nebraska Examiner". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Hitson, Hadley (May 26, 2023). "Alabama Reflector joins Montgomery mediascape, boosting coverage of state politics, policy". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  17. ^ Webster, Pedro (June 13, 2023). "Alabama Reflector, a Nonprofit News Site, Bolsters State Coverage of Politics, Policy". The Georgetown Post. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  18. ^ Rhode, Scott (May 11, 2022). "Alaska Beacon Launches News Website". Alaska Business Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  19. ^ Hsieh, Steven. "Who Exactly Is Behind the Arizona Mirror, a New Media Outlet?". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Duda, Jeremy (August 9, 2024). "Minimum wage hike proposal for tipped workers won't be on the ballot". Axios Local.
  21. ^ Gill, Todd (August 19, 2022). "New Arkansas outlet launches with state Capitol coverage". Fayetteville Flyer.
  22. ^ Sparkman, Worth (August 16, 2022). "Watchdog site Arkansas Advocate set to cover Capitol". Axios NW Arkansas.
  23. ^ Reedy, Allyson (July 9, 2020). "Q&A With Quentin Young, Editor of Recently Launched Colorado Newsline". 5280. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  24. ^ Hutchins, Corey (June 27, 2020). "MEDIA: A new site covering politics and policy, Colorado Newsline, staffs up for July launch". The Colorado Independent. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  26. ^ Miller, Blair (August 1, 2024). "Former President Trump to hold Montana rally with Sheehy in Gallatin County". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  27. ^ Smith, Adam (July 5, 2018). "Welcome a new news outlet to Tallahassee". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  28. ^ Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  29. ^ "Georgia Recorder Archives". WABE. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  30. ^ Briggs, James (June 13, 2023). "Indianapolis news startups offer more places to click". Axios Indianapolis.
  31. ^ a b c d Joseph, Cameron. "This nonprofit has newsrooms in all 50 state capitals. Is it the future of state journalism?". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved August 12, 2024. While the news coverage strives to be balanced and nonpartisan, the sites' commentary section leans left.
  32. ^ Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  33. ^ "Kansas Reflector to debut with free content for newspapers | Kansas Press Association". Kansas Press Association. July 16, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  34. ^ "The police raid of a Kansas newspaper unfolded like 'a novella.' There's more to the story". KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  35. ^ Lucke, Jamie (July 17, 2024). "On the trail of J.D. Vance's Kentucky mountain roots". WFMZ. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  36. ^ Brown, Jennifer P. (November 22, 2022). "Kentucky Lantern, a nonprofit news outlet, will cover state policy and politics". WKMS. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  37. ^ Siegel, Fern (June 23, 2020). "'Louisiana Illuminator' Launches, Covers How Baton Rouge Politics Impacts Public". MediaPost. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  38. ^ "Louisiana Illuminator". WWNO. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  39. ^ Kobin, Billy (August 3, 2023). "Maine's latest newsroom will add to growing ideological media landscape". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved May 26, 2024. States Newsroom, a left-leaning nonprofit...
  40. ^ "Maryland Matters Celebrates Seventh Anniversary Covering State News". Radio Free Hub City. March 1, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  41. ^ Barrett, Malachi (November 9, 2019). "News Websites with Political Ties Spread Across Michigan". Governing (magazine). Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  42. ^ "Veteran journalists join Michigan Advance news site". Crain's Detroit Business. November 30, 2018.
  43. ^ Borzi, Pat (January 14, 2020). "The Minnesota Reformer has launched. So what the hell is the Minnesota Reformer?". MinnPost. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  44. ^ Woodbury, Emily (October 20, 2022). "Missouri Independent Aims To Shed New Light On Jefferson City". STLPR. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  45. ^ Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  46. ^ "States Newsroom Relaunches NC Policy Watch as NC Newsline". States Newsroom. April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  47. ^ "Nebraska Examiner: Nonprofit news service launches in Nebraska with experienced reporting team". KMTV 3 News Now Omaha. January 20, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  48. ^ "Report details, confirms Nevada prison system missteps during pandemic". This is Reno. March 11, 2022.
  49. ^ "Back to school: What Las Vegans are thinking as first day approaches". Nevada Public Radio | KNPR. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  50. ^ "In wake of sweeping school funding rulings, NH lawmakers pursue legislative fixes". New Hampshire Public Radio. February 29, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  51. ^ DeFilippo, Dana. "Sen. Bob Menendez 'put his power up for sale,' federal prosecutors tell jurors". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  52. ^ ProPublica (June 21, 2024). "ProPublica's 50 State Initiative Launches With Five New Partners and a Call for Proposals". ProPublica. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  53. ^ Botkin, Ben (June 14, 2024). "Oregon still fixing state employee payroll system after problems last year". Oregon Capital Insider. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  54. ^ Vieth, Warren; McNutt, Michael (September 29, 2023). "Nonprofit news outlets: A growing, integral part of Oklahoma's journalism landscape". NonDoc. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  55. ^ "Clemency recommended for Oklahoma death row inmate ahead of scheduled execution". KOSU. August 8, 2024.
  56. ^ Bates, Doug (September 28, 2021). "Oregon Capital Chronicle, a statewide news outlet, launches; team of veteran reporters to cover policies and their effects • Highway 58 Herald". Highway 58 Herald. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  57. ^ Fries, Amanda. "Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro among contenders for Kamala Harris VP pick. Here's why". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  58. ^ "The curious timing of a major bank's PAC campaign donations". Raw Story. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  59. ^ Lohmann, Patrick (March 25, 2024). "I Moved to Rural New Mexico to Report on the Aftermath of a Massive Wildfire. My Neighbors Were My Best Sources". ProPublica. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  60. ^ Ramadan, Lulu; Brownstone, Sydney (August 1, 2024). "Data Centers Demand a Massive Amount of Energy. Here's How Some States Are Tackling the Industry's Impact". ProPublica. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  61. ^ This Week in South Carolina | 2024 Legislative Preview | Season 2024 | Episode 1 | PBS. Retrieved August 15, 2024 – via www.pbs.org.
  62. ^ "States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year". The Republic (News). July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  63. ^ "Tennessee Lookout To Launch Statewide News Outlet". www.chattanoogan.com. April 29, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  64. ^ "Author: Virginia Mercury". WTOP News. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  65. ^ Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  66. ^ "A chatbot spread falsehood about WA elections. The secretary of state wants it fixed". KNKX Public Radio. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  67. ^ "RFK Jr. secures spot on WA ballot; Democrats could sue to knock him off". The Seattle Times. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  68. ^ "West Virginia Watch to launch statewide news outlet". The Register-Herald. July 7, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  69. ^ Rickert, Chris (January 4, 2020). "With 2020 in sight, dark-money sites look to distribute their versions of the news". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  70. ^ a b Castillo, Amaris (May 6, 2024). "Small newsrooms won big in the 2024 Pulitzers". Poynter. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  71. ^ "Pulitzer Prizes: 2024 Winners List". The New York Times. May 6, 2024. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  72. ^ Shafiq, Saman. "2024 Pulitzer Prizes announced: See full list of winners, nominees". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  73. ^ a b Benton, Joshua (May 7, 2024). "This year's Pulitzer Prizes were a coming-out party for online media — and a marker of local newspapers' decline". Nieman Lab. Retrieved August 13, 2024. (The finalist recognition for the Alabama Reflector, a States Newsroom site, must feel extra sweet, given that some still misguidedly label it and its siblings as so-called "pink slime" news sites.)
  74. ^ "Finalist: Brian Lyman of the Alabama Reflector". The Pulitzer Prizes.
  75. ^ Fu, Angela (February 25, 2021). "Where state and local coverage are actually expanding". Poynter. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  76. ^ Sohm, Joseph (November 8, 2019). "News Websites with Political Ties Spread Across Michigan". Governing. Retrieved November 4, 2024. States Newsroom's ethics policy states its publications are nonpartisan. Fitzsimon said the editorial board is "on the liberal side," drawing a comparison with The New York Times.
  77. ^ "States Newsroom Network". NewsGuard. January 29, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2024. While we respect NewsGuard's mission, we are concerned that as a for-profit startup they have adopted a flawed methodology that punishes innovative, fact-based organizations such as ours, while endorsing the work of outlets that promote conspiracy theories and white nationalism such as Breitbart, the Daily Caller, TheBlaze and FoxNews.com. We urge NewsGuard to update their methodology and use their platform to stand up for real journalism and hold those who spread hate and misinformation accountable.
  78. ^ "Sad Milestone: Fake Local News Sites Now Outnumber Real Local Newspaper Sites in U.S". NewsGuard. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  79. ^ Shumway, Julia (July 24, 2020). "Partisan groups spend big to deliver 'news'". Arizona Capitol Times. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  80. ^ Mahone, Jessica; Napoli, Philip (July 13, 2020). "Hundreds of hyperpartisan sites are masquerading as local news. This map shows if there's one near you". Nieman Lab. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
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