A new kind of news operation for the Trump era
Donald Trump and Congress plan to eliminate many of the rights and protections of Americans. They intend to further subsidize a few thousand millionaires and billionaires while gutting the services and benefits of hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens.
David Cay Johnston wants to make sure you know what they’re doing to your government!
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist has a plan to arm you, the average American, with the information you need about what your government is up to, what your fellow citizens think and — most importantly — what you can do about it.
David is proposing a new kind of nonprofit, citizen-centered news organization, David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, featuring journalism that scrupulously and meticulously scours the public record to report what’s really going on inside your Congressional committee rooms, your executive branch departments, your regulatory agencies and, yes, your White House. This is citizen-focused journalism that will value policies over politics and will focus on the results of government actions, not just the rhetoric of politicians.
As anyone who has read any of David’s six books or has followed his reporting in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer or the Los Angeles Times, knows, this is just the kind of fearless, plain-English journalism that engages citizens and stirs them to action. And it is just the kind of journalism that simply doesn’t exist at even the most responsible and well-funded news organizations, let alone the fast ripoff-and-read, click-bait news franchises of the Internet.
That’s because even the best mainstream news organizations rarely cover what is happening within the government until it is far too late for citizens to do anything about it. Mainstream news focuses on controversies — think of the campaign coverage of Clinton’s emails or Trump’s boasts about sexual assault. Rarely does the mainstream press report on the day-to-day mechanics of government, where laws get made, regulations are forged and backroom deals are struck — where government actually happens.
DCReport will alert people each day of new proposed changes. These alerts will be followed by easily understood articles and infographics fleshing out the facts to explain how proposed new policies will affect your freedom, your life and your wallet. DCReport will also reveal who is behind the proposed changes, who will benefit and who will be hurt.
Most important, DCReport will show you how you can exercise your Constitutional rights to get involved in what, at least for now, is a process in which citizens have a right to intervene and protest. DCReport won’t tell you what to do or what stand to take on an issue, but it will tell you what is coming, how to get involved and how to connect with others who share your concerns.
David can only do so much of that on his own. He is already compiling a staff of experienced editors, reporters, lawyers, economists, graphic artists and others so his work can expand and become available to you while there is still time to influence our government’s policies.
But this costs money.
To get DCReport launched, David needs your support. The more money raised, the more journalists and others can be put to work doing the kind of journalism for which Johnston is renowned. An ideal budget would be at least $3 million per year. That’s less than a penny per American. If people will support this at the start, David is confident — and so are few people who have already made modest four-year pledges of support — that people will see the value in this work and continue to support and expand it.
So what’s an informed, citizen-focused democracy worth to you?
David, for now, is working pro bono — no salary until we raise enough money to do the kind of job needed to make Washington truly accountable to the people. We will also seek support from foundations and other major funders.
Book: The Making of Donald Trump
My new book came out August 2 in the U.S. and Canada, August 4 in Europe in English and German, and August 9 Down Under/NZ/Singapore/etc.
Order from Melville House Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.
The ideologies of Democrats and Republicans differ substantially. As far as the economy is concerned, Democrats lean towards more control over businesses, more taxes for the rich. Their focal point of interest is raising the minimum wage and ensuring good working conditions for employees. On the other side of the spectrum, Republicans are against increasing taxes, even for the rich. They encourage businesses to strive with fewer regulations on behalf of the state. They also believe that an employee’s wage should be measured by their professional value, as opposed to being defaulted to a general market standard.