{{Short description|Liberal nonprofit}} {{Infobox institute | name = American Independent | image = American Independent Institute Logo.jpg | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | latin_name = | motto = | founder = David S. Bennahum, David Brock | established = 2006, relaunched in 2014 | mission = | focus = | president = Joe Conason | ceo = | chairman = | faculty = | adjunct_faculty = | staff = | key_people = | budget = | endowment = | debt = | num_members = | subsidiaries = | owner = | non-profit_slogan = | former_name = Center for Independent Media (2006–2010) <br>American Independent News Network (2010–2014) | location = Washington, D.C. | city = | state = | province = | country = | coor = | address = | website = {{url|https://tainews.com/}} | dissolved = | footnotes = }}{{redirect|The Center for Independent Media|the global open publishing network of journalist collectives|Independent Media Center}}
The '''American Independent''' is a pseudo-news<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anderson-Davis |first1=Stuart |title=“Pink Slime Journalism” and a history of media manipulation in America |url=https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/pink-slime-journalism-and-a-history-of-media-manipulation-in-america.php |access-date=24 October 2024 |work=Columbia Journalism Review |date=February 23, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> organization funded by Democratic Party political action committees. According to the organization, its aim is to support journalism which exposes "the nexus of conservative power in Washington."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Byers|first1=Dylan|title=David Brock to launch journalism institute |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/06/david-brock-to-launch-journalism-institute-190746|access-date=10 December 2015|work=Politico|date=June 19, 2014}}</ref> The current institute, started by David Brock in 2014, is a relaunch of the former state-based digital news-gathering network known as the American Independent News Network.<ref name=neiman>{{cite news|last1=Benton|first1=Joshua|title=Pew: Nonprofit journalism doesn't mean ideology-free|url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/07/pew-nonprofit-journalism-doesnt-mean-ideology-free/|access-date=13 January 2015|agency=Harvard University|publisher=Neiman Lab|date=July 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=American Independent Institute |url=https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/american-independent-institute/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=InfluenceWatch |language=en-US}}</ref>
As of 2024, the American Independent had state level affiliates in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Its outlets microtarget ideologically moderate and progressive female voters, seeking to sway them to vote for Democrats.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kimbel-Sannit |first1=Arren |title=Progressive dark money launches Montana media outlet ahead of election |url=https://montanafreepress.org/2024/04/16/with-montana-independent-national-progressive-groups-stake-foothold-in-local-media/ |access-date=24 October 2024 |work=Montana Free Press |date=17 April 2024}}</ref> The American Independent is run in concert with American Bridge 21st Century, the largest Democratic Party opposition research group. The American Independent does not disclose its donors. According to ''The Washington Post'', "The Independent has quietly positioned itself on the edge of an emerging and controversial industry fueled by ideological donors who are looking to further political agendas with the trappings of old-fashioned journalism."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scherer |first1=Michael |title=Newspapers with a partisan aim filling the void of traditional media |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/14/newspapers-partisan-midterms/ |access-date=24 October 2024 |date=October 14, 2022}}</ref>
==History== The American Independent News Network was founded as the '''Center for Independent Media''' in 2006 by David S. Bennahum, a former journalist with ''Wired''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Calderone|first1=Michael|title=CIM launching 50-state political news site|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0110/CIM_launching_50state_political_news_site.html?showall |access-date=10 December 2015|work=Politico|date=January 26, 2010}}</ref> The group had a stated mission of "investigating and disseminating news that impacts public debate and advances the common good." It operated a news network which consisted of state-based daily news sites ''The Colorado Independent'', ''Florida Independent'', ''Iowa Independent'', ''Michigan Messenger'', ''Minnesota Independent'', ''New Mexico Independent'', and ''Washington Independent''. It changed its name to the American Independent News Network in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://americanindependent.com/about-2|publisher=American Independent Institute|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222143743/http://americanindependent.com/about-2|archive-date=22 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2011, the organization's founder, David S. Bennahum, departed the organization after shutting down most of the organization's state websites. The group peaked in traffic and revenues in 2009 and 2010 before both numbers dropped off considerably.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shilling|first1=Erik|title=The American Independent News Network|url=https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide/2012/04/the-american-independent-news-network.php|access-date=10 December 2015|work=Columbia Journalism Review|date=April 27, 2012}}</ref> By 2013, the American Independent News Network had shuttered all of it sites and gone on hiatus.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lichterman|first1=Joseph|title=After the demise of its network, The Colorado Independent is born again on its own|url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2014/02/after-the-demise-of-its-network-the-colorado-independent-is-born-again-on-its-own/|access-date=10 December 2015|publisher=Nieman Journalism Lab|date=February 18, 2014}}</ref>
The Project for Excellence in Journalism of the Pew Research Center surveyed and analyzed nonprofit news organizations active on the state or national level in 2011 and again in 2013.<ref name=pew20110718>{{cite web |work=Project for Excellence in Journalism |publisher=Pew Research Center |title=Assessing a New Landscape in Journalism |first1=Jesse |last1=Holcomb |first2=Tom |last2=Rosenstiel |first3=Amy |last3=Mitchell |first4=Kevin |last4=Caldwell |first5=Tricia |last5=Sartor |first6=Nancy |last6=Vogt |url=http://www.journalism.org/2011/07/18/non-profit-news/ |date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref><ref name=pew20130610>{{cite web |date=June 10, 2013 |title=Nonprofit Journalism: A Growing but Fragile Part of the U.S. News System |first1=Amy |last1=Mitchell |first2=Mark |last2=Jurkowitz |first3=Jesse |last3=Holcomb |first4=Jodi |last4=Enda |first5=Monica |last5=Anderson |url=http://www.journalism.org/2013/06/10/nonprofit-journalism/ |access-date=October 23, 2015 |work=Project for Excellence in Journalism |publisher=Pew Research Center}}</ref> The studies found that the most consistently ideological of the news outlets were those that were organized in networks, specifically the conservative Watchdog.org network and the liberal American Independent News Network.<ref name=pew20110718 /> The 2011 study found that "the liberal American Independent News Network [doesn't] ... reveal much about who's paying their bills, and [its] work skews clearly in one direction, both in the topics [it covers] and the content of individual stories".<ref name=neiman />
==2014 relaunch== In 2014, the dormant American Independent News Network organization was re-launched by David Brock as the American Independent Institute, a journalistic grant-making entity focused on liberal investigative journalism. ''The Nation'' reported that year that Brock's newly relaunched group would disperse $320,000 in grants to "reporters investigating right-wing misdeeds."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldberg |first1=Michelle |date=November 25, 2014 |title=How David Brock Built an Empire to Put Hillary in the White House |url=http://www.thenation.com/article/how-david-brock-built-empire-put-hillary-white-house/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819020159/https://www.thenation.com/article/how-david-brock-built-empire-put-hillary-white-house/ |archive-date=19 August 2015 |access-date= |work=The Nation}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{official website|https://tainews.com/}}
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Category:501(c)(3) organizations Category:American news websites Category:2006 establishments in Washington, D.C. Category:Journalism organizations based in the United States