Iowa Capital Dispatch is a left-of-center media outlet covering government policies and state-related issues. It largely argues against Republican politicians and conservative policies, while promoting left-leaning positions such as affirming LGBT interests and gun control. ¹

Its parent organization is States Newsroom (formerly the Newsroom Network), one of the largest state-focused media organizations in the United States. Until November 2019, it was a fiscally sponsored project of the Hopewell Fund, one of the major left-of-center advocacy funds managed by Arabella Advisors. ²

Background

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was founded by States Newsroom president Chris Fitzsimon in January 2020 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. ³ Iowa Capital Dispatch is composed of five Iowa-based staff and five reporters assigned to the Washington, D.C. bureau. The group is led by editor-in-chief Kathie Obradovich, the former editor of the Des Moines Register and a leading political reporter in Iowa. ⁴

Its articles focus on government policies and state-related issues across five categories: government, agriculture, health care, justice, and education. ⁵

It is one of the 39 “newsrooms” under the umbrella of States Newsroom, which also partners with 11 media groups to cover all 50 states. ⁶

Finances

The Iowa Capital Dispatch receives direct funding from States Newsroom, a nonprofit media conglomerate and former project of the Hopewell Fund. ⁷

States Newsroom lists the names of donors contributing over $1,000, which includes large donor advised funds (DAF) such as the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, the Schwab Charitable Fund, the American Endowment Foundation (AEF), and the J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund. ⁸

Most of its donors are left-leaning individuals or groups, such as the Google News Initiative Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, which was created to “support the ecosystem fighting COVID-19 misinformation” and promote diversity in “team culture, recruiting, and reporting.” ⁹

Other left-leaning donors include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Minneapolis Foundation, the GroundTruth Project, the Network for Good, and the Wyss Foundation. ¹⁰

Editorial Positioning

Iowa Capital Dispatch has a “Left Bias” according to the watchdog organization Media Bias/Fact Check. The left-leaning bias is reflected in its support for liberal causes, convenient omissions, and negative reporting against conservative policies and politicians. ¹¹

The group’s bias is most prevalent in its op-eds, which have opposed Republican-led legislation in articles such as “A teacher has a few questions about Iowa lawmakers’ proposal to arm school employees,” ¹² “Lawmakers need a history lesson on the rise of autocrats and fascists,” ¹³ and “Ruling on Iowa book ban exposes falsity of backers’ claims.” ¹⁴

Iowa Capital Dispatch supports left-leaning initiatives such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), expanding gun restrictions, and LGBT issues in articles such as “As DEI debate stokes conflicts, let’s just call it ‘equitable education’,” ¹⁵ “Gun control fails quickly in Congress after each mass shooting, but states often act – including to loosen gun laws,” ¹⁶ and “Sports remain hostile territory for LGBTQ Americans.” ¹⁷

DEI Advocacy

The Iowa Capital Dispatch implements Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), hiring practices and uses such criteria when selecting stories to pursue, choosing sources to consult, and crafting language. According to States Newsroom, reporting and sourcing is pursued with “an eye to diversity and inclusion.” ¹⁸

1. Check, Media Bias Fact. “Iowa Capital Dispatch – Bias and Credibility.” Media Bias/Fact Check, May 26, 2023. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/iowa-capital-dispatch/.
2. “Pew’s Stateline Finds a New Home with Nonprofit States Newsroom.” Nieman Lab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/03/pews-stateline-finds-a-new-home-with-nonprofit-states-newsroom/.
3. “States Newsroom Network.” NewsGuard, August 16, 2021. https://www.newsguardtech.com/feedback/publisher/states-newsroom-network/.
4. The troubling new void in local journalism — and the nonprofits trying to fill it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2021/12/06/media-states-newsroom-government/
5.  “Home • Iowa Capital Dispatch.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, July 14, 2021. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/.
6. “Newsrooms.” States Newsroom. https://statesnewsroom.com/newsrooms/.
7. “Pew’s Stateline Finds a New Home with Nonprofit States Newsroom.” Nieman Lab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/03/pews-stateline-finds-a-new-home-with-nonprofit-states-newsroom/.
8. “Supporters.” States Newsroom, May 16, 2023. https://statesnewsroom.com/support/.
9.  “Impact Report.” Google News Initiative. https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/de-de/impact/#partnerships.
10. “Supporters.” States Newsroom, May 16, 2023. https://statesnewsroom.com/support/.
11. Check, Media Bias Fact. “Iowa Capital Dispatch – Bias and Credibility.” Media Bias/Fact Check, May 26, 2023. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/iowa-capital-dispatch/.
12. Finney, Daniel P. “A Teacher Has a Few Questions about Iowa Lawmakers’ Proposal to ARM School Employees • Iowa Capital Dispatch.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, February 26, 2024. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/02/26/a-teacher-has-a-few-questions-about-iowa-lawmakers-proposal-to-arm-school-employees/.
13. O’Donnell, Thomas R. “Lawmakers Need a History Lesson on the Rise of Autocrats and Fascists • Iowa Capital Dispatch.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, March 4, 2024. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/02/lawmakers-need-a-history-lesson-on-the-rise-of-autocrats-and-facists/.
14. Tibbetts, Ed. “Ruling on Iowa Book Ban Exposes Falsity of Backers’ Claims. • Iowa Capital Dispatch.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, January 9, 2024. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/01/09/ruling-on-iowa-book-ban-exposes-falsity-of-backers-claims/.
15. Bugeja, Michael. “As DEI Debate Stokes Conflicts, Let’s Just Call It ‘equitable Education’ • Iowa Capital Dispatch.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, January 7, 2024. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/01/07/as-dei-debate-stokes-conflicts-lets-just-call-it-equitable-education/.
16. Poliquin, Christopher. “Gun Control Fails Quickly in Congress after Each Mass Shooting, but States Often Act – Including to Loosen Gun Laws • Iowa Capital Dispatch.” Iowa Capital Dispatch, March 26, 2021. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/03/28/gun-control-fails-quickly-in-congress-after-each-mass-shooting-but-states-often-act-including-to-loosen-gun-laws/.
17. Rachel Allison and Chris Knoester. “Sports Remain Hostile Territory for LGBTQ Americans.” The Conversation, May 8, 2024. https://theconversation.com/sports-remain-hostile-territory-for-lgbtq-americans-157948.
18. “DEI” States Newsroom, August 1, 2023. https://statesnewsroom.com/deij/.