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Non-profit

News Literacy Project (NLP)

Website:

newslit.org/
Location:

Washington, DC
Tax ID:

27-4011343
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $4,605,501
Expenses: $4,431,853
Assets: $7,737,537
Type:

Media Research Organization
Formation:

2008
President/CEO:

Charles “Chuck” Salter

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

News Literacy Project (NLP) promotes left-of-center news interpretation through educational programming. NLP claims to be nonpartisan and to educate students in how to distinguish fact from fiction, 1 but the organization is supported almost entirely by left-of-center news media and promotes critical race theory-influenced notions of racial equity 2 while characterizing right-of-center positions as “misinformation.” 3

Founding and History

News Literacy Project was founded in 2008 by Alan C. Miller, a former journalist at the Los Angeles Times, 4 to train middle- and high-school teachers in “news literacy education,” or coaching students to distinguish between fact and fiction in the news media. NLP promotes its version of news literacy through teacher certification programs, promoting standards of practice for the news media, advocacy for the removal of what it labels “extremism and disinformation” on social media, and funding for nonprofit efforts that advance its mission. 5

In 2022, Alan Miller stepped down as CEO and was succeeded by Charles “Chuck” Salter, who had worked the previous four years as the president and COO of NLP. 6

Activism

Though claiming to be nonpartisan, 7 News Literacy Project adopts many of the left-of-center biases and priorities of the mainstream news media outlets that support it.

Similarly, NLP warns educators and students against “misinformation,” 8 a term it sometimes applies to good-faith policy disagreements. For example, NLP branded those who do not agree with left-wing opinions on climate change as believers in “climate misinformation.” 9

While calling on readers to disregard arguments based on personal attacks 10 NLP nonetheless promoted attacks on COVID-19 vaccine skeptics as “vaccine denialists.” 11

NLP focuses on left-of-center racial principles of “equity” of results over equality of treatment  12 along with promoting “inclusion and diversity” as one of its core organizational values. 13

Supporters

News Literacy Project is supported by more than 30 media organizations that publicly endorse its mission, host “news literacy” sessions for educators, or donate services or resources. Nearly all of the news media outlets supporting News Literacy Project are left-of-center, including “60 Minutes,” ABC News, the Associated Press, Buzzfeed, CBS News, Chicago Tribune, CNN, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, the New York Times, NPR, Politico, San Francisco Chronicle, Slate, Vice News, Vox Media, and the Washington Post. 14

News Literacy Project has also received donations from the MacArthur Foundation, 15 Apple, Max and Victoria Foundation, News Corp, Tegna Foundation, Argosy Foundation, Dow Jones Foundation, and the Grable Foundation. 16 It has also received support from Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, 17 and California billionaire couple Melanie and Richard Lundquist. 18

References

  1. “NLP Mission” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/about/mission/#nlp-mission.
  2. “Harms and Distrust: Honoring Historical Truths in the Classroom.” News Literacy Project. February 6, 2023. Accessed April 17. 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/harm-and-distrust-honoring-historical-truths-in-the-classroom/.
  3. Evon, Dan. “2022, the year in misinformation: News literacy takeaways.” News Literacy Project. December 20, 2022. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/2022-in-misinfo-news-literacy/.
  4. “Our founder.” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/founder/.
  5. “NLP Mission” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/about/mission/#nlp-mission
  6. Salter, Charles. “A message from our new CEO: Charles ‘Cuck’ Salter. July 12, 2022. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/a-message-from-our-new-ceo-charles-chuck-salter/
  7. “News Literacy Project.” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/.
  8. “Strategies for teaching about misinformation.” News Literacy Project. April 3, 2023. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/strategies-for-teaching-about-misinformation/.
  9. Evon, Dan. “2022, the year in misinformation: News literacy takeaways.” News Literacy Project. December 20, 2022. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/2022-in-misinfo-news-literacy/.
  10. “Ad hominem attacks go for the jugular instead of the facts.” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/tips-tools/news-lit-tip-ad-hominem/.
  11.  Evon, Dan. “2022, the year in misinformation: News literacy takeaways.” News Literacy Project. December 20, 2022. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/2022-in-misinfo-news-literacy/.
  12. “Harms and Distrust: Honoring Historical Truths in the Classroom.” News Literacy Project. February 6, 2023. Accessed April 17. 2023. https://newslit.org/updates/harm-and-distrust-honoring-historical-truths-in-the-classroom/.
  13. “Mission.” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/about/mission/.
  14. “Media Partners.” News Literacy Project. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://newslit.org/about/media-partners/.
  15. “News Literacy Project.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/news-literacy-project-44527/.
  16. “Your media literacy solution.” News Literacy Project: Checkology. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://get.checkology.org/.
  17. Harper, Amelia. “Jeff Bezos makes donation to media literacy organization.” K-12 Dive. January 26, 2018. Accessed April 17, 2023. https://www.k12dive.com/news/jeff-bezos-makes-donation-to-media-literacy-organization/515565/.
  18. Matthiessen, Connie. “To Combat an ‘Urgent Threat,’ a Donor Couples Makes a Big Commitment to News Literacy.” Inside Philanthropy. November 30, 2022. Accessed April 17,2023. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2022/11/30/to-combat-an-urgent-threat-a-donor-couple-makes-a-big-commitment-to-promoting-news-literacy.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 2011

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Jun Form 990 $4,605,501 $4,431,853 $7,737,537 $644,025 N $4,570,868 $15,052 $19,581 $590,781
    2020 Jun Form 990 $2,474,259 $3,894,293 $7,393,206 $535,885 N $2,207,700 $222,553 $44,006 $297,249 PDF
    2019 Jun Form 990 $9,385,705 $3,451,003 $8,571,437 $275,618 N $9,441,878 $108,980 $25,706 $273,077 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $1,456,745 $1,106,816 $2,438,583 $77,465 N $1,448,244 $16,577 $8,521 $136,117
    2017 Dec Form 990 $2,869,247 $1,785,240 $2,049,274 $81,527 N $2,835,617 $25,440 $8,190 $260,750
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,398,355 $1,276,583 $943,763 $60,023 N $1,250,127 $145,485 $2,743 $238,408
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,203,907 $1,223,374 $839,061 $77,093 N $1,100,952 $97,188 $5,767 $231,215 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,219,548 $1,145,720 $824,659 $43,224 N $1,062,103 $151,101 $6,344 $218,053 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,227,145 $943,652 $744,926 $37,319 N $1,174,448 $48,882 $3,815 $199,674 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,080,881 $827,790 $671,364 $247,250 N $984,239 $94,247 $2,395 $187,925 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $548,069 $377,046 $388,135 $217,112 N $526,702 $21,367 $0 $0 PDF

    News Literacy Project (NLP)


    Washington, DC