Poynter Institute

What Poynter Institute does

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 and headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, that operates as a journalism school, ethics center, and media-literacy organization. Its core technology is an online learning management system delivering self-paced asynchronous courses, live webinars, and certificate tracking, supplemented by in-person programs at the St. Petersburg campus and regional locations (Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.). The product portfolio is anchored by four wholly-owned sub-brands: PolitiFact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political fact-checking organization and operator of the Truth-O-Meter with 16,000+ published fact-checks; the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), which convenes 60+ fact-checking organizations worldwide and runs the annual GlobalFact conference; MediaWise, a digital media literacy program; and The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership. Additional offerings include ACES co-branded editing certificates (Introductory $150, Intermediate $250, Advanced $650), leadership programs (up to $1,550), and the Well Informed health-information service.

Name

Poynter Institute

Legal name

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc.

Website

https://poynter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Poynter Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit journalism school founded in 1975 in St. Petersburg, Florida, that trains individual journalists, consults for newsrooms, and operates PolitiFact, the IFCN fact-checking network, and MediaWise media literacy programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training and Course Fees: Individual course purchases and certificate program tuition ranging from $0 to $1,550. Certificate programs include Introductory ($150), Intermediate ($250), Advanced ($650), and Leadership Academy ($1,350-$1,550).
2. Membership Subscriptions: Poynter Membership at $75/year providing free access to top 8 fundamental courses, member-only webinars, early event access, and research resources.
3. Consulting and Coaching: Custom consulting services for newsrooms including leadership development, ethics standards, organizational strategy, AI integration, and retreat facilitation. Budget tiers from $5,000 to over $50,000.
4. Donations and Grants: Non-profit funding from foundations including Knight Foundation, Andrew Carnegie Foundation ($750,000 grant), Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and Press Forward partnerships.
5. Corporate Group Training: Custom training programs for organizations with 1-50+ employees, with pricing tiers based on program duration and customization level.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Poynter Institute delivers journalism education and training through online self-paced courses, certificate programs (including ACES editing certificates), in-person workshops, custom consulting, and coaching for newsrooms. Its portfolio spans sub-brands PolitiFact (political fact-checking), IFCN (global fact-checker network), MediaWise (media literacy), and the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, marketed as individual course purchases, $75/year membership subscriptions, and enterprise consulting engagements.

Product overview

Poynter Institute is a nonprofit journalism training and education organization offering a platform-plus-programs architecture centered on media training, fact-checking, and ethics. The core offering is the Training Catalog featuring online and in-person courses across eight categories (Broadcast & Visual Journalism, Business & Work, Ethics, Fact-Checking & Media Literacy, Leadership, Reporting & Editing, Writing). Key sub-brands include PolitiFact (Pulitzer Prize-winning political fact-checking), the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), MediaWise (media literacy), and The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership. Additional offerings include Poynter Membership ($75/year subscription), The Poynter Report Podcast, email newsletters, ACES editing certificates (Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced tiers), consulting and coaching services, and Workshops for Local News Funders. The organization also runs specialized initiatives like Press Freedom Watch, The Poynter 50 anniversary project, and the Teen Creator Network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PolitiFact: The largest political fact-checking news organization in the United States and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, having published more than 16,000 fact-checks on its Truth-O-Meter.
• MediaWise
• International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)
• The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership

Products and services

• Poynter Training Catalog Online and in-person journalism training programs across eight categories, designed for journalists, editors, and media professionals seeking to build foundational and advanced skills.
• Poynter ACES Certificates in Editing Three-tiered certificate program (Introductory $150, Intermediate $250, Advanced $650) helping communicators build editing skills, improve work lives, and advance careers.
• Poynter Membership Annual subscription at $75/year that provides free access to the top 8 fundamental courses, member-only webinars, early event access, and research resources for journalists and media professionals.
• Consulting & Coaching Custom solutions for newsrooms including leadership development, coaching, retreat facilitation, ethics and standards, craft, organizational strategy, AI and emerging technologies, and fact-checking and media literacy. Budgets from $5,000 to over $50,000.
• Workshops for Local News Funders Free educational program for foundations and philanthropists funding local news, including intensive workshops, virtual peer-learning, and self-directed courses.
• PolitiFact The largest political fact-checking news organization in the United States and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, having published more than 16,000 fact-checks on its Truth-O-Meter rating system.
• International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) International fact-checking network bringing together more than 60 fact-checkers worldwide, promoting best practices, exchanges, and administering the GlobalFact conference and GlobalFact Awards.
• MediaWise Digital media literacy program teaching millions of Americans of all ages how to sort fact from fiction online, including the Teen Creator Network and AI literacy initiatives.
• The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership Center for ethics and leadership that takes a practical approach to journalism ethics and democracy using the Green Light Ethics framework, supported by Craig Newmark.
• Poynter Newsletters Suite of seven email newsletters covering media news, professional development, media literacy, local news, and fact-checking for journalists and media professionals.
• The Poynter Report Podcast Flagship podcast featuring 20-minute conversations with veteran journalist Tom Jones and industry guests, available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
• Well Informed PolitiFact service providing reliable, engaging health information to consumers and news organizations through social videos and stories backed by research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking organization
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Hacks/HackersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for AI ethics and literacy programming. Poynter leads year-round AI ethics and literacy programming with tracks at Hacks/Hackers' 2026 AI x Journalism Summit and AI Real Talk Series.
• PBSmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025MediaWise partnered with PBS to launch AI Unlocked, a five-lesson AI literacy video series for teens. Educational content distributed through PBS platforms.
• ACES: The Society for EditingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint certificate programs in editing: Introductory ($150), Intermediate ($250), and Advanced ($650) certificates. ACES members receive discounted rates. Course curriculum developed jointly with ACES standards.
• Press ForwardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Press Forward and Knight Foundation for Workshops for Local News Funders. Joint initiative to strengthen local journalism through funder education and training.
• Local News InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Teen Creator Network to help teens create engaging content their peers can trust on social media platforms.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Online News Association: Non-profit membership organization for digital journalists offering conferences, training, and awards. Direct peer in journalism professional development with overlapping audience of media professionals and similar digital-first training offerings.
• News Literacy Project: Non-profit media literacy education organization that teaches students to sort fact from fiction online. Closest direct peer to Poynter's MediaWise program, operating in the same K-12 and public-facing media literacy space with overlapping curricula and funder relationships.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE): Long-standing journalism training organization offering workshops, conferences, and resources for investigative reporters. Directly comparable to Poynter as a journalism training and professional development nonprofit with similar member-driven training offerings.
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): America's most broad-based journalism professional organization, providing training, ethics resources, and advocacy. Comparable to Poynter in serving journalists across skill levels with training programs, ethics guidance, and a code of ethics.
• ACES: The Society for Editing: Professional editing organization that co-develops Poynter's editing certificates. Direct peer in editing training and certification — owns the standard that Poynter's certificate programs certify against and an overlapping member base.
• Full Fact: UK-based fact-checking organization and IFCN member. Direct peer to PolitiFact and the IFCN network in producing fact-checks, combating misinformation, and developing automated fact-checking tools at scale.
• Nieman Foundation for Journalism (Harvard): Harvard-based foundation offering journalism fellowships, training programs, and reporting initiatives. Comparable to Poynter as a journalism education institution with prestigious brand recognition and fellowship-style training programs.
• Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy (Harvard): Harvard Kennedy School research center focused on journalism, media policy, and press effectiveness. Directly comparable to Poynter's research and thought leadership in journalism practice, ethics, and the business of news.
• Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Oxford University-based research institute focused on global journalism trends, media literacy, and fact-checking. Direct peer in international journalism research and fact-checking ecosystem that complements IFCN's scope.

Broad incumbents

• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: One of the most prestigious journalism schools in the world, offering degree programs, executive training, and the Pulitzer Prize. Comparable to Poynter as an established journalism education institution with broader academic scope and a degree-granting model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/poynter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLbd5kFYdW3mA__W51wc3sraIZr6pFD1Kq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-poynter-institute-278801

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Poynter Institute