In 1827, Samuel E. Cornish, a preacher, and John Brown Russwurm, a scholar, established the first Black-owned and operated newspaper in the United States. In the space and time since, journalism led by Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latine folks has generated holistic and dynamic stories, in contrast to mainstream journalism, which has long muted, distorted, and ignored the narratives and information needs of communities. In generating more complete stories and news, they have—and continue to—expand the people’s want and capacity to engage civically, showing the importance of BIPOC-led news outlets in multiracial democracy. Today, for example, these nonprofit news outlets play a crucial role in multiracial democracy:

  • The Black Wall Street Times connects Oklahoma state policy decisions to local electoral outcomes in its reporting, explaining how school-board races and legislative elections influence education policy and representation for Black voters.
  • Documented produces immigration explainers and multilingual service journalism for im/migrant New Yorkers—including guides to labor rights, asylum policies, and local government resources—and employs a WhatsApp-based reporting model, which directly engages hard-to-reach communities in civic information sharing.
  • WURD Radio hosts call-in civic forums and election-focused programming in Philadelphia, offering listeners interactive discussions about public policy, local elections, education, and community organizing.

In addition to providing the information required for full democratic participation, community-rooted media outlets are transforming material conditions, thus making civic engagement more possible and probable, demonstrating the vital work of nonprofit news outlets in multiracial democracy. For example:

  • By carrying forward accountability reporting on the long-term effects of the Flint water crisis, including gaps in infrastructure replacement and mental-health support, The Flint Beat ensures that residents and advocacy groups are well equipped to pressure state and local officials to invest in recovery and public-health programs.
  • Following Memphis-based MLK50’s investigative reporting on Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s lawsuits against low-income patients over unpaid medical debt, the hospital system announced major changes to its debt-collection practices, including ending several lawsuits and expanding charity-care eligibility, benefiting thousands of local residents, further illustrating the importance of BIPOC-led news outlets in multiracial democracy.
  • After many lower-income residents reported confusion navigating online systems, Outlier Media published detailed guides, hosted in-person application assistance events, and launched text-message information campaigns to help Detroiters apply for city-funded home repair programs and water-affordability assistance.

Read the full article about news for multiracial democracy at Borealis Philanthropy.