Boycott Big Brands + Bolster Independent Media
In honor of Thanksgiving, a day to collectively reflect on both our nation’s messy, revolutionary beginnings and all that we have to be grateful for, I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for being a part of the COURIER community. Whether you’re a contributor, partner, friend, patron, or simply an interested reader and a fan of our work, your support over the years has helped COURIER become the fastest growing independent news network in the country, reaching over 150M Americans each week online!
Day in and day out, our award-winning reporters across the country have been filling the local news vacuum with human-centered reporting that connects the dots between government policies and their lived impacts, highlights progress happening in communities or acts of resistance to the Trump administration’s overreach, and connects Americans to each other through shared facts and values. At a time when the loudest voices too often belong to far-right extremists and billionaires, our work is providing millions of under-reached Americans with the news and information to fight back.
For instance, this week, our reporters and content creators have been covering the “We Ain’t Buying It” campaign launched by a coalition of progressive organizations to put pressure on Trump-friendly corporations during one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year.
Across the COURIER network, our reporters on the ground in 11 states have already published 50+ pieces of original content from Iowa to Nevada, encouraging their subscribers to participate in this powerful economic protest, and invest their dollars in local, small businesses in their communities instead.
This is the power of independent advocacy media - to not only inform audiences about actions like these, but to inspire them to partake in them directly, helping our readers realize their own power and agency to effect real change. ✊
As you each reflect on what about this country you are grateful for - and willing to fight for this Thanksgiving, and where you want to pay that gratitude forward, I’d like to ask you to include COURIER (and other local and national independent media efforts like ours!) in your giving plans, especially on Giving Tuesday next week..
Your donation today will help us expand our state and local reporting, power our social video storytelling, and support our mission to reach millions of Americans who are being flooded by content from the right-wing media machine.
Independent journalism relies on the support of people like you who believe that the future of our democracy depends on a well-informed and civically engaged public. Together, we can ensure that truth and progress have the last word this holiday season, and for years to come.
With gratitude for all of you,
- Tara
You’re Invited: Courage > Cowardice
We’re excited to announce speakers Rashad Robinson, Nourbese Flint, and Melissa Morales for the Movement Building for This Moment panel at COURIER’s Courage > Cowardice live event!
Join us Thursday, December 11th, in Washington, DC from 6–9 PM as we gather creators, leaders, organizers, and advocates to celebrate the courage to continue showing up. We’ll have food, drinks, and an open bar reception.
What I’m reading this week
How Democrats are building their own digital media army (Washington Post, 11/24)
“Tara McGowan, founder of Courier Newsroom, a conglomerate of liberal local news sites, said her company has seen its social media following double from 4 million to 8.5 million since Trump won his second term. The growth on the platform and others would have happened faster had the Democratic Party been more aggressive in its engagement and investment, she said. “All the media energy and investment and innovation that happened to get Trump out of office really dissipated during the Biden administration,” she added.”
Americans’ Social Media Use 2025 (Pew Research, 11/21)
“Growing shares of U.S. adults say they are using Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and Reddit, but YouTube still rises to the top”
Is Nick Fuentes Filling the Void After Charlie Kirk’s Death? (Rolling Stone, 11/25)
“Since Charlie Kirk’s death, there has been the question of who will take his mantle. The answer may lie in the memes.”