Why a Nonprofit Model is the Future of LGBTQ Journalism
Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter
When I decided to move forward with Uncloseted Media in 2024, it took me about two minutes to realize that the only way an investigative LGBTQ-focused news publication can succeed and stay afloat in today's media ecosystem is through a nonprofit model.
Producing rigorous journalism takes time and will pretty much *never* turn a profit. Journalism—like any other piece of media—relies on clicks and engagement. If I have an intern whip up a list of the 10 hottest gay influencers in New York City or design an Instagram slide announcing that the most famous Gen Z content creator has come out as bisexual, that will most likely go viral. And that takes between 5 and 30 minutes to create.
On the other hand, if we produce a 2,000-word wonky policy piece about the spinoff effects of Trump’s billions of dollars in cuts to HIV programs—which, as you’ll see below, we’re publishing on Tuesday—it is a harder sell.
Could it go viral? Sure! But it’s not as sexy or as sticky or as bite-sized as a fun TikTok you *must* share with your friends. What’s more, doing the HIV piece well requires our highly skilled team of journalists to spend a very long time ideating, writing, reporting, investigating and fact-checking. It also requires a highly skilled editor to get the story into strong enough shape for mass publication. In addition, it might need to be reviewed by a legal and standards team to avoid getting sued.
So to make money in media, it’s a basic formula:
MINIMAL TIME TO PRODUCE + MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD OF ENGAGEMENT AND CLICKS = PROFIT!
So, if all I cared about was money, I’d say give me the bisexual content creator’s coming out announcement on Instagram ALL.DAY.LONG.
The days of for-profit newspapers are gone. But the need for investigative journalism in the U.S. is more critical than ever. To achieve this, I believe we’ll see more nonprofit newsrooms emerge and the model of philanthropy-supported journalism will grow exponentially over the next few years.
If we don’t see that growth, news deserts will expand and corruption, bad actors and systems of injustice will go unchecked and will operate in a deeper shade of darkness.
I was in Washington, DC on Tuesday to accept our Trade Journalism Award from the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation. Huge congrats to Anastassia Gliadkovskaya of Fierce Healthcare and our very own Sam Donndelinger for their powerful reporting on PrEP deserts in the Bible Belt and how those who need HIV-prevention the most–low-income LGBTQ people of color–have the most trouble accessing it.
Supreme Court upholds state ban on transgender minors using puberty blockers, hormone therapy (USA Today)
In her dissent, Justice Sotomayor said the Supreme Court “abandons transgender children and their families to political whims."
Suspect in Minnesota Shooting Linked to Security Company, Evangelical Ministry (Wired)
The alleged shooter is a 57-year-old white male; according to his ministry's website, he “sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.”
Judge deems Trump's cuts to National Institutes of Health illegal (NBC News)
The federal judge said the NIH violated federal law by arbitrarily canceling more than $1 billion in research grants because of their perceived connection to DEI initiatives.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles halts transgender care under pressure from Trump (LA Times)
Now, as the city marks the nine-year anniversary of the tragedy at Pulse on June 12, city leaders and local activists say they have renewed hope that construction of a permanent memorial site will begin next June.
Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:
🆕 Shannon Burns grew up in a conservative Christian environment outside of Toronto, where homosexuality was seen as a sin and where women were expected to be subordinate to men. Through her teens, she kept two secrets: her lesbian identity and the fact that her stepfather was molesting her every night in her bedroom. Years later, Shannon has left the church and is speaking out about her experience as a child sexual assault survivor to raise awareness about the alarming intersection between religion, LGBTQ identity, gender roles and sexual assault. I interview her for our third episode of Beneath the Grid.
🆕 The Trump administration has been cutting billions of dollars from funding for HIV care, prevention, and research at home and abroad. Hope Pisoni investigates the devastating impact these cuts are already having on the people living with the virus, those susceptible to contracting it, and the research and technology surrounding a vaccine that could end HIV globally.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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