Journalism shapes elections, public policy, and public trust. The Objective is the only independent nonprofit newsroom investigating journalism itself to ensure reporting and newsroom practices that are more accountable, more transparent, and more representative of the public it serves.

What We Do

Journalism, like our communities, is always evolving. However, lack of accountability restricts access to information, skewing or silencing critical voices. We investigate how systems of power shape journalism—and how journalism, in turn, shapes public understanding. Through original reporting, analysis, and resources for journalists, we examine the ways race, gender, sexuality, disability, migration, international context, and mass incarceration and policing are covered in U.S. media.

What Your Donation Supports

As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on readers like you who believe that a healthy democracy requires an objective press. We don't take a cent from corporate, government, or political parties and are committed to keeping our journalism free and accessible to everyone. Every dollar you give now allows us to:

Publish ambitious reporting that challenges powerful media institutions
Pay freelance writers and contributors fairly, providing platforms for stories that cannot find a home in mainstream media
Support early-career journalists and critics with perspectives that have historically been underrepresented
Create space and resources for journalists, researchers, and community members

Investigations, long-form essays, and ambitious reporting take time. Monthly donors provide the steady support that allows us to commission writers, plan long-term projects, and remain independent. Most importantly, your support gives us the independence to pursue stories because they matter—not because they're easy to fund.

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