The Progressive Media Project

Our democracy depends on the fullest and freest exchange of facts and opinion, but often in the past, the public debate has been confined to an elite few. The Progressive Media Project strives to open wide the doors, and thus helps democratize and diversify the range of opinions offered to the American public. We strategically selected the op-ed page because it is the area of the media that is most accessible and influential. It is accessible because newspaper editors have designated this section as an open forum for new ideas and divergent opinions. As the second most widely read section of the newspaper, it is where the general public mulls over the arguments about the way the world should be. It is also the place where policy-makers measure the mood of the public and gain new perspectives on social issues. Many nonprofit groups and foundations rely on the op-ed page to transmit their views to the public. We bolster the work of grassroots activists and nonprofit groups by expanding their capacity to better communicate their views on the "op-ed," or commentary, pages of our nation’s newspapers.

Our pieces have run in some of the leading metropolitan papers, including: the Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, Buffalo News, Chicago Tribune, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Denver Post, Hartford Courant, Houston Chronicle, Las Vegas Review Journal, Lexington Herald-Leader, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Nashville Banner, Oregonian, Philadelphia Inquirer, Providence Journal-Bulletin, Roanoke Times, San Francisco Examiner, San Jose Mercury News, and many others.

What We Do

We edit and distribute more than 200 commentaries each year via the McClatchy-Tribune News Service that run, on average, in 4 to 5 newspapers each. We solicit and distribute commentaries from advocates, specialists, and staff of nonprofit organizations who have expertise in a certain area but may not know how to communicate their views succinctly or distribute them widely. We help them get over both of these hurdles and thus help democratize the range of opinions offered to the public through the media. Were it not for the Progressive Media Project, these authors would not have access to our nation’s newspapers, and the American public and policy-makers would not have the opportunity to weigh the new ideas and information they provide.

Our Impact

The Progressive Media Project creates broader ripples. Project writers are featured on radio and television news programs after writing op-eds. And our pieces are often reprinted in many different domains – on websites, in community weeklies, student newspapers, and nonprofit newsletters, among other venues. Every year, several of our commentaries are reprinted for use in high school and college classrooms. And some of our authors receive invitations to speak at special conferences, forums, and universities, and a few have even been approached by Congressional staffers.

The Progressive Media Project makes an impact on the national dialogue in several ways. First, by placing hundreds of commentaries each year, it helps to change the climate of opinion in this country. Over the long term, these educational pieces help lift the level of national discourse.

Second, the Project is a leading force for diversity in journalism. Often times, the voices on the op-ed or forum pages don't always reflect the diversity of America. Many newspaper editors don't know where to turn to find diverse voices for their op-ed pages, and many writers don't know how to access these pages. We solve both of these problems.

Third, we serve an indispensable role for nonprofit groups in their issue campaigns and public education efforts.

Organizations we work with include: ADAPT, the AFL-CIO, Global Exchange, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Native American Journalists Association, Peace Action, PRIDE, and TransAfrica Forum. For a full list of our partners click here.

Fourth, outside of reaching newspaper readers, Progressive Media Project commentaries spark further media attention. Often times, our authors are invited to speaking events, or have radio, television, and newspaper interviews.

Fifth, our op-eds are often reprinted for use in high school or college classes, and occasionally textbooks, as well.

Writing Clinics

The Progressive Media Project conducts one-day op-ed writing clinics for participating writers and foundation grantees. The workshops explain the role of op-eds in policymaking and provide tips on how to write an op-ed, including hands-on practice and individual tutorials. The Project also regularly presents shorter op-ed writing workshops at conferences.

The clinics have proven extremely popular with participants, who overwhelmingly evaluate them favorably and leave excited to write op-eds.

After each clinic, we work with participants to get their op-eds written and successfully placed in their hometown newspapers or through our service. We continue to provide past clinic participants with technical assistance. In 2006, clinic attendees from the Center for Public Policy Priorities and Center for Community Change successfully placed op-eds in their local papers. We also provided editing assistance to other organizations, including the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

2006 Participating Organizations

ACCESS/National Network for Arab American Communities • ActionAid International USA • Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund • Border Network for Human Rights • Center for Community Change • The Center for HIV Law and Policy • Center for Public Policy Priorities • Gays in Faith Together (G.I.F.T.) • Housing Works, Inc. • Institute for Community Peace • Katrina Information Network • Liberty Education Forum • Mautner Project, The National Lesbian Health Organization • Miami Workers Center • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. • National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials • National Black Justice Coalition • National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights • Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada • Public/Private Ventures • Southern Echo • Southern Education Foundation • Union of Concerned Scientists • Women's Sports Foundation