Prism, an award-winning independent nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color, takes a transformative approach to reporting. Its mission is to “tell stories from the ground up: to disrupt harmful narratives and to inform movements for justice.”
The team of 15 staffers and freelancers based all around the country realize this vision through movement journalism. This practice connects reporters directly with the communities they cover, fostering trust and amplifying marginalized voices. While Prism eschews objectivity as a concept that has harmed communities of color, it instead aligns itself closely with the people who bear the brunt of injustice.
In an era where many mainstream newsrooms struggle to rebuild trust, Prism distinguishes itself by reimagining its reporting and internal culture. From equitable newsroom policies to thoughtful engagement with freelancers, Prism is as committed to justice within its operations as it is in its coverage.
“Prism’s mission and vision was to report from the communities that we’re from,” said Editor-in-Chief Lara Witt, who stepped into the role early last year. “It makes the journalism more authentic and enriching. There’s a big difference between a piece reported by someone who has no clue and just dropped in to do the reporting versus someone who understands cultural nuances and where they are from.”
Last year, Witt led Prism to form a coalition with 14 other like-minded movement newsrooms, including Truthout, In These Times, Scalawag, The Real News Network, Baltimore Beat and TransLash, among others. Witt said the group aims to create a network to support each other, experimenting with models for cooperation and collaboration.
Witt said — given the increased targeting of journalists and advocates — the group wanted to find ways to support each other through solidarity.
A national outlet with a local view
Prism’s fully remote structure allows staff and freelancers to remain embedded in their communities, reporting on issues like climate, immigration, criminal justice reform and gender rights. However, the newsroom’s commitment to equity extends beyond geography, and the team frequently breaks news others miss based on the depth of their sourcing.
The newsroom places a strong emphasis on historical and systemic context. “It’s not enough to talk about the criminal legal system without a deep understanding of chattel slavery and how it evolved into the current incarceration system,” said Witt. “Similarly, discussing immigration without addressing imperialism and the border policies it shaped doesn’t serve anyone well.”
This commitment to context and nuance is central to movement journalism and is supported by partnerships with educators, historians and grassroots organizations. The result is journalism that informs and empowers communities to press for systemic change.
Prism’s leadership and staff view their work as part of a larger movement for liberation. “From the beginning, we’ve been side by side with the communities we cover,” said Tina Vásquez, Prism’s award-winning feature editor, who freelanced for 10 years before making her way to Prism. “Our journalists often have their own lived experiences with the issues they report on, which helps them build trust and create authentic, impactful journalism.”
Foundational to its work, Prism seeks to bring new voices into the journalism field — especially those who might not have ready access to it by education or connections. Prism's Reflective Journalism Project offers masterclass training and editorial support and provides the training, networks, support and platform for BIPOC leaders and leaders from other underreported communities.
“I don’t have a college degree; it still amazes me that I made it here,” said Vásquez. “I always wanted to be a journalist, but I had family responsibilities I had to prioritize. It’s not been an easy path to this work because most people have journalism degrees.” But Prism seeks to help those who might not normally have a welcome mat laid out for them by a newsroom.
Witt said 2025 will be a busy one for Prism’s teams. They’ll be working to support other journalists through their movement journalism alliance and looking at what the Trump administration does on several fronts, including immigration, issues facing Indigenous, Black and LGBTQIA+ communities and supporters of Palestinian rights.
But they’ll also work to set up their own investigative desk to deepen their capacity for more in-depth reporting. “There are so many publications that have shut down their investigative desks because they're costly to run, and investigations can take a long time,” said Witt. “We think Prism’s perspective within investigative pieces is crucial, and it’s going to be even more crucial in the next four years of this administration that's coming in.”
Founded to meet a need
Prism’s roots can be traced back to its founder, Iara Peng, a social justice entrepreneur who envisioned a different kind of media outlet — one that centered the voices of those most affected by injustice. Inspired by Markos Moulitsas, the founder of Daily Kos, Peng identified a glaring gap in the reporting landscape. While activists on the front lines of justice movements were brimming with stories and insights, she said their perspectives often went unheard in mainstream media. Worse, she said, the people most affected by systemic issues — often people of color — were rarely allowed to shape the narratives surrounding their communities.
“There was this disconnect,” Peng said, “between the activists doing the work and how those efforts were being reported, if at all. And when it came to the communities suffering injustice, they weren’t leading the conversations.”
Prism initially operated as a project within Daily Kos, but Peng and Prism’s inaugural team quickly realized it needed to stand independently to fulfill its potential. While Peng’s initial vision was to support activists by amplifying their voices, the project took a decisive turn toward journalism when she assembled the founding team, including Vásquez and Ashton Lattimore, who served as editor-in-chief until early last year.
“I didn’t want it to be the Iara Peng show,” she explained. “I wanted it to be what it needed to be. And I respected the insights that moved it toward journalism.” After leading the charge to get Prism’s donor base established, Peng stepped down, leaving the board in 2022. Peng went on to launch Just Fund, where she is CEO. “The team has the vision, and I think it’s always important for founders to let something take the shape it needs to be. I’m always here if they need me.”
Caitlin Gaffin, Prism’s publisher, was one of the first hires, and she said Peng’s leadership has been essential as it provided a foundation for self-determination and tapping into philanthropic support. “Iara has been called a nonprofit doula,” said Gaffin. “She taught us how to approach donors and gave us the freedom to build something different.”
A people-first newsroom
Prism’s transformative approach isn’t limited to its reporting — it extends to how the organization operates and reflects a commitment to equity within the workplace.
According to Gaffin, Prism's leadership actively works to ensure its policies reflect the entire team’s needs. “One of the first things Iara and I bonded on was ensuring we built something that centered people first. None of us wanted to replicate the bad experiences — instead adopting a model that avoids the toxic workplace issues common in both newsrooms and nonprofits.”
The approach has been transformative for Witt, who joined Prism in 2022. “Before coming to work for Prism, I was on the verge of quitting journalism altogether,” she said. “My negative experiences in newsrooms and the way most outlets report on communities of color left me disillusioned. At Prism, we're doing things differently, and that difference matters.”
This people-first ethos informs everything from hiring practices to policies for supporting staff and freelancers. When a California-based freelance journalist had to abandon their home due to the fires in January, Prism set aside its policy of paying freelancers upon publication and issued immediate funds to help.
“Many mainstream newsrooms are frequently late paying freelancers,” Vásquez said. “At Prism, we operate differently. When I was recently calling potential new freelancers to gauge their fit, Lara and Caitlin offered to pay a stipend to those I spoke with at length for their time.”
According to Gaffin, this approach is intentional. “We try to think about things that put people first. It’s hard because many nonprofits focus on deliverables first — or finding money. We were lucky from the beginning; we’ve been able to change anything that doesn’t seem to fit the team. We are very nimble in responding to needs.”
Gaffin explained that Prism has a flexible PTO policy that accommodates team members with family care issues. It also has a four-day workweek and a sabbatical policy. The leadership team has also focused on financial transparency and equity in pay. The executive team took pay cuts last year to increase the rates of those making the least.
“We’ve also set aside a buffer fund in case something goes very wrong,” said Gaffin. “So many journalists have suffered layoffs with no cushion. We have six months of salary set aside, so if we ever need it, we have enough to give people severance and advance warning.”
Editorial independence
Prism also sets itself apart through its unwavering commitment to editorial independence — from its funders and the movements it covers. While its reporting is rooted in justice, the newsroom does not shy away from critical stories about activists or advocacy organizations when warranted. As such, Prism is a member of the Independent News Network (INN) that has rigorous ethical and editorial standards for membership, along with a robust policy of transparency and editorial rigor.
“I know because of our alignment with movement journalism that some industry people think we are biased or sloppy with our reporting. Journalists of color face this criticism all the time,” said Vásquez, who, in addition to her role as a feature editor, works as an investigative reporter on stories about immigration, labor and reproductive health. “We do fact-checking and deep editorial checks on our work. I know prestige newsrooms that don't have the standards we do. So I’ve stopped worrying about what people say.”
Additionally, Vásquez pointed out Prism doesn’t shy away from doing critical reporting on activists and advocates. A recent example is a report from Alexandra Martinez on the resignation of the president of the influential advocacy group Color of Change amid allegations of financial issues and mistreatment of workers. While other outlets largely ignored the story, Prism’s reporter approached it from a worker’s rights angle, highlighting the voices of staff members affected by the organization’s internal issues.
This commitment to accountability is central to Prism’s philosophy. “We’re not here to do PR for movements,” Vásquez explains. “We’re here to hold people accountable.”
Diane Sylvester is an award-winning 30-year multimedia news veteran. She works as a reporter, editor, and newsroom strategist. She can be reached at diane.povcreative@gmail.com
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