Consortium News

What Consortium News does

Consortium News is an independent, reader-supported investigative journalism outlet founded in 1995 by Robert Parry, who helped expose the Iran-Contra scandal at the Associated Press. It operates as a non-profit under the legal entity Consortium for Independent Journalism, Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with a reported 101–250 employees. The publication's core products are a WordPress-based investigative news website covering national security, foreign policy, politics, the environment, and historical analysis; CN Live!, a live and archived video program distributed via YouTube featuring interviews and panel discussions; and a free email newsletter delivered through Salsa Labs. An extensive archive of more than 6,400 pages spans topics including Foreign Policy, Human Rights, International affairs, Intelligence, and Media. The site is integrated with YouTube for video, Patreon for recurring reader support, and Salsa Labs for donation processing, and offers an RSS feed for content syndication.

The business model is entirely donation-based: the organization charges no subscription or product fees and relies on tax-deductible contributions from individual readers, Patreon patrons, and a small number of named major donors (notably Roger Waters, who contributed $25,000 in both 2020 and 2021, and the Cloud Mountain Foundation, which contributed $25,000 over several years). Editorial leadership rests with Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria, who took over following founder Robert Parry's death in 2018, with a board of directors including Diane Duston (President), Chris Hedges, Diana Johnstone, Margaret Kimberley, John Kiriakou, Craig Murray, Garland Nixon, Julie Bergman Sender, and Jill Stein. The publication serves a global audience of readers seeking an alternative to mainstream U.S. media narratives on war, peace, foreign policy, and civil liberties, and has received the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism (2017), the I.F. Stone Medal from Harvard's Nieman Foundation (2015), the Julian Assange Award (2023), and an Indie Media Award.

The organization has no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; it has acknowledged ongoing funding challenges while sustaining operations for over three decades through reader generosity and frugality. Distribution is global via the website, YouTube, Patreon, and RSS, with no geographic restrictions stated.

Name

Consortium News

Legal name

Consortium for Independent Journalism, Inc.

Website

https://consortiumnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Consortium News is a reader-supported, non-profit investigative journalism outlet founded in 1995, publishing articles, video programming (CN Live!), and newsletters on foreign policy, politics, and human rights for a global audience seeking alternatives to mainstream U.S. media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Investigative Journalism

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

Keywords

• Investigative journalism
• Independent news publishing
• Foreign policy reporting
• Online political commentary
• Alternative news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Revenue model

1. Reader Donations: Tax-deductible donations from readers supporting independent journalism, processed through the organization's Salsalabs platform and by check
2. Major Donor Contributions: Large contributions from notable supporters including Roger Waters ($25,000 in 2020 and 2021) and Cloud Mountain Foundation ($25,000 over several years)
3. Membership Program: Reader membership program offering tax-deductible support to keep Consortium News going in the tradition of founder Bob Parry

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Consortium News is an independent investigative news website publishing articles on international affairs, American politics, foreign policy, intelligence, and human rights. Its core output is original long-form journalism and analysis, supported by a live video program (CN Live!) distributed via YouTube and a free email newsletter that delivers new articles and episodes to subscribers. The publication was founded in 1995 by Robert Parry as the first investigative news magazine based on the Internet.

Product overview

Consortium News is a single-platform independent journalism website founded in 1995. The core offering is its investigative news website publishing articles across international affairs, American politics, foreign policy, intelligence, and human rights topics. Supporting this core site, the company operates CN Live!, a video streaming program featuring interviews and panel discussions distributed via YouTube. Additionally, a free email newsletter provides periodic content updates to subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consortium News Website An independent investigative news website publishing articles, commentary, analysis, and in-depth reporting on international affairs, American politics, foreign policy, intelligence, and human rights. Includes an extensive archive of 6,400+ pages.
• CN Live!

Quantifiable outcome

• Winner of Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Democracy Now!: Independent nonprofit news program producing daily investigative reporting on politics, foreign policy, and human rights via video and podcast formats. Comparable to Consortium News in nonprofit donor-funded model, progressive editorial perspective, and multi-channel distribution (video, web, podcast).
• The Intercept: Nonprofit investigative news outlet covering national security, foreign policy, and civil liberties, funded largely by donations. Directly comparable to Consortium News in editorial focus, donor-supported nonprofit structure, and adversarial investigative stance toward government policy.
• Common Dreams: Nonprofit news outlet focused on progressive investigative reporting and opinion on U.S. politics, foreign policy, and social justice. Comparable to Consortium News in reader-funded nonprofit model, web-first publishing, and ideologically aligned editorial focus.
• ProPublica: Major nonprofit investigative newsroom producing in-depth reporting on government, politics, and public interest. Comparable to Consortium News in nonprofit structure, donor-supported model, and focus on investigative journalism, though at a significantly larger scale.
• In These Times: Progressive nonprofit magazine publishing investigative reporting on labor, politics, and foreign policy. Comparable to Consortium News in nonprofit donor-funded model, periodical publication format, and left-leaning editorial perspective on American empire and social justice.
• The Nation: Long-running progressive magazine publishing investigative reporting and analysis on foreign policy, civil liberties, and American politics. Comparable to Consortium News in left-leaning editorial perspective, print and digital periodical format, and reader-supported nonprofit model.
• The Real News Network: Nonprofit investigative video journalism outlet covering politics, foreign policy, and social movements. Comparable to Consortium News in nonprofit donor-funded model, video-first content strategy (similar to CN Live!), and progressive investigative focus.
• Mother Jones: Investigative nonprofit magazine covering politics, government, and social justice. Comparable to Consortium News in donor-funded nonprofit structure, investigative editorial focus, and digital-first publishing approach.
• Truthout: Nonprofit online news outlet publishing investigative reporting and analysis on politics, environment, and human rights. Directly comparable to Consortium News in donor-supported nonprofit structure, online-only publication, and progressive editorial perspective.

Emerging players

• FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting): Media criticism organization producing analysis and reporting on media bias and accountability. Comparable to Consortium News in nonprofit structure and shared editorial critique of mainstream media, though more focused on media criticism rather than original investigative reporting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDZuNFwJ4BIRV_Z5IxFXVrA
• Xx.com/Consortiumnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConsortiumNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mesquite-news

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Consortium News