The Markup

Background

The Markup initially operated as a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy, a nonprofit that provides administrative support to left-of-center advocacy initiatives. It was co-founded by journalists Julia Angwin and Jeff Larson, both formerly of ProPublica, along with Sue Gardner, former executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation. The organization announced its formation in September 2018 with initial funding commitments, including a major gift from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. ^{3  4  5}

In April 2019, Angwin was removed as editor-in-chief, leading to much of the editorial staff resigning in protest. Angwin claimed her removal was due to her opposition to shifting the mission toward advocacy against technology companies. Gardner and Larson asserted the reason was delays in hiring and launch timelines. Funders, led by Newmark, announced a reassessment of support. By May 2019, Gardner and Larson had departed, and in August 2019 Angwin was reinstated as editor-in-chief with a new leadership team, including Nabiha Syed as president. The original editorial staff returned. ^{5  6  7  8}

The site launched in 2020 with investigations into algorithms and data practices. Angwin departed in February 2023. Sisi Wei became editor-in-chief before transitioning to chief impact officer. In April 2024, The Markup was acquired by CalMatters, a left-of-center nonprofit news organization focused on California politics and policy. ^{9  2}

Investigative Reporting and Advocacy

The Markup is a left-of-center nonprofit news organization that conducts investigations into technology’s effects on society, organized into series and tools that examine specific issues. ¹

The Markup’s investigations into privacy and tracking include Blacklight, a tool that scans websites for tracking technologies such as third-party cookies and fingerprinting; Pixel Hunt, which tracks the Meta Pixel and similar trackers sending data from sensitive sites like health and tax portals to advertising platforms; and a broader Privacy category covering online surveillance and data sharing. These reports have exposed tracking on sensitive websites, leading to class-action lawsuits, congressional inquiries, and removals of trackers by companies. Citizen Browser collects data from Facebook users to analyze content amplification and ad targeting, revealing proxy targeting by race or politics. ^{10  11  12}

Reports on platform practices and algorithms cover Amazon’s Advantage, examining how Amazon prioritizes its own products in search results; Machine Learning, investigating biases in predictive policing, tenant screening, and child welfare systems; Working for an Algorithm, focusing on risks for workers who use platforms like Uber due to delayed safety responses; and Organ Failure, highlighting biases in organ transplant allocation. Still Loading documents broadband disparities, asserting slower speeds at the same prices in lower-income areas, contributing to FCC rules on digital discrimination. Amazon investigations have contributed to antitrust discussions on self-preferencing. ^{13  14  15  16  17}

Additional series include Languages of Misinformation, which studies so-called “misinformation” spread in non-English immigrant communities like Vietnamese speakers, and emphasizes bilingual publishing. ¹⁸

Financials

In 2024, Markup News Inc. reported revenue of $609,669, with contributions comprising $585,509 (96 percent) and investment income $19,710 (3.2 percent). Expenses totaled $4,456,142, including executive compensation of $873,726 (19.6 percent of expenses) and other salaries and wages of $1,176,611 (26.4 percent). The organization reported a net loss of $3,846,473 and net assets of $48,625. ¹⁹

In prior years, revenue was higher: $4,306,050 in 2023, $4,285,481 in 2022, and $6,862,028 in 2021, primarily from contributions. Expenses exceeded revenue in 2022 and 2023, leading to declining net assets. The 2024 acquisition by CalMatters occurred after this fiscal period. ¹⁹

People

As of December 2025, Neil Chase is chief executive officer of CalMatters, which acquired the Markup. He previously worked as executive editor at the Mercury News and East Bay Times, and worked as a journalist at the San Francisco Examiner, Arizona Republic, CBS MarketWatch, and the New York Times. ²⁰

As of December 2025, Kristen Go is editor-in-chief of CalMatters, a role she assumed in May 2023. She previously held positions including vice president and executive editor of news and initiatives at USA TODAY, and worked in leadership and reporting roles at the San Francisco Chronicle and Arizona Republic. ²¹