Courier Newsroom is a digital for-profit media company which publishes what appear to be local pseudo-news outlets but which are actually Democratic Party propaganda efforts. The goal of Courier Newsroom publications, according to an internal memo obtained by Vice News, "is to create shareable viral pseudo 'news content' to boost its preferred candidates." According to the Center for Responsive Politics, "websites affiliated with Courier Newsroom that appear to be free-standing local news outlets are actually part of a coordinated effort with deep ties to Democratic political operatives." The Courier Newsroom is owned by ACRONYM, which is "a liberal dark money group with an affiliated super PAC called PACRONYM." The Courier Newsroom owns local digital newspapers in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. It was founded in 2019 by Tara McGowan.
Strategy
The Courier Newsroom local digital papers are not traditional town newspapers. Instead, these are designed to encourage people to vote Democrat, while looking like local newspapers in key swing states. The articles are promoted on social media such as Facebook, which does not prohibit the practice because the newspapers are for-profit. Its articles trended on Election Day. It is further described as "a partisan media company," yet not necessarily "fake news."
Newspapers
Copper Courier, Arizona, launched October 2019. Managing Editor: Brandy Rae Ramirez.
The Dogwood, launched mid-2019. Motto: “Your source for Virginia news”. Managing Editor: Meghan McCarthy. At launch, The Dogwood was owned by an ACRONYM subsidiary, For What Is Worth Media, Inc.
Up North News, Wisconsin. It defines itself as "a for-profit media company with progressive non-profit ownership." Managing Editor: Pat Kreitlow.
The Gander, Michigan. It defines itself as "a new local news site for Michigan." Managing Editor: Jessica Strachan.
Cardinal & Pine, North Carolina. It defines itself as "a new local news site for North Carolina."
The Keystone, Pennsylvania. Its launch had been announced in 2019, though it only debuted in 2020.
The Americano, nationwide, for Latin Americans. Published in English, it has collaborators in Puerto Rico, Miami, and NYC. Cristy Marrero is the Editor-in-Chief
Staff and ownership
The Chief Editor is Lindsay Schrupp.. The founder is Tara McGowan, who used to work for the Obama campaign and for the SuperPAC Priorities USA. Courier Newsroom is owned by ACRONYM. Courier Newsroom staff are hired through Lockwood Strategy, another ACRONYM subsidiary.
Criticism
Carrie Brown, director of social journalism at the journalism school at City University of New York, found the targeting of news to swing voters "problematic." Debby Deutch, writing on behalf of NewsGuard, called Courier News "faux news" and said its strategy is "pumping up moderate Democrats elected to Congress in 2018 in Republican-leaning districts." NewsGuard rated the Courier websites as "generally unreliable." Vox reported that "the Courier Newsroom launch did raise some eyebrows. If this were a Republican operative declaring its strategy like this, a lot of Democrats probably would have criticized it."
