Sometimes I wish there were another word for the “media.” No other term is exactly right to describe our work—the news, the press, journalism organizations all fall short of its meaning—but unfortunately, the “media” is often equated with “propaganda,” and rightly so. This country’s dominant media regularly function as mere service providers for the corporations and forces of power that sustain them.
The services being provided are dangerous: Media have the power to manipulate public discussions and understandings through which stories they choose to report, who they choose to report them, who they choose to interview, what words they choose to employ in their coverage, and who they choose to label “good guys” and “bad guys.” The arrangement of “debates” in the dominant media usually includes a very narrow range of opinion, but represents this spread as the range of opinion worthy of public consideration. This dialogue is controlled not only by the people and companies that hold the purse strings, but more importantly, by the unquestioned power structures in which those entities operate. Funded by corporations, driven by advertising, populated and legitimized by powerful political figures and mainstream celebrities, these media can’t function any other way.
As independent, non-corporate media, Truthout and our peer organizations know that we, too, shape conversations and impart perspectives. We know that the myth of “objective” journalism is not only false, but also unhelpful; we’ve got to own our perspectives, striving to deliver socially responsible information that helps to create a more just, humane and vibrant world.
And so, we work to cover stories that are excluded from mainstream conversations and bring transformative ideas to the fore. This work isn’t just about doing investigative reporting and uncovering individual instances of wrongdoing, though those are important tasks. As truly independent media, we consider it our obligation to step back and question the structures that perpetuate that wrongdoing: structures bound up in racism, classism, sexism, anti-queer and anti-trans violence, ableism, and other types of oppression.
As we move into the new year, we’ll plunge deeper into our exploration of the linkages between capitalism and criminalization; poverty and environmental degradation; surveillance and imprisonment; and violent foreign policy and militarism at home. We aim to do this by not only giving scholars, activists and independent journalists a place to share their courageous work, but also by providing a platform for the people most impacted by these issues to speak for themselves.
Over the next year, we hope to further the understanding that journalism doesn’t just prompt action—it is action. Stories are acts, and acts have impacts, and when we report on something, or opine on something, or analyze something, we are putting both the existence of that something and our perspective on it out into the universe. As journalists, we have to release our long-treasured fantasy of “impartial” reporting, and hold the work we publish accountable to our society and our future.
I’m thrilled to welcome Praxis Center as a new online platform that will offer a space for scholars, activists, independent journalists and other voices to critique the complexities of our world.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $81,000 in one-time donations and to add 1250 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy