Progressive Media Project

This programme involves syndicating opinion columns by social justice scholars, experts, and community activists. Organisers focus on the op-ed, or commentary page of US newspapers as a communication channel because of its accessibility; it is meant to be an open forum for the sharing of varied perspectives and the advancement of arguments about how the world's problems might be addressed. Further, this medium of communication is influential in that policy-makers draw on it to "measure the mood of the public and gain new perspectives on social problems. Many nonprofit groups and foundations rely on the op-ed page to transmit their views to the public."

The Project distributes op-ed pieces on a range of domestic issues, such as capital punishment, education, free speech, health care, housing, juvenile justice, labour, prisons, reproductive freedom, Social Security, and welfare. International issues are also a focus; each week, the Project distributes one piece on issues of peace and world security. Environmental advocacy is also emphasised: "The Media Project is continuously seeking funding to bring environmental activists onto the op-ed pages of our nation's newspapers and to train these activists how to write an effective op-ed."

In order to "bolster the work of grassroots activists and nonprofit groups by expanding their capacity to better communicate their views", the Progressive Media Project offers op-ed writing clinics for community activists, staff of nonprofit organisations, participating writers, and foundation grantees. The workshops explain the role of op-eds in policy-making and provide tips on how to write an op-ed, including hands-on practice and individual tutorials. After the clinic, the Project staff continues to support participating writers with ongoing technical assistance.

A key strategy is using communication to help increase public awareness, build tolerance, and challenge discriminatory attitudes by ensuring that diverse voices can participate in national debate. This strategy is based on the belief that, "over the long term these educational pieces lift the level of national discourse", as well as the reality that "many newspaper editors don’t know where to turn to find diverse voices for their op-ed pages, and many writers don’t know how to access these pages". To that end, "Voices of Diversity" is an initiative designed to help underrepresented citizens communicate their views. Organisers say they distribute 150 pieces a year by African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, as well as gay, lesbian bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people and persons with disabilities. Selections from "Black Voices" and "Latino Voices" of this series are sent to African-American and Latino weeklies across the country every two months in an effort to reach minority media audiences.

Exposing young thinkers to these diverse activist voices is another Project emphasis. Organisers make the op-eds available free of charge (provided that the author gives permission) for reprinting for use in high school or college classes and occasionally textbooks as well. The Project's op-eds have appeared in student weeklies, as well as in other printed and online forums. (For-profit organisations are charged a fee. For reprint permission information and access to the Project op-eds archives, visit the Project website). The Project's op-ed authors have also been invited to speak in college classrooms, as well as in other venues.

Rights, Diversity.

According to organisers, "Our democracy depends on the fullest and freest exchange of facts and opinion, but often in the past, the public debate has been confined to an elite few." As of this writing, "the Progressive Media Project has distributed more than 2,500 commentaries...These commentaries reach tens of millions of readers every year, providing them with information and perspectives they might not otherwise have encountered. By enriching and diversifying the public debate on the issues of the day, the Progressive Media Project is doing its part to establish a more vibrant civil society and a more genuine democracy in America."