With the 2024 election cycle having already begun, it feels like we are careening toward disaster, John.
Across the country, many are finding themselves exhausted and disillusioned with politics, government, and the institutions we once took for granted.
At the same time, trust in mainstream media outlets continues to slip as they prioritize rage clicks and profits over their duty to inform the public.
The result? Right-wing media and bad actors have launched a crusade to sow division and doubt in our institutions and democracy with targeted attack campaigns on the very concept of the truth.
But it doesn't have to be this way, John.
From the start, Courier Newsroom set out to ambitiously challenge both right-wing bad information and the mainstream media outlets that platform it by delivering well-intentioned journalism reporting on the issues that local communities care about.
The first step to revitalize our democracy will require us to dramatically reshape our media landscape to reach the majority of Americans who no longer consume media in the same way we used to. This won't be easy, but we must start this important work now.
That’s why our talented team of journalists works day in and day out to deliver their reporting to the online spaces where most Americans now spend their time.
By making our journalism easily accessible online to the communities we serve, we’re able to cut right through right-wing BS and misinformation, whereas traditional media organizations continue to fall short.
At Courier, we’re leading the way in creating a new model of media that exists explicitly to protect our democracy. Here’s how:
- Over the past four and a half years, we've built one of the fastest-growing networks to reach Americans via their inboxes, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram — the same spaces where misinformation tends to spread fastest;
- We're expanding our reach to 11 states (more on that soon!);
- We're launching a new slate of creators, contributors, and products to share our engaging content with a national audience that will continue our mission of holding mainstream media accountable, monitoring and confronting misinformation in real time AND;
- Sharing updates from key 2024 battleground states.
Countering the distrust and disillusionment in our democracy, to protect our democracy has to start with addressing America’s information crisis head-on and building new models of quality journalism to solve it, like we are at Courier. And I hope you'll continue to support us as we work to strengthen and expand Democracy's Newsroom.
Thank you for reading and as always thank you for supporting our work.
Tara McGowan
Founder & Publisher
Courier Newsroom