Rewire.News (Rewire) is an online media outlet which covers abortion-related issues from a pro-abortion perspective. It was named RH Reality Check from its 2009 founding through 2016. 1 Its Board Chairman is president of Planned Parenthood Arizona. 2
It was founded by the United Nations Foundation and went independent in 2012. 3 The UN Foundation was founded by media mogul Ted Turner in 1998 in support of the United Nations, though it is an independent organization. 4 Rewire has received substantial financial support from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, a foundation associated with Warren Buffett that is reportedly the largest private funder of abortion advocacy, reproductive health, and family planning worldwide. 5
Its coverage is influenced by other left-leaning objectives such as looser immigration policies, support for LGBT interests, and increased environmental regulations. 67
On July 29, 2019, President and Editor-in-Chief Jodi Peterson announced that Rewire reduced staff in light of budget challenges. 8
Funding
Rewire’s funding is primarily from large donors. Over $3.5 million of its $3.63 million in revenues in 2016 came from two donors. 9 Its revenue has been inconsistent; its 2015 revenue was just over $1.1 million, while 2014 revenue totaled nearly six million dollars. 10
One of Rewire’s major funders is the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. Founded by billionaire investor Warren Buffett on behalf of his late wife, the Foundation provides substantial funding for Rewire, making grants to the group of approximately $3 million annually from 2015 through 2017. 11121314
The Educational Foundation of America gave $25,000 to Rewire in 2014 and 2015. 1516 The Compton Foundation gave $50,000 in 2012. 17 The David and Lucile Packard Foundation provided Rewire $200,000 or $250,000 each year from 2014 to 2019. 18
Rewire was also listed by Democracy Fund in a June 2018 report as a top recipient of journalism funding dedicated to racial minorities, women, and “LGBTQI” communities. 19
Rewire began reducing staff in July 2019. 20 It has faced challenges from its union in light of the reductions. 21 22
Advocacy
Rewire provides reporting and commentary supporting abortion access and related issues such as contraception access, with a left-of-center perspective related to these core issues as well as economics, immigration, and social justice. 23
It grew rapidly from three staff and 5,000 monthly readers in 2012 to 30 staff and 800,000 monthly readers by 2016. 24
It also reported limited policy lobbying on its 2015 tax returns. 25 That year, Rewire posted “six campaign actions” on its website and sent the information to one of its e-mail lists. Rewire asked its supporters to oppose a ban on most abortions at 20 week’s gestation, to oppose the bipartisan Hyde Amendment (longstanding legislative language prohibiting federal funding of abortions except in very limited circumstances) in multiple bills, asking then-Senate Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to support then-President Barack Obama’s deal with Iran, asking President Obama to raise taxes by executive action, and asking Tennessee lawmakers to pass health care legislation called Insure Tennessee.
Leadership
Rewire president and editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson earned over $240,000 in 2015. 26 She previously spent her career in leadership roles in groups which advocate for left-leaning, abortion-related policies. 27
Vice President and managing editor Regina Mahone was previously a staff writer for Philanthropy News Digest. 28 Rewire’s other vice president and managing editor, Kat Jercich, has a background in liberal advocacy journalism. 29
Rewire’s Board of Directors is made up of abortion advocates and specialized professionals. Board Chair Bryan Howard is president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, Inc. and since 1997 been in senior roles with Planned Parenthood’s Arizona affiliates. 30
References
- Rewire, 2017 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rewire-FY16-Public-Disclosure-Copy-Form-990.pdf
- Rewire, Board of Directors, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/board-of-directors/
- Jodi Jacobson, “A note to our readers and supporters: Transitions at Rewire.News,” July 29, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/article/2019/07/29/a-note-to-our-readers-and-supporters-transitions-at-rewire-news/
- UN Foundation, Mission, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://unfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-mission/
- Callahan, David. “Keeping Tabs on the Billions and Billions That Warren Buffett Is Giving Away.” Inside Philanthropy. Inside Philanthropy, August 31, 2018. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2017/7/13/keeping-tabs-on-the-billions-and-billions-that-warren-buffett-is-giving-away
- Rewire, FAQ, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/about-us/faq/
- Rewire, 2016 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rewire-FY16-Public-Disclosure-Copy-Form-990.pdf
- Jodi Jacobson, “A note to our readers and supporters: Transitions at Rewire.News,” July 29, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/article/2019/07/29/a-note-to-our-readers-and-supporters-transitions-at-rewire-news/
- Rewire, 2016 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rewire-FY16-Public-Disclosure-Copy-Form-990.pdf
- Rewire, 2015 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rewire-FY15-Final-Public-Disclosure-Copy-Form-990.pdf
- Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015, Part XV Line 3
- Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Part XV Line 3
- Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part XV Line 3
- ProPublica, The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation 2017 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/476032365/201801239349101070/IRS990PF
- The Education Foundation of America, 2015 Reproductive Health Justice Committee Grants, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://theefa.org/past-grants-1/2017/3/24/2015-reproductive-health-justice-committee-grants
- The Education Foundation of America, 2014 Reproductive Health Justice Committee Grants, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://theefa.org/past-grants-1/2017/3/24/2014-reproductive-health-justice-committee-grants
- Compton Foundation, General Support Rewire grant, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://www.comptonfoundation.org/grants/general-support-32/
- The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Details on 2019 grant to Rewire, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/rewire-news-5/
- Katie Donnelly, Jessica Clark, “Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in journalism,” June 2018. Accessed August 28, 2019. http://democracy.issuelab.org/resources/30954/30954.pdf
- Jodi Jacobson, “A note to our readers and supporters: Transitions at Rewire.News,” July 29, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/article/2019/07/29/a-note-to-our-readers-and-supporters-transitions-at-rewire-news/
- Alexa Moutevelis Coombs, “Reality check: Pro-abortion ‘Rewire News’ site under fire for union layoffs,” July 31, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2019. https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/culture/alexa-moutevelis-coombs/2019/07/31/reality-check-pro-abortion-news-site-under-fire
- Emma Gray, “In the midst of a reproductive rights crisis, we’ve lost more watchdogs,” July 31, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rewire-news-layoffs_n_5d4179e4e4b0d24cde08913e
- Rewire, About Us, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/about-us/
- Teal Media, Rewire.News case study, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://tealmedia.com/work/rewire/
- Rewire, 2015 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rewire-FY15-Final-Public-Disclosure-Copy-Form-990.pdf
- Rewire, 2015 990, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rewire-FY15-Final-Public-Disclosure-Copy-Form-990.pdf
- Rewire, Jodi Jacobson, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/author/jodi-jacobson/
- Rewire, Regina Mahone, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/author/regina-mahone/
- Rewire, Kat Jercich, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://rewire.news/author/kat-jercich/
- LinkedIn, Bryan Howard profile, Accessed August 28, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-howard-12559840/