Help Fund People-Driven Journalism—in New Jersey and Nationwide

One of my favorite economists, Amartya Sen, has long emphasized the essential role of a free and independent press in a functioning democracy. Without access to reliable information and a space for respectful public discourse, democracy cannot thrive.

This following may sound counterintuitive, but entrenched power often prefers the working class to focus solely on “direct action.” Why? Because direct action, while important, is often invisible, undocumented, and disconnected from broader narratives. It keeps people busy AND isolated. It can obscure the importance of federalism and reinforce misleading ideas like “states’ rights” as a justification for local inequities. What power fears most is an informed and CONNECTED public—one that thinks critically, engages in dialogue, and votes.

It’s dangerous that we’ve normalized the idea of fighting for grants to fund basic civic infrastructure like safety nets and journalism. Power shouldn’t get to skip out on taxes and then selectively fund only the ideas it deems valuable. That’s not democracy—it’s plutocracy.

We need journalism that advocates for the democracy of space—both physical and digital. Journalism that holds power accountable, amplifies marginalized and historically excluded voices, and connects communities. We need journalism that challenges institutional segregation and encourages pluralism. Hypersegregation is NOT empowerment, not for the working class masses who don’t get to be the VOICE of the community. 

That’s why the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC) is so groundbreaking. It’s one of the reasons New Jersey still has a strong middle class—one of the last in the country. Established in 2018 through a legislative effort led by Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, former Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, and Governor Phil Murphy, the NJCIC is a first-of-its-kind public funding model for civic information. Since its launch in 2021, it has invested more than $9 million in local journalism—or as I like to call it, democracy.

This model should be replicated nationwide.

Call your representatives. Bring this up at town halls. Journalism still matters. It always has. Just look at the influence of media empires like Murdoch’s to understand how powerful—and dangerous—information can be when concentrated in the wrong hands.

Let’s invest in people-powered journalism. Let’s protect our democracy.