New Nonprofit News Outlets: Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Intercept, Magnolia Tribune

The shift toward nonprofits in journalism continues, with three prominent announcements:

• Last month the Chronicle of Philanthropy announced that its plan to become an independent nonprofit organization this spring is moving forward, with over $6 million in commitments already received from major foundations.

• In January The Intercept announced it would restructure as a standalone nonprofit organization, spinning off from the First Look Institute. As part of the restructuring, the Institute has committed to provide a significant (but not quantified) multiyear gift.

• And in December, Mississippi Today reported that a prominent Mississippi conservative group leader is launching a new nonprofit news organization in 2023 called Magnolia Tribune (which now appears to be up and running). It has apparently absorbed the assets and work of a conversative blog, Y’all Politics.

In related news, a Texas legislator appears to have missed that nonprofit news outlets can be conservative as well as liberal. The San Antonio Express-News reports he has proposed a bill “that would ban colleges and universities in the state from supporting nonprofit news organizations.” The story makes it clear his motivation is to cut off a revenue source for what he views as “mouthpieces for far-left liberal institutions.” There is no indication to date that the bill has significant support in the Texas legislature.

Lloyd Mayer