What Ethnic Media Services does

American Community Media (ACoM), formerly Ethnic Media Services, is a San Francisco–based nonprofit multimedia news organization founded in 2017 that aggregates and publishes journalism from ethnic and community media outlets across the United States. Its core product is the News Exchange, a collaborative network connecting ethnic media newspapers, radio stations, and digital outlets that participate in joint reporting projects such as 'Aquí Estamos/Here We Stand' (immigration), Greening Communities (environmental justice), and News Briefings featuring expert panels on health, climate, and policy. ACoM also operates in-person Community Forums that connect immigrant and mixed-status families with healthcare providers and government officials, with named partners including the California Department of Health Care Services and CenCal Health; it publishes the Ethnic Media Directory (California and National editions), runs the annual ACoM Expo & Awards, and has begun extending its model regionally through Houston Community Media.

The organization's technology stack is a conventional digital-publishing platform rather than a differentiated technology product: a WordPress-based website (americancommunitymedia.org), MailChimp-powered email newsletters with 10,000+ subscribers, embedded YouTube content under the @americancommunitymedia channel, social syndication across Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky, plus standard third-party services (Google Analytics, Google Forms for News Exchange signups, Akismet, Gravatar). Distribution spans six social platforms plus a partner network of ethnic media outlets, and content is produced in multiple languages including Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Persian.

ACoM is structured as a nonprofit organization governed under California law and funded primarily through donations and grants from foundations and individual supporters, with an emerging Social Marketing services line that offers message amplification to partners seeking to reach diverse ethnic audiences. Its customer base is two-sided: immigrant and ethnic communities consume freely available content, while ethnic media outlets and partner organizations (including VC Defensa, a ~1,000-volunteer rapid-response network ACoM founded in November 2024) participate in collaborative production and distribution. The operating footprint is concentrated in California but extends to Houston, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, New York, Washington DC, Minnesota, Florida, and Texas.

Name

Ethnic Media Services

Legal name

American Community Media

Website

https://ethnicmediaservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Community Media (ACoM), formerly Ethnic Media Services, is a San Francisco–based nonprofit multimedia news platform that aggregates and publishes journalism from ethnic media outlets across the US, serving immigrant and minority communities through multilingual content, collaborative reporting, and community forums.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Journalism / Ethnic Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

Keywords

• Ethnic media services
• Community journalism
• Multilingual news
• Nonprofit media
• News exchange network

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, American Community Media is funded through donations and grants from foundations and individual supporters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ethnic Media Services (doing business as American Community Media / ACoM) is a nonprofit multimedia news platform that aggregates and publishes journalism from ethnic and community media outlets across the United States, covering immigration, health, environment, politics, and social justice topics. The organization operates a News Exchange collaborative network connecting ethnic media outlets, runs the 'Aquí Estamos / Here We Stand' statewide reporting project, hosts News Briefings and in-person Community Forums, and offers Social Marketing services to partners seeking to reach diverse linguistic communities.

Product overview

American Community Media (ACoM) operates a nonprofit multimedia news platform that aggregates and publishes journalism from ethnic and community media outlets across the United States. The core platform features the News Exchange collaborative network, which connects ethnic media outlets for shared reporting. ACoM's portfolio includes thematic sub-products such as the 'Aquí Estamos / Here We Stand' immigration reporting project, virtual News Briefings with expert panelists, the Greening Communities environmental initiative, and in-person Community Forums convening grassroots audiences with decision-makers. Additional offerings include the Ethnic Media Directory (California and National editions), Social Marketing services, annual Expo & Awards events, and regional nodes such as Houston Community Media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American Community Media (ACoM) Multimedia News Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple large-scale ICE enforcement operations documented including the Glass House Farms raid affecting 360+ farm workers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026ACoM partners with DHCS to host community forums connecting immigrant families with healthcare resources. The partnership focuses on Medi-Cal enrollment, eligibility guidance, and privacy protections for immigrant communities. DHCS representatives including Deputy Director Yingjia Huang participate in forums to address healthcare access concerns.
• CenCal HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenCal Health collaborates with ACoM on community health forums in Santa Barbara County. The partnership includes participation from CenCal's Director of Strategic Engagement Jordan Turetsky and Associate Director of Member Services Elia Rodriguez, providing information about health plan options for immigrant families.
• Tu Tiempo DigitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTu Tiempo Digital is a media partner for ACoM's healthcare access community forums, providing Spanish-language coverage and community outreach support for events in Santa Maria.
• VC DefensacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVC Defensa is a rapid response network organized by ACoM that monitors ICE patrols and provides support for immigrant families in Ventura County. The organization operates a hotline, organizes volunteer patrols, and conducts know-your-rights workshops. Founded in November 2024, it has approximately 1,000 volunteers and is a key partner in ACoM's 'Aquí Estamos/Here We Stand' collaborative reporting project.
• Ethnic Media Directory PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACoM maintains an Ethnic Media Directory covering California and national ethnic media outlets. These partners participate in the News Exchange network, receiving and redistributing ACoM's collaborative journalism content to their respective communities.
• Global Empowerment Mission (GEM)minorOthersGEM is a Florida-based nonprofit that partnered with Venezuelan diaspora communities in the Bay Area to distribute earthquake relief aid following the June 2026 twin earthquakes in Venezuela. ACoM covered this humanitarian effort as part of its immigration and diaspora reporting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CalMatters: Larger California-focused nonprofit news organization covering state policy. Comparable in funding model (donations, grants, partnerships) and California-centric nonprofit news mission, though broader in topic scope.

Direct peers

• Honolulu Civil Beat: Hawaii-based nonprofit investigative news outlet. Comparable as a nonprofit news organization reliant on donations and memberships to deliver in-depth public-interest journalism to a defined community.
• Sahan Journal: Minnesota-based nonprofit newsroom covering immigrant and refugee communities in English and multiple ethnic languages. Comparable as a community-rooted, multilingual nonprofit news outlet serving diaspora audiences.
• The 19th News: National nonprofit newsroom covering gender, politics, and policy. Comparable as a nonprofit news organization that grew through foundation funding and community partnerships to serve an underrepresented audience.
• Block Club Chicago: Nonprofit, community-funded neighborhood newsroom in Chicago. Comparable as a hyperlocal, nonprofit news organization supported by donations and grants, with a community-engagement model.
• Documented: New York-based nonprofit newsroom covering immigrants and policy. Comparable as a digital-first nonprofit news organization focused on immigrant communities with multilingual reporting capacity.
• palabra. NAHJ-led digital news outlet and narrative magazine for Latino journalists and communities. Comparable in mission and audience, and in operating a nonprofit, community-centered news platform for an ethnic audience.
• New America Media: National ethnic media collaborative and newswire founded in 1996. ACoM (formerly Ethnic Media Services) effectively operates in the same role today, making New America Media the closest historical and operational analogue.

Emerging players

• Type Investigations: Nonprofit investigative journalism collaborative supporting reporters on long-form stories. Comparable in the donor-funded investigative journalism model that ACoM applies to its Aquí Estamos reporting.

Others

• The Markup: Nonprofit investigative newsroom focused on technology and society. Comparable as a nonprofit, grant-funded investigative outlet, though thematic rather than ethnic/linguistic in audience focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ethnicmediasvc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@americancommunitymedia/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/EthnicMediaServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ethnic-media-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/americancommunitymedia
• TikToktiktok.com/@americancommunitymedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ethnic Media Services