As the media landscape shifts, we envision a future where every American is able to participate in a vibrant, diverse public square. People need relevant and trustworthy information to engage in democracy. We rely on news and public spaces to inform ourselves, exchange ideas and debate, hold power to account, and organize for change. Historically the news media has helped propel critical reforms — but it has also pandered to the powerful, it has marginalized women and people of color, and it has failed to truly serve all communities. 

The media landscape of today is in flux as sweeping technological, economic, and cultural forces take effect. This presents extraordinary challenges and new opportunities. The internet has expanded our options for creating and consuming media, while also amplifying misinformation and hate. Legacy outlets and their advertising-based business models are in decline, creating major challenges for communities where coverage and vigorous conversation once flourished.

In response to these realities, promising new experiments are redefining the public square in ways that make it more digital, participatory, and inclusive. Our Public Square program supports these experiments and the long-term sustainability of journalism that is critical to our democracy.

We collaborate with peer funders and communities interested in creating, adapting, and sustaining new media models that prioritize the public interest.

Democracy Fund Editorial Firewall Policy

We adhere to a strict policy preserving the editorial independence of all our journalism grantees. In the instance of a grantee approaching a member of our staff for comment, we require them to go through our communications team — not a program officer — and we alert the reporter of the funding relationship. We also request that if they quote a member of our team they disclose our funding of their organization in any story produced.

In addition, the Democracy Fund communications staff does not send pitches to the nonprofit newsrooms we support, and we include language in our grant agreements that we won’t discuss editorial content with journalism grantees or otherwise seek to influence their coverage. However, we may alert newsroom leadership of Democracy Fund developments and news in the course of regular engagement with grantees.