Hey friends,
If you've been reading Project C, you know I've been obsessed with a particular question: What does journalism look like when it's no longer confined to traditional institutions?
For the past year, I've been having versions of the same conversation over and over:
A platform says: "We want to work with independent journalists, but we don't know how to find them."
A funder says: "We want to support creator journalism, but we don't have the tools to evaluate or partner with them."
A newsroom says: "We want to collaborate with independent voices, but we don't have frameworks for how to do it fairly."
Everyone sees the shift happening. Everyone wants to support it. But the infrastructure doesn't exist.
So today, Justin Bank, Ryan Kellett and I are announcing something we think will help: The Independent Journalism Atlas.
What We're Building
Think of it as three interconnected layers of infrastructure:
Discovery & Mapping: A verified database of independent journalism creators, globally. We've mapped 1,000+ so far (launching in Feb. ‘26) by beat, by geography, by format, by the communities they serve.
Standards & Frameworks: Open, creator-informed guidelines for transparency and credibility. Not gatekeeping, but shared standards that help creators demonstrate their practices while giving institutions confidence in partnerships. We're doing this work with partners like Trusting News, The Video Consortium, CNTI and columnist/media ethicist Margaret Sullivan.
Partnership Intermediation: Templates and systems that connect creators with platforms, publishers, and funders on terms that actually protect editorial independence and create sustainable revenue.
We're not building a platform. We're not a newsroom. We're infrastructure. The roads, not the cars. The IMDB, not the studio.
Why This Matters Now
We’ve been coming to this conclusion across hundreds of conversation in public, private and semi-private spaces. And we’ve been thinking out loud through our writing. If you haven't read them yet, these pieces, in particular, are worth your time:
It Takes a Village
Here's the truth: we can't build this alone. We shouldn't and, frankly, we don’t want to build that way. We're already working with early partners and funders who see the need for this infrastructure. And, of course, this starts with the creators and operators themselves, who know more than any of us what they need and want to pursue this work sustainably.
But we need more voices at the table.
If you're a creator-journalist: We want you in our database (it's free, always). And we want your input on what credibility standards should look like. We're recruiting for an advisory board that will have real governance power over how this evolves.
If you're at a platform or publisher: We'd love to talk about how creator partnerships could work in ways that serve everyone – creators included.
If you're a funder or researcher: We have visibility into an ecosystem that's been hard to see. Let's talk about how this infrastructure could support your work.
If you just believe in this work: Share it! Connect us to people who should know about it. Join the conversation.
We'll be hosting small virtual sessions in January and February to walk through what we're building and gather feedback. If you want to be part of one, just reply to this email.
I hope you'll join us.
Learn more: journalismatlas.com
Get in touch: [email protected]
Want to be part of a January/February session? Just reply to this email.
