Hi John,
It’s a holiday weekend, so thanks for taking a moment to read this. If you already know how critical independent media is in this perilous moment for our country, please chip in today to support COURIER. With less than 48 hours left, we’re still $7,500 short of our $70,000 August goal.
Here’s the hard truth: American democracy isn’t just under threat anymore. It’s actively being dismantled. Just seven months into Trump’s second term, MAGA has already completed nearly half of the plan laid out in Project 2025.
A key part of that plan is the total destruction of independent media. No free press, no accountability. The progress has been astonishing:
- Public broadcasting is gutted. Project 2025 called for eliminating federal support for NPR, PBS, and local affiliates. Today, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down, cutting off funding for more than 1,500 stations—lifelines in rural and tribal communities.
- Journalists and whistleblowers are under attack. Trump’s DOJ has rolled back protections, once again seizing reporters’ emails and phone records.
- White House access has been restricted. Reporters from AP and the Wall Street Journal have been banned while MAGA influencers take prime seats in staged briefings.
- Right-wing propaganda is exploding. With CPB gone and FCC rules loosening, right-wing Sinclair is poised to buy up more local stations. Voice of America now literally repackages OAN propaganda as the “news” it airs in other countries.
- Legacy media is in retreat. Networks are folding under Trump’s pressure. Settling bogus lawsuits and sidelining critics like Stephen Colbert and choosing silence over accountability.
John, once democracy is dismantled, rebuilding it takes decades. That’s our project now—and it starts with refusing to let MAGA propaganda be the only voice left.
That’s why COURIER exists. While billionaire media owners cave and public media is erased, we are building the largest progressive media network in the country—locally rooted, fact-based, and powered entirely by people like you.
But with less than 48 hours before the end of the month, we are in danger of missing our $70,000 goal. If we fall short, our ability to keep publishing fearless journalism in communities where right-wing lies spread fastest is at risk.
Thank you for reading to the end. Thank you for standing with us.
In solidarity,
The COURIER Team