https://www.semafor.com/article/06/18/2023/liberal-activists-want-to-buy-your-local-tv-stationMax Tani
Jun 18, 2023
Progressive media activists, rattled by the collapse of a generation of youth-oriented digital news outlets like Vice and BuzzFeed News, are pushing wealthy Democrats to invest in for-profit media companies and social media influencers.
That’s the conclusion of an 85-page report, obtained by Semafor, prepared for a gathering of progressive leaders in Washington, D.C. last month.
The report calls for “diverting a share of the investment that’s going into exclusively cause-funded nonprofits towards sponsored content and into direct investment in hybrid and for-profit enterprises with large audiences.
Titled “Analysis of the Changing U.S. News Media Landscape and Strategies Toward Delivering Civic Value,” the report also suggested backing social media influencers and networks of non-traditional journalists who reach audiences not served by mainstream news outlets.
(excerpt)