Kansas Reflector is a left-of-center nonprofit news outlet reporting on politics and state-related issues. Through its op-eds, Kansas Reflector advocates for left-leaning issues while portraying Republicans as extremists. ¹

The Kansas Reflector is financed by States Newsroom (formerly the Newsroom Network). Before November 2019, States Newsroom was directly tied to the Hopewell Fund, one of the six major funds managed by Arabella Advisors. ²

Background

Kansas Reflector was founded by States Newsroom president Chris Fitzsimon in July 2020, in Topeka, Kansas. ³ 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. ⁴

Its reporting is focused on three topics: politics, civil rights, and the environment. It also hosts the Kansas Reflector Podcast, which promotes left-leaning topics such as abortion access, for example, “U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids on the fight for reproductive health care.” ⁵

The Kansas Reflector is composed of five staff members in Kansas and a team in Washington, D.C. reporting on federal policies. The group is led by editor-in-chief Sherman Smith. ⁶

Finances

Kansas Reflector receives funding from States Newsroom, a nonprofit media conglomerate and until 2019, a project of the Hopewell Fund. The Hopewell Fund sponsors left-wing advocacy groups such as Equity Forward (Equity Fwd), a pro-abortion organization. ²

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. ⁷

Most States Newsroom donors are left-leaning individuals or groups, including the Google News Initiative Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, which was created to “support the ecosystem fighting COVID-19 misinformation” and promote diversity through “team culture, recruiting, and reporting.” ⁸ Other left-leaning donors include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) government-worker union, the Minneapolis Foundation, the GroundTruth Project, the Network for Good, and the Wyss Foundation. ⁷

In 2019, States Newsroom received $1 million from the Wyss Foundation. ⁹ Between 2016 and 2017,  Wyss Foundation donated over $10 million to Sixteen Thirty Fund, one of the six major funds managed by Arabella Advisors. ¹⁰

Advocacy

Kansas Reflector has a “Left Bias” according to the watchdog organization Media Bias/Fact Check. Media Bias/Fact Check’s left-leaning bias rating is based on Kansas Reflector’s support for liberal causes, convenient omissions, and the frequent use of loaded words. ¹

Its articles negatively reflect conservative initiatives in Kansas and at the federal level, while positively describing left-leaning issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), LGBT issues, environmental policies, and gun control. ¹

Left-leaning editorial bias is most evident in articles such as “Kansas Democrats blast GOP physicians for pushing disinformation in debate on anti-trans bill,” ¹¹ “Kansas extremists can’t ban abortion. So they’ve decided to harass innocent women instead,” ¹² and “GOP lawmaker ejected and intimidated transgender Kansans. Her hearing was a disgrace. ”¹³

The Kansas Reflector 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, the reporting and sourcing is pursued with “an eye to diversity and inclusion.” ¹⁴

1.  Check, Media Bias Fact. “Kansas Reflector – Bias and Credibility.” Media Bias/Fact Check, May 26, 2023. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/kansas-reflector-bias/.
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. Association, Kansas Press. “Kansas Reflector to Debut with Free Content for Newspapers.” Kansas Press Association. https://kspress.com/news/2020/07/16/kansas-reflector-to-debut-with-free-content-for-newspapers.
4. “Newsrooms.” States Newsroom. https://statesnewsroom.com/newsrooms/.
5. “Podcasts Archive • Kansas Reflector.” Kansas Reflector. https://kansasreflector.com/podcasts/
6. “About • Kansas Reflector.” Kansas Reflector, February 28, 2024. https://kansasreflector.com/about/.
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9.  “OpenSecrets.” https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6827837-States-Newsroom-1023-Application-Materials.html
10. Vogel, Kenneth P., and Katie Robertson. “Top Bidder for Tribune Newspapers Is an Influential Liberal Donor.” The New York Times, April 13, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/business/media/wyss-tribune-company-buyer.html.
11. Smith, Sherman. “Kansas Democrats Blast GOP Physicians for Pushing Disinformation in Debate on Anti-Trans Bill • Kansas Reflector.” Kansas Reflector, March 8, 2024. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/07/kansas-democrats-blast-gop-physicians-for-pushing-disinformation-in-debate-on-anti-trans-bill/.
12. Wirestone, Clay. “Kansas Extremists Can’t Ban Abortion. So They’ve Decided to Harass Innocent Women Instead. • Kansas Reflector.” Kansas Reflector, March 9, 2024. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/08/kansas-extremists-cant-ban-abortion-so-theyve-decided-to-harass-innocent-women-instead/.
13.  Wirestone, Clay. “GOP Lawmaker Ejected and Intimidated Transgender Kansans. Her Hearing Was a Disgrace. • Kansas Reflector.” Kansas Reflector, March 7, 2024. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/04/a-lawmaker-ejected-and-threatened-transgender-kansans-her-hearing-was-a-disgrace/.
14. “DEI” States Newsroom, August 1, 2023. https://statesnewsroom.com/deij/.