A small nonprofit office in Arcata has recently found itself at the center of a national controversy. This began when Internews, an organization that claims to support independent journalism worldwide, was scrutinized. This was from sources such as conservative news outlets, and social media personalities. Also, Wikileaks, a non-profit media organization and publisher of leaked documents is funded by donations and media partnerships.
It was discovered that Internews was getting funding from the government. Specifically, an agency called USAID, the United States Agency for International Development. It is an independent agency that the United States government has been responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance since 1961. It helps countries recover from disasters, escape poverty, strengthen democracy, and in this case, help fund Internews.
Founded in 1982, Internews presents itself as a champion of independent journalism. It is a media support nonprofit organization that works in over one hundred countries. Internews trains journalists, advances internet freedom, and helps media outlets become financially sustainable so that everyone can have trustworthy information to make informed decisions. They have offices in Washington DC, London, and Paris, and regional hubs in Bangkok, Kyiv, and Nairobi, however, they claim Arcata to be the headquarters.
This has caused growing concerns about its potential influence on media narratives because of government bias. Because of the local Internews office, this issue has made its way here to Arcata.
For years, they have said they support independent journalism. However, they have also been involved in obtaining large amounts of money from outside sources such as USAID. The funding forms show that over 800 million dollars have been given to them by the government since 2008.
Because of the multiple Internews locations, this sort of thing with USAID is happening both nationally and locally. Arcata has also been involved, including here at the office on the 7th Street location.
This situation is being looked at by both sides. Those who believe that Internews is completely in the wrong, and those who believe that Internews is not at fault. While officially an independent nonprofit, the agency may be funneling money to the media to influence what stories are covered and how they are covered. Some analysts and critics argue that so much funding from the U.S. government means that it is likely that the Internews is an extension of U.S. foreign policy, and with such a large percentage of its funding coming from the US government, and its alleged role in content moderation, there must be corruption. On the contrary, supporters say the Internews helps strengthen journalism in fragile democracies.
Amongst the Internews story, there have also been other scandals going on with USAID. It has since gotten its funding cut by 83 percent by DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency. This was done to cut government funding. Elon Musk, the DOGE leader, has said it is a “criminal organization” and it was “time for it to die”. However, on March 5th, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must release billions of USAID payments to contractors.
Some people are very angry, saying that because Internews claims to support independent journalism, but receives 80 percent of its profit from the government, it may be used to push political agendas. Critics are extremely concerned about its role in shaping media narratives and pushing political biases on said “independent journalism” This anger of the public has resulted in vandalism of the local office. No one is willing to speak about this issue because people got so upset that employees have been advised to stay home and not speak on the matter due to concerns about their safety. This has resulted in the office being permanently closed and the credibility and reputation of Internews being seriously damaged.
