Why independent journalism is democracy’s lifelineClick to read this email in your browser. [link removed]

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**Dear John,**

When billionaires buy up the press, democracy suffers.

Just this month, CBS—a cornerstone of American journalism— **was absorbed into the empire of a single right-wing billionaire** [link removed].  One of David Ellison’s first acts in charge of a sprawling media empire was to install anti-woke crusader Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief, all but guaranteeing a rightward lurch for one of the country’s most important media outlets.

This is no isolated incident. Piece by piece, the news that Americans rely on is being consolidated into the hands of the wealthy and powerful. From Elon Musk and Twitter to Jeff Bezos and the

**Washington Post**,

****billionaires

**** don’t want to simply own the news: they want to control what journalists are writing about — and what they’re

**not**writing about — and they want to control how they’re saying it. So much for free speech.

Why does this matter? **Because a consolidated press is an easier press to silence** [link removed]. It is easier to silence dissent when only a handful of moguls control the platforms and outlets that the people who live in this country rely on. It’s easier to drown out investigative reporting when newsrooms are gutted in pursuit of quarterly profits for billionaire owners and shareholders. And when citizens are left uninformed, disillusioned, and misled, it’s easier for authoritarianism to take hold.

At

**The American Prospect**, we refuse to accept that this is just the way things are. We don’t have a billionaire owner. We don’t rely on corporations who pull ads when stories make them uncomfortable. We will never bend the knee to any politician who pressures us, despite the considerable risks. As an independent, not-for-profit organization, we are accountable only to our readers—and that’s what makes us dangerous to the people who’d prefer that you not know how power really works.

DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM [link removed]

Here’s what your donation does:

* It pays for reporters to dig through records and follow the money trails that others ignore.

* It keeps our analysis free and accessible, so that truth isn’t a luxury reserved for the wealthy. No paywall, not now, not ever. 

* It sustains a newsroom built for the long haul, one that won’t bend or break when democracy comes under siege.

Every gift, big or small, fuels work that cuts through cynicism and empowers ordinary people to act. It ensures that facts still reach the public square, that hope still has a voice, and that those in power are still held to account.

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY [link removed]

This is bigger than just one fundraising campaign. When you donate, you join thousands of others who believe democracy is worth defending. You become part of a community that refuses to surrender the truth to cynicism or to the whims of billionaires.

Media consolidation is hollowing out our democracy. But together, we can build something stronger: a resilient, independent press that answers only to the public.

With gratitude,

David Dayen
Executive Editor

**The American Prospect**

David Dayen
Executive Editor

**The American Prospect**

Copyright (c) 2025 The American Prospect. All rights reserved.**The American Prospect, Inc., 1225 I Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC xxxxxx, United States**
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