FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media watchdog founded in 1986 that produces documented criticism of corporate media bias. It serves progressive activists, journalists, and scholars through a weekly radio show (CounterSpin), a print/digital newsletter (Extra!), and a 20,000-subscriber Action Alert email network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING does
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media watchdog organization founded in 1986 and headquartered in New York City. The organization produces media criticism and analysis aimed at challenging corporate media bias, spin, misinformation, and ownership concentration, serving progressive activists, journalists, scholars, and a media-conscious general public. FAIR operates as a collective with all staff contributing to organizational decisions and a uniform base salary of $53,500, employing 1-10 people including Program Director Janine Jackson, Editor Jim Naureckas, Senior Analyst Julie Hollar, and Administrative and Fundraising Director Olivia Riggio.
FAIR's product portfolio centers on three flagship assets: CounterSpin, a weekly radio show/podcast produced and hosted by Janine Jackson and distributed via the Public Radio Satellite System, Pacifica Audioport, Apple Podcasts, Android, and Blubrry to more than 160 noncommercial radio stations in the US and Canada at a $250/year station license; Extra!, an ad-free 4-page newsletter of documented media criticism published ten times per year in print and digital formats; and FAIR.org, a website hosting articles, FAIR Studies, Action Alerts, and a Media Activism Kit. The organization also operates an Action Alert email network of over 20,000 international activists managed through Mailchimp.
FAIR's revenue model is dominated by public contributions (60% over the past five fiscal years), supplemented by foundation and public charity grants (32%), newsletter subscriptions and broadcast fees (6%), and merchandise and interest income (2%). The organization explicitly refuses corporate funding, government grants, and advertising revenue to preserve editorial independence, and reports that 86 cents of every dollar donated in 2024 funded programs. FAIR holds no patents, has no subsidiaries, and conducts no acquisitions; its growth is constrained to reinvestment of contributed revenue into editorial and distribution capacity.
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING
- Legal name
- Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, Inc.
- Website
- https://fair.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media watchdog founded in 1986 that produces documented criticism of corporate media bias. It serves progressive activists, journalists, and scholars through a weekly radio show (CounterSpin), a print/digital newsletter (Extra!), and a 20,000-subscriber Action Alert email network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Watchdog and Press Criticism
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Syndication, Licensing & Content Partnerships (Columns, Features, Photos) (MPAJADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- News & Public Affairs Syndication (MPABAMAF)
Keywords
Where FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Public Contributions and Donations: The largest revenue source at 60% of total revenue over the past five fiscal years. FAIR relies on public support and donations to sustain operations, maintaining independence from corporate funding.
- Newsletter Subscriptions and Broadcast Fees: 6% of revenue comes from subscriptions to the Extra! newsletter and broadcast fees for the CounterSpin radio show.
- Foundation and Public Charity Grants: 32% of revenue comes from grants from foundations and public charities.
- Other Sources: 2% of revenue from other sources including merchandise sales and interest.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | CounterSpin Broadcast License - $250/year for radio stations |
| Subscription | Annual | Extra! Newsletter Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FAIR is a national progressive media watchdog organization that produces critical analysis of corporate media bias through a weekly radio program (CounterSpin), a quarterly print/digital newsletter (Extra!), an editorial website with in-depth FAIR Studies, and an activist email network distributing Action Alerts. The organization also publishes a Media Activism Kit with educational resources for media literacy and grassroots organizing around press issues.
Product overview
FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting) is a progressive media watchdog organization offering a portfolio of media criticism and activism products. The core offerings include CounterSpin (a weekly radio show/podcast), Extra! (a 10x-yearly print/digital newsletter), the FAIR.org website with articles and FAIR Studies (in-depth research), the Action Alert email network for activism engagement, and a Media Activism Kit providing educational resources. CounterSpin distributes to over 160 noncommercial radio stations and via podcast platforms, while Extra! reaches subscribers with ad-free media analysis. The Action Alert network engages over 20,000 activists with targeted campaigns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CounterSpin Radio Show FAIR's weekly radio program providing critical examination of major news stories and exposing corporate media bias. Produced and hosted by Janine Jackson, the show airs on more than 160 noncommercial radio stations across the United States and Canada and is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Android platforms.
- Extra! Newsletter FAIR's 4-page, ad-free newsletter published ten times per year featuring well-documented media criticism and analysis. Available in print and digital PDF formats, funded entirely by subscribers and aimed at general readers, journalists, and scholars.
- FAIR.org Editorial Website The organization's primary online publication featuring articles, FAIR Studies, Action Alerts, and the FAIR Activism Kit, providing free resources for media literacy and media activism engagement.
- FAIR Studies In-depth research and analysis exploring particular media issues or outlets, adding hard numbers to debates over media content and journalistic practices, covering topics like media ownership, coverage analysis, and press criticism.
- Action Alert Email Network An email-based activism network distributing timely reports critiquing media inaccuracies or bias, encouraging supporters to communicate directly with journalists to demand responsible reporting; reaches more than 20,000 international activists.
- Media Activism Kit Educational resources including the Media Literacy Guide, organizing materials, media contact list, recommended reading, and connections to media activism groups for local activists.
Companies that use FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Nation: Long-established progressive news and opinion magazine with a print/digital model similar to FAIR's Extra! newsletter. Comparable editorial positioning and subscription-funded nonprofit-ish operations, though broader in scope.
- Columbia Journalism Review: Established magazine and online publication providing journalism criticism and media industry analysis. Comparable function to FAIR's media-criticism role, though operated as a university-affiliated publication rather than a standalone activist nonprofit.
Emerging players
- ProPublica: Nonprofit investigative journalism organization producing in-depth reporting on media, power, and institutions. Comparable nonprofit mission and donor-funded model, with overlapping content on media accountability.
- In These Times: Progressive magazine and online outlet publishing investigative journalism and media criticism. Notable overlap: several former FAIR staff (including Jeff Cohen, Jim Naureckas) previously worked at or contributed to this publication, indicating shared talent pool and audience.
- Alternet: Online progressive news and commentary outlet covering media, politics, and social issues. Comparable in progressive orientation and online publishing model, with overlapping audience interests in media criticism.
Direct peers
- Free Press: Nonprofit media reform and media-justice advocacy organization working on media ownership, policy, and democratic communications. Highly comparable to FAIR's media-reform activism and email-driven advocacy model.
- Center for Media and Democracy: Progressive investigative watchdog publishing SourceWatch and PR Watch, critiquing corporate PR and media spin. Directly comparable nonprofit media-watchdog mission and ideological positioning to FAIR.
- Media Matters for America: Progressive nonprofit media watchdog that monitors and corrects conservative misinformation in mainstream media. Directly comparable to FAIR in mission, ideological positioning, and nonprofit/grant-funded model, though significantly larger and better-resourced.
- Project Censored: Nonprofit media research organization that analyzes news content for underreported stories and media bias. Highly comparable to FAIR in mission, nonprofit structure, and educational/critical approach to mainstream journalism.
Regional players
- Pacifica Radio / Pacifica Network: Listener-supported community radio network that distributes and broadcasts CounterSpin via Pacifica Audioport. Directly intertwined with FAIR's radio distribution and comparable noncommercial, progressive-broadcast model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING social profiles
Digital presenceFAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING
What does FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING do?
FAIR is a national progressive media watchdog organization that produces critical analysis of corporate media bias through a weekly radio program (CounterSpin), a quarterly print/digital newsletter (Extra!), an editorial website with in-depth FAIR Studies, and an activist email network distributing Action Alerts. The organization also publishes a Media Activism Kit with educational resources for media literacy and grassroots organizing around press issues.
Is FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING a public or private company?
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING founded?
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING was founded in 1986. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING based?
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Public Contributions and Donations are the primary driver. The others are newsletter Subscriptions and Broadcast Fees, foundation and Public Charity Grants and other Sources.
Who are FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Nation and Columbia Journalism Review. Emerging players are ProPublica, In These Times and Alternet. Direct peers are Free Press, Center for Media and Democracy, Media Matters for America and Project Censored. Pacifica Radio / Pacifica Network is listed as a regional player.
Does FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING have an API?
No public API is recorded for FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING.
What industry is FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING in?
FAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING's product category is Media Watchdog and Press Criticism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAI, Syndication, Licensing & Content Partnerships (Columns, Features, Photos), with a secondary code of MPABAMAF, News & Public Affairs Syndication. Its NAICS code is 516.