Independent Journalism

News sources

In alphabetical order

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The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook (antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/)

"Scot Nakagawa is co-founder and Co-Director of the 22nd Century Initiative (22CI), a national strategy and action center that is building a movement to resist authoritarianism and preserve the possibility of a more democratic future."

Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams (Youtube)

"Each week, Stacey will break down the biggest issues we face into digestible, actionable items, introduce us to the warriors for good already working towards solutions, strategize, and share tangible ways to get involved."

The Big Picture (substack.com/@thinkbigpicture)

"We’re a team of writers and editors who break down the cultural, political and societal issues shaping our world today, analyzing things in a way mainstream media often overlooks."

Blood in the Machine (www.bloodinthemachine.com)

"Drawing from historical themes, this newsletter posits that, in the age of Silicon Valley monopolies, gig apps, tech oligarchs, and AI, we should all be thinking a lot harder about who tech serves, and who it squeezes."

The Breakdown (www.muellershewrote.com)

"Hello! I’m Allison Gill. You may know me as Mueller, She Wrote on social media..."

Brennan Center for Justice (www.brennancenter.org)

"Inspired by Justice William J. Brennan Jr.’s devotion to core democratic freedoms, the Brennan Center for Justice works to strengthen democracy, end mass incarceration, and protect liberty and security."

The Bulwark (www.thebulwark.com)

"The Bulwark was founded to provide analysis and reporting in defense of America’s liberal democracy."

Chop Wood, Carry Water (chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/)

"This newsletter is dedicated to saving democracy, addressing the climate crisis, preserving our freedoms, electing better lawmakers, and, in general, creating a better country—one simple action at a time"

CIDRAP (www.cidrap.umn.edu/)

"Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy"

Civil Discourse (joycevance.substack.com/)

"I’m Joyce Vance, a former United States Attorney, currently a law professor and a legal analyst for MSNBC and NBC."

Columbia Journalism Review (cjr.org)

"CJR’s mission is to be the intellectual leader in the rapidly changing world of journalism. It is the most respected voice on press criticism, and it shapes the ideas that make media leaders and journalists smarter about their work."

Common Dreams (www.commondreams.org/)

"We are optimists. We believe real change is possible. But only if enough well-informed, well-intentioned—and just plain fed up and fired-up—people demand it. We believe that together we can attain our common dreams."

The Contrarian (contrarian.substack.com/)

"Democracy faces an unprecedented threat from an authoritarian movement built on lies and contempt for the rule of law. The first and most critical defense of democracy—a robust, independent free press—has been missing in action. ... The Contrarian is that alternative: unflinching, unapologetic, and unwavering in its commitment to truth-telling."

The Conversation (theconversation.com/us)

"The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good."

Decoding Fox News (decodingfoxnews.substack.com/)

"Decoding Fox News is a micro-budget project that was started in February 2022 thanks to an academic grant from the Tow Knight Center for News Integrity at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY...As of August 2023 this Substack channel became 100% reader/listener supported. Juliet Jeske is the sole writer, editor, producer, video editor and sound mixer on this one woman show."

Democracy Docket (www.democracydocket.com/)

Democracy Docket is the leading digital news platform dedicated to information, analysis and opinion about voting rights and elections in the courts.

Democracy Now! (www.democracynow.org/)

"Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues."

The Drey Report (thedreydossier.substack.com/)

"I follow power. Not the kind that announces itself, but the kind that operates through infrastructure nobody’s watching - the dark corners of databases, the money flows, the corporate structures designed to obscure who actually controls what."

Drop Site News (www.dropsitenews.com/)

Independent news on politics and war. Founded by veteran investigative journalists Ryan Grim, Jeremy Scahill, and Nausicaa Renner.

Grass Roots Connector (grassrootsconnector.substack.com/)

We’re a group of volunteer grassroots group leaders who are committed to amplifying the power and the voice of the grassroots.

Hammer & Hope (hammerandhope.org/)

"Hammer & Hope is a new magazine of Black politics and culture. It is a project rooted in the power of solidarity, the spirit of struggle, and the generative power of debate, all of which are vital parts of our movement toward freedom."

The Hartmann Report (hartmannreport.com/)

"Thom Hartmann, one of America’s leading public intellectuals and the country’s #1 progressive talk show host, writes fresh content six days a week."

Human Rights Warch (www.hrw.org/)

"Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. We are roughly 500 people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need."

Hyperallergic (hyperallergic.com)

"Hyperallergic is a leading voice in contemporary perspectives on art, culture, and more."

Icebreaker News (icebreakernews.substack.com/)

"A newsletter dedicated to exposing the harm caused by ICE and confronting state violence."

Inequality.org (inequality.org)

"Inequality.org has been tracking inequality-related news and views for nearly two decades. A project of the Institute for Policy Studies since 2011, our site aims to provide information and insights for readers ranging from educators and journalists to activists and policy makers."

Jurist News (www.jurist.org)

"JURIST is a non-profit news organization that highlights rule-of-law issues around the globe and empowers tomorrow’s legal leaders."

KFF (www.kff.org/)

"As a one-of-a-kind information organization, we bring together substantial capabilities in policy research, polling, and journalism in one organization to meet the need for a trusted, independent source of information on national health issues—one with the scope and reach to be a counterweight to health care’s vested interests and a voice for people."

Labor Notes (labornotes.org)

"Labor Notes is a media and organizing project that has been the voice of union activists who want to put the movement back in the labor movement since 1979."

Lakota People's Law Project — News (lakotalaw.org/news)

"News from Indian Country. Your place to find updates and analysis of the issues Indigenous communities face every day."

Letters from an American (heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/)

"I’m a professor of American history. This is a chronicle of today’s political landscape, but because you can’t get a grip on today’s politics without an outline of America’s Constitution, and laws, and the economy, and social customs, this newsletter explores what it means, and what it has meant, to be an American."

Media Bias Checklist (mediabiasfactcheck.com/)

"We are the most comprehensive media bias resource on the internet. There are currently 9700+ media sources, journalists, and politicians listed in our database and growing every day."

Media Matters (www.mediamatters.org/)

"Media Matters for America is a web-based, not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media."

Message Box News (www.messageboxnews.com/)

"Message Box will look at the most recent polls, the biggest events, and the latest trends and pull back from the day to day punditry to explore how they are impacting American politics from the perspective of someone who has spent years working on campaigns and in Barack Obama’s White House."

Mi Gente News (carloseduardoespina.substack.com/)

"Welcome to Mi Gente News // Bienvenidos a Mi Gente News"

MCEA (www.mncenter.org)

"We use law and science to protect Minnesota’s environment, its natural resources, and the health of its people."

MN House of Representatives News (www.house.mn.gov)

Up-to-date news of what is happening at the House.

MN Immigration Rights Access Committee (www.miracmn.com/resources)

MIRAC is an all-volunteer, grassroots, multiracial, and multinational immigrant rights mass-movement organization.

Minnesota Post (www.minnpost.com)

"MinnPost produces independent journalism to serve as a trusted guide for Minnesotans exploring the critical issues, challenges and opportunities facing our state."

Minnesota Reformer (minnesotareformer.com)

"The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell."

Minnesota Star Tribune (www.startribune.com)

"With seven Pulitzer Prizes and hundreds of other awards, The Minnesota Star Tribune boasts the Midwest’s largest news organization and is an unrivaled force for journalistic excellence in Minnesota and beyond."

MPR (www.mprnews.org)

"From the icehouse to the statehouse, MPR News has been on the scene, covering the stories that matter to Minnesotans, since we built our first newsroom in 1973 in Collegeville."

MN Senate News (www.senate.mn)

Up-to-date news of what is happening at the Senate.

Mother Jones (www.motherjones.com/)

"Our newsroom investigates the big stories that may be ignored or overlooked by other news outlets, including about democracy and voting rights, racial justice, reproductive rights, and food and agriculture."

Murmur (murmurimpact.substack.com/about)

"Struggling to explain the real impact of politics to friends and family? Our Substack delivers clear, easy-to-share breakdowns of how policies shape everyday life—plus practical messaging advice to help you communicate effectively with less-engaged voters."

The Nation (www.thenation.com/)

"Principled. Progressive. The Nation speaks truth to power to build a more just society."

National Native News (www.nativenews.net/)

"National Native News provides listeners with relevant, timely coverage on Native American and Indigenous communities."

NPR (www.npr.org/)

"NPR is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed public."

Nonviolent Action Lab (ash.harvard.edu/programs/nonviolent-action-lab/)

"The Nonviolent Action Lab is an innovation hub for research on advancing democracy worldwide through civil resistance. The Lab produces and disseminates up-to-date knowledge on nonviolent action, how it works, global trends in success and failure, trends in political violence and state repression, and analysis of these trends."

On Labor (onlabor.org)

"OnLabor is a blog devoted to workers, unions, and their politics."

People Power United (www.newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/about)

"People Power United champions progress and power to the people. We are a group of people who believe in the possibility of change and do the work to make it happen."

Popular Information (popular.info/)

"daily news and analysis that respects you as a citizen. You won’t just learn about who is up and who is down. You’ll get in-depth information and perspective on the things that really matter."

Popular Resistance (popularresistance.org/)

"Our mission is to aid in bringing movements for peace and economic, racial and environmental justice together into an independent, nonviolent and diverse movement that can end the power of concentrated wealth, shift power to the people and put human needs before corporate greed"

Project 2025 Tracker (www.project2025.observer/)

"A comprehensive, community-driven initiative to track the implementaiton of Project 2025's policy proposals"

ProPublica (www.propublica.org/)

"ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force."

Qasim Rashid Let's Address This (www.qasimrashid.com/)

As a human rights lawyer I bring the receipts to disentangle fact from fiction and advance the fight for universal human rights.

The Real News Network (therealnews.com/)

"We are rigorous in our journalism and dedicated to the facts, but unafraid to engage alongside movements for change, because we believe journalism and media making has a critical role to play in illuminating pathways for collective action."

Rebecca Solnit (www.meditationsinanemergency.com/)

"Meditations in an Emergency is an independent publication launched in January 2025 by Rebecca Solnit."

Reframing America (reframingamerica.substack.com/)

"Reframing America is about questioning the assumptions in our public debate that restrict our thinking, and proposing new and better ways of talking about what’s happening in our country and in our lives."

The Research Collaborative (researchcollaborative.org/)

"RC generates and disseminates research, message guidance, and strategic approaches to address the pressing crises of the day and to put forward a long-term compelling progressive narrative for democracy."

Rise & Repair (riseandrepair.org/)

"Rise & Repair is a diverse, non-partisan alliance of people and organizations advancing Indigenous rights & climate justice in Minnesota."

Robert Reich (robertreich.substack.com/)

"The dark forces of authoritarianism are very much with us, along with growing inequality and corruption. There’s no simple remedy. But part of the answer is to grow a community of people committed to spreading the truth and contributing to a better world."

Robert B. Hubbell (roberthubbell.substack.com/)

"The newsletter started in February 2017 as my effort (as a father and husband) to provide hope and perspective to my family after the unexpected results of the 2016 election. Over time, my family email was shared among friends and became of community of like-minded citizens devoted to preserving American democracy."

Sahan Journal (sahanjournal.com/)

"Founded in August of 2019, Sahan Journal is a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota."

Strength in Numbers (www.gelliottmorris.com/)

"Strength In Numbers is a data-driven news website that provides regular analysis of national politics and elections in the United States."

Terms of Engagement (ash.harvard.edu/terms-of-engagement/terms-of-engagement-episodes/)

From Harvard's Ash Center for Democracy.

Timothy Snyder (snyder.substack.com/)

Author of "On Tyranny"

The Timberjay (www.timberjay.com/)

Serving Northern St. Louis County MN.

Trustworthy Media (www.trustworthymedia.org/)

"Trustworthy Media is a news aggregator that collects headlines from 300+ independent media sources all in one place, updated throughout the day. Corporate media can’t be trusted to report fairly on movements for social and environmental justice, so we feature only independent, nonprofit, community-based journalism."

Union of Concerned Scientists (blog.ucs.org)

"The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science into action, developing solutions and advocating for a healthy, safe, and just future."

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker (pressfreedomtracker.us/)

"A database of press freedom incidents in the United States — everything from arrests of journalists and the seizure of their equipment to assaults and interrogations at the U.S. border. The Press Freedom Tracker documents incidents across the country, involving national, state and local authorities."

The View from Rural Missouri by Jess Piper (jesspiper.substack.com/)

"My name is Jess and I was a high school Literature teacher for 16 years until I decided to run as a Democrat in a rural, red district in Missouri. I bring you news and politics from Missouri and beyond from a rural progressive point of view."

Waging Nonviolence (wagingnonviolence.org/)

Waging Nonviolence is a nonprofit media organization dedicated to providing original reporting and expert analysis of social movements around the world.

What's the Plan? (indivisible.org/events/whats-the-plan-with-leah-and-ezra)

"The chaos out of the White House is meant to overwhelm us. Our antidote is community. Join Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin every Thursday to break down the week’s biggest political stories, answer your questions, and map out strategies for taking action."

Wired magazine (www.wired.com/)

"Wired is a bi-monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics."

Wolves & Sheep (wolvesandsheep.substack.com/)

"Wolves and Sheep is a place to understand these questions through the lens of history and social science"

Your Local Epidemiologist (yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/)

"I’m Dr. Katelyn Jetelina—a public health enthusiast with a passion for making science accessible."

Minnesota Newspaper Directory

"You can browse our complete list of all Minnesota newspapers, or use our search function to find the newspaper you’re looking for."

MN Independent Radio stations

Ampers list of independent radio stations

"AMPERS (Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations) is an association of 17 independent community radio stations in Minnesota. Each station is locally managed and programmed by and for the local community it serves. The stations serve underserved populations including diverse communities, greater Minnesota, and students. Among other programs, AMPERS produces Minnesota Native News; MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds; Counter Stories; Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine; The Truth Project; Voices of Purpose; and Disruptive Narratives."

Ethics

Code of Ethics (PDF) (www.spj.org/pdf/spj-code-of-ethics.pdf)

Society of Professional Journalists

American Journalism Project (www.theajp.org/)

"Strengthening communities. Preserving democracy. Rebuilding local news."

PEN America (pen.org/)

"PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world."

Freedom of the Press Foundation(freedom.press/)

"At Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), we build secure communications tools used by many of the world’s top investigative news organizations. We teach journalists how to keep themselves and their sources safe in the digital age. We monitor and document virtually every press freedom violation in the U.S. And we engage in advocacy to defend the public’s right to know. In defense of democracy, we protect press freedom."

Key Questions to Ask When Analyzing Media Experiences (PDF summary)

"These key questions can help us to think critically about the messages we encounter, the platforms and technologies that help shape those messages, and our own personal contexts that we bring to each media experience."