The Baltimore Beat is a nonprofit media organization based in Baltimore, Maryland. It publishes commentary on “Black American life,” while advocating for issues it associates with ethnic minorities, LGBT people, and disabled persons. ¹

History

Baltimore Beat was created in 2017 as a spinoff of the Baltimore City Paper (City Paper) after it closed in 2017 following an agreement to recognize the union organized by its staff. ² It was able to operate as a spinoff of City Paper after the Baltimore Beat co-founder and former City Paper editor-in-chief Brandon Soderberg recruited Omnimedia to publish the Beat. Under Omnimedia, the Baltimore Beat shared staffing with the Washington Blade, the oldest LGBT newspaper in the U.S., to make up for a lack of funding. ³

Under its original publisher, Baltimore Beat canceled operations after four months following its publisher citing insufficient ad revenue. ²

In 2019, Soderberg and former City Paper editor Lisa Snowden co-founded the second edition of the Baltimore Beat as a nonprofit organization through funding by Patreon supporters and in hopes of obtaining fiscal sponsorship from the Baltimore Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, which was managed by Soderberg. ²

Snowden reported to NiemanLab that the founding of the second edition of the Baltimore Beat would focus on catering its reporting to the Black population of Baltimore, and she criticized City Paper for holding a so-called “white identity” while operating in a Black majority city. Snowden argued that City Paper was insensitive to race issues, particularly its reporting on the police-custody death of Freddie Gray, and stated that the Baltimore Beat will instead have “serious discussion[s]” about policies that address race issues. ²

In 2020, the Baltimore Beat paused operations while awaiting funding from the Lillian Holofcener Foundation and to formally file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a nonprofit organization. ⁴

In 2022, the Baltimore Beat relaunched with a new mission to focus on advocating for race issues, particularly pertaining to Black people, and to criticize public policies based on how it perceives they affect Black people. Baltimore Beat editor-in-chief Lisa Snowden-McCray reported to National Public Radio (NPR) that in its relaunch, the Baltimore Beat planned on prioritizing the hiring of Black journalists as she argued that Black journalists are underpaid compared to white journalists. ⁵

Criticisms of Donald Trump

Following Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election, the Baltimore Beat published a Letter from the Editor written by Baltimore Beat co-founder and editor-in-chief Lisa Snowden condemning President Trump for his positions on immigration, abortion, LGBT issues, and fiscal responsibility. While reflecting on the first Trump administration, Snowden claimed that Trump had been hateful towards the LGBT community and argued that his calls for fiscal responsibility would result in infrastructure failures. She also exclaimed that Trump and his administrations had been and would continue to be harmful to Black people. ⁶

Funding

In January 2023, the Lillian Holofcener Charitable Foundation announced a $1 million grant for the Baltimore Beat, a sum that constituted nearly all of the foundation’s assets which was to be its final grant. Adam Holofcener of the Lillian Holofcener Charitable Foundation reported to the Associated Press (AP) that the liquidation of assets to be given to the Baltimore Beat was done because Holofcenter believes that the Holofcener family fortune was amassed at the expense of Black people and that the grant would undo previous harms to Black people by funding an organization that advocates for issues faced by Black people. He stated, “It’s as important to disempower ourselves as it is to empower them.” The AP reports that the family foundation’s funding originated from Holofcener’s grandfather’s insurance businesses, skiing, and golf equipment stores. ⁷

In 2024, the Ford Foundation announced a $250,000 grant for the Baltimore Beat. ⁸

Leadership

Lisa Snowden is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the Baltimore Beat. Snowden previously worked as an editor for the Baltimore City Paper, the Baltimore Sun, and Real News Network. ⁹ Snowden is a board member and has also ran the training programs for the Writers in Baltimore Schools program, a nonprofit literacy program in Baltimore that addresses race issues by offering literacy programs to predominantly Black, low-income schools in Baltimore. ^{10 7}

Freelance writer Brandon Soderberg is a co-founder and the former director of operations for Baltimore Beat and previously worked as editor-in-chief for the Baltimore City Paper. ¹¹ Soderberg also ran training programs and serves as a board member for the Writers in Baltimore Schools program. ⁷

Financials

In 2023, the Baltimore Beat reported $683,578 in total revenue. It also reported $599,783 in total expenses, including $223,534 in salaries and compensation of employees. ¹²

1. “Our Values.” Baltimore Beat. Accessed October 12, 2025. https://baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-beat-returns/.
2. Schmidt, Christine. “Baltimore Beat is rebuilding its community ties as an alt-weekly after corporate cut-downs.” NiemanLab. December 2, 2019. https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/12/baltimore-beat-is-rebuilding-its-community-ties-as-an-alt-weekly-after-corporate-cut-downs/.
3. Cassie, Ron. “Lisa Snowden-McCray Discusses Starting the Baltimore Beat.” Baltimore Magazine. January 2018. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/historypolitics/lisa-snowden-mccray-discusses-starting-the-baltimore-beat/.
4. Snowden, Lisa. “BALTIMORE BEAT RETURNS AS A BLACK-LED, BLACK-CONTROLLED NONPROFIT NEWSPAPER.” Baltimore Beat. May 13, 2022. https://baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-beat-returns-as-a-black-led-black-controlled-nonprofit-newspaper/.
5. All Things Considered Podcast. “Here’s why the ‘Baltimore Beat’ relaunched as a Black-led, nonprofit publication.” National Public Radio. August 12, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/12/1117263822/heres-why-the-baltimore-beat-relaunched-as-a-black-led-nonprofit-publication.
6. Snowden, Lisa. “Letter from the Editor- Issue 51.” Baltimore Beat. November 19, 2024. https://baltimorebeat.com/letter-from-the-editor-issue-51/.
7. The Associated Press. “Foundation empties coffers to fund Black paper in Baltimore.” NBC News. January 19, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/foundation-empties-coffers-fund-black-paper-baltimore-rcna66524.
8. “General support to honor the tradition of the Black press and the spirit of alt-weekly journalism with reporting that focuses on community, questions power structures, and prioritizes thoughtful engagement with its readers.” Ford Foundation. Accessed October 12, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/baltimore-beat-inc-150567/.
9. “Our Team.” Baltimore Beat. Accessed October 12, 2025. https://baltimorebeat.com/our-team/.
10. “A home for young riders.” Writers in Baltimore Schools. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://www.writersinbaltimoreschools.org/about.
11. “Brandon Soderberg.” Baltimore Beat. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://baltimorebeat.com/author/bsoderberg/.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Baltimore Beat Inc. 2023. Part I, Lines 12-18.