Free Press

Democracy and digital civil rights: continued highlighting the role of social media companies in the perpetuation of hoaxes, disinformation, and hate speech and the impact to society and especially to marginalized communities, women, and people of color. Led a coalition of civil-rights, media-advocacy and tech-accountability groups in the launch of democracy is, an initiative that called on media and tech companies to prioritize truth over sensationalism, accountability over profits and democracy over division. Released multiple resources, including a guide to how people can protect their first amendment right to protest and recommendations on how newsrooms can address electoral disinformation. Led a coalition of more than 200 civil-society organizations, researchers and journalists calling on the biggest social-media platforms to strengthen their efforts to protect democratic elections worldwide in 2024. Released democracy deferred: social-media companies' meager commitments to election integrity in 2024, an analysis of platforms' readiness to address political disinformation, manipulation and hate on their networks. The analysis exposes how social-media platforms came up short in their plans to protect users and stem eroding trust in democratic institutions. Presented research about the environmental impacts of data centers and their role in facilitating surveillance. Public filings urged regulatory intervention to safeguard people's digital privacy and curb corporate hunger for all our data.

Future of journalism: through the media2070 project, documented how centuries of harm the u.s. Media system has inflicted on the black community. Examined how historic and contemporary racial discrimination in all media and government policies have excluded black people and other communities of color from controlling the nation's communications infrastructure. Worked with a growing consortium of media-makers, scholars and activists to build support for the fight for reparations. Worked with allied organizations to bring the black future newsstand to chicago, and held a series of events exploring the relationship between news, politics, racial narratives and the potential for creating a true democracy. Through the news voices project, continued to build power with communities so people have a strong voice in how local news can be revived, strengthened and transformed. Launched the public safety coverage cohort, a group of local journalists, media-makers and community organizers in philadelphia that is working to change discourse about public safety in the media. Continued the reparative journalism project, which explores the journalism industry's history of harming black and indigenous communities and focuses on building new systems to repair harm, including development of a reparative-journalism curriculum aimed at journalism professors, students and newsroom leaders. Through the civic media project, launched the civic journalism research project, which will produce case studies of effective civic-media models. The result will be a guide that elevates best practices for civic media among newsrooms, promotes promising models and cultivates public support for quality local journalism. Released old & new lies in 2024: how newsrooms can build trust & debunk election lies for voters, a guide for reporters, editors and other media professionals to better anticipate and respond to the scourge of election disinformation that has overtaken public discourse in the run-up to 2024 elections. Organized hundreds of media workers, movement organizers and researchers to discuss how community members and journalism workers can collaborate to structurally transform local journalism. Urged newsrooms and civic leaders to treat local news like a public good.

Free press works to preserve rights to free expression, communication and privacy online and in person. Areas of focus include future of media and internet; democracy and digital civil rights; and future of journalism. In 2024 free press conducted research, education, and also organized and mobilized to advocate for better media, open technology and a healthier democracy. Provided regular information via email, website, and webinars to 1.4 million constituents hailing from all 50 states, the district of columbia and puerto rico. Attracted 483,000 overall website visits and virtual events attracted hundreds of participants. Interacted with over 140,000 social media followers and earned 2,400 press hits. Created and disseminated resource materials including research reports, issue briefs, factsheets, and brochures. Provided training and support to dozens of local and regional media reform groups and to thousands of local media activists. Filed public comments, and participated in several federal communications commission proceedings and several federal court proceedings. Worked with dozens of organizations to plan and implement high profile educational events. Secured financial support from 1,752 donors. Total program expenditures are detailed in the three core program areas above: