Free Press

What Free Press does

Free Press is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit media advocacy organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Florence, Massachusetts (mailing PO Box 60238, Florence, MA 01062). It mobilizes a grassroots activist base — currently 1,441,832 activists and 9,793,877 cumulative member actions — to influence media and technology policy through research, legal advocacy, coalition building, and direct public campaigns. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; instead, its operational stack consists of an action-oriented website (freepress.net), email and SMS mobilization infrastructure, a research database ("Who Owns the Media?"), an investigative tool (Media Capitulation Index), and a newsletter product (Pressing Issues). Programs span net neutrality, AI/privacy/surveillance, media consolidation, future of journalism, and free speech defense.

The organization monetizes entirely through charitable giving rather than commercial sales. Revenue streams consist of individual grassroots donations and foundation grants, with the organization explicitly refusing all funding from business, government, and political parties. Donation infrastructure supports recurring monthly gifts ($10–$200, with $50 as the modal amount), one-time donations ($35–$500, $5 minimum online), planned giving, and donor-advised fund and stock contributions. Go-to-market is community-led: the organization recruits supporters through content marketing, email/newsletter action alerts, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, Threads), earned media, and in-person events including protests and rallies at FCC headquarters. A formally affiliated entity, Free Press Action Fund, handles lobbying and political activity restricted for 501(c)(3) organizations.

The "customer base" is a distributed coalition of individual activists, allied advocacy organizations, media justice advocates, and the broader public concerned about media consolidation, free speech, and equitable communications policy. Operational scope is U.S.-focused, though digital distribution gives the content and campaigns global reach. Leadership is provided by Co-CEOs Craig Aaron and Jessica J. González, supported by a 51–100-person staff that includes senior counsel, policy directors, and program leads in journalism, communications, and surveillance/privacy.

Name

Free Press

Legal name

Free Press

Website

https://freepress.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Free Press is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit media advocacy organization, founded 2003, that mobilizes a 1.4M-activist grassroots network to fight media consolidation, defend free speech, and shape communications policy through research, litigation, and public campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Media Relations & Press Office Services (BPAFADAF)

Keywords

• Media policy advocacy
• Nonprofit research
• Grassroots organizing
• Digital rights
• Press freedom

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Free Press relies on contributions from individual grassroots donors. The organization states it does not accept funding from business, government, or political parties, ensuring complete independence. Donations are tax-deductible and support core campaign and movement-building work.
2. Foundation Grants: Free Press receives support from charitable foundations to fund its advocacy work, policy research, and movement-building campaigns focused on media justice and free speech.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Free Press is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media advocacy organization that conducts policy research, grassroots organizing, legal advocacy, and public education to influence media and technology policy. It mobilizes activist members to take action on issues including net neutrality, media consolidation, local journalism sustainability, free speech, and digital privacy. The organization distributes its work through a website, newsletters, research reports, and coalition partnerships rather than selling commercial products.

Product overview

Free Press is a nonprofit media advocacy organization (not a commercial software product company). Its offering consists of an online platform and multiple advocacy programs focused on media and technology policy. The core website serves as a hub for activism and campaign actions, supported by specialized projects like the Who Owns the Media? research database, the Media Capitulation Index tracking media company independence, the Black Future Newsstand multimedia exhibit, and the Pressing Issues newsletter. These are complemented by advocacy programs covering free and open internet, AI/privacy/surveillance, media consolidation, journalism sustainability, and free speech defense. The organization does not offer commercial products or services in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Press Online Platform Free online platform (freepress.net) serving as the central hub for advocacy actions, news, campaign alerts, policy research, and resource sharing on media and technology policy issues. Open to the public and to activist members.
• Pressing Issues Newsletter A weekly newsletter covering media and technology policy fights, delivering stories about news and information that strengthen democracy. Free to subscribers.
• Who Owns the Media? Project A research and database project tracking media ownership consolidation across broadcasting, cable, telecom, online platforms, and publishing sectors. Free public resource.
• Media Capitulation Index A Free Press investigation rating the independence of America's 35 largest media companies and tracking their capitulation to political pressure. Free public research tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9.7 million member actions taken to influence media and tech policy
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Communications Workers of AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Free Press joined with Communications Workers of America, United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, and Public Knowledge to file a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the FCC's approval of the Nexstar-Tegna broadcast merger.
• United Church of Christ Media Justice MinistrymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Coalition partner in the legal challenge against the Nexstar-Tegna merger, representing faith-based perspectives on media justice.
• Public KnowledgemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Coalition partner specializing in digital rights and public interest communications policy, jointly challenging the Nexstar-Tegna merger approval.
• Democracy ForwardmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 March 2026Democracy Forward is providing legal representation for the coalition of public interest groups (Free Press, CWA, UCC Media Justice Ministry, and Public Knowledge) in their appeal challenging the FCC's unlawful approval of the Nexstar-Tegna merger.
• National Federation of Community广播 (NFCB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2025NFCB announced a new policy partnership with Free Press and joined the Media Power Collaborative, focusing on community radio and local media policy advocacy.
• Free Press Action FundcoreOthersFree Press and Free Press Action Fund are affiliated nonprofit organizations working in tandem. Free Press Action Fund handles political advocacy and lobbying activities that are restricted for 501(c)(3) organizations, while Free Press handles education and research. Both organizations share the same mission but operate with different legal structures to maximize advocacy effectiveness.
• Media Power CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree Press is a founding member of the Media Power Collaborative, a coalition of organizations working together on media policy advocacy and public interest media initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Large-scale nonprofit legal and advocacy organization with overlapping free-speech, press-freedom, and civil-liberties portfolio. Far larger and broader in scope, but directly overlaps on the First Amendment and protest-rights work Free Press does.

Direct peers

• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Nonprofit defending civil liberties in the digital world through litigation, policy analysis, and grassroots activism. Comparable in donor-funded public-interest advocacy, especially on free speech, privacy, and platform accountability where Free Press also works.
• PEN America: Free-expression advocacy organization working at the intersection of literature, journalism, and First Amendment defense. Overlaps with Free Press's press-freedom, anti-censorship, and right-to-protest advocacy areas.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): Independent nonprofit promoting press freedom worldwide through documentation, advocacy, and crisis response. Overlaps with Free Press's press-freedom mission, though with global rather than U.S.-only geographic focus.
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: Pro-bono legal defense organization for journalists and news organizations. Directly overlaps with Free Press's 'Free Speech Defense' program on press freedom, First Amendment cases, and litigation against government censorship.
• United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry: Faith-based media-justice advocacy organization that is a named coalition partner in Free Press's Nexstar-Tegna appeal. Operates in the same advocacy space on media ownership, local news, and public-interest media.
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): Nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization working at the intersection of civil liberties and technology policy. Comparable as a donor-funded policy-advocacy org working on AI, privacy, and platform accountability — all core Free Press issue areas.
• Public Knowledge: Public-interest advocacy organization focused on digital rights, telecommunications policy, and media reform. Co-plaintiff with Free Press on the Nexstar-Tegna appeal; directly comparable in mission, legal strategy, and donor-funded advocacy model.
• Common Cause: Nonpartisan grassroots advocacy organization promoting government accountability, fair elections, and open media. Comparable as a 501(c)(3) cause-advocacy nonprofit with state-level organizing, individual donor base, and legal advocacy capacity.

Regional players

• National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB): Member association for community radio stations and related advocacy focused on public-interest local media. Joined Free Press's Media Power Collaborative in December 2025; operates on adjacent local-media sustainability issues Free Press addresses in its Future of Journalism program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/freepress
• Instagraminstagram.com/freepressaction
• Xx.com/freepress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-free-press

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Free Press