From start-up to staying power: The 19th’s next chapter

In the span of five short years, The 19th has grown from a start-up newsroom to a trusted national voice at the intersection of gender, politics, policy and power. We’ve built one of the most diverse and equity-centered teams in journalism. And we’ve done it with an unwavering commitment to the people our industry has too often overlooked.

Now, as we move from our founding phase into one focused on long-term sustainability and service, we’re excited to share what’s next: a three-year strategic plan that will guide The 19th through this next chapter.

This plan is the result of a year-long process that included every corner of our community — our staff, our board, our readers, our partners and stakeholders. It’s rooted in deep listening and shared values. And it’s designed to help us become more nimble, more adaptable and more responsive to our readers’ needs — amid a volatile political environment and unprecedented media disruption. 

At the heart of this plan is a renewed commitment to our core: gender and its many intersections — with race, ethnicity, class, disability. From our journalism to our visuals to the ways we connect with you, that lens will guide our storytelling and our strategy.

Some of the changes we’ll be making in the coming months may feel familiar, because many of them are playing out across our industry. As the platforms we rely on shift under our feet, we’re reimagining how we reach our audiences and how we build community with them. That may mean new coverage areas, new news delivery methods, new newsletters and video products, and even a newsroom restructuring — so we can respond more meaningfully to the issues our readers care about most.

We’re also investing more deeply in growth — not for scale alone, but to ensure our journalism reaches and resonates with far more of the people who need it most. Over the next three years, we aim to double our total audience across platforms, while nearly tripling our ranks of members and newsletter subscribers. 

Finally, we announced in January the launch of our first-ever endowment campaign, a $30 million initiative aimed at helping to ensure The 19th’s financial resilience for the long haul. At a time when the preservation of a free press has never felt more essential, we believe that long-term sustainability is its own form of independence. 

The 19th was founded to serve women and LGBTQ+ people — especially those historically excluded from the promise of our namesake 19th Amendment — with journalism that is trustworthy, representative and rooted in lived experiences. That mission remains our north star. And all of the elements of our strategic plan — laid out in greater detail here —  are in service of one core truth: You, our readers, are our priority. 

As The 19th adapts and evolves, we’ll keep showing up in the way you’ve told us you need us to: as your relatable guide to an unequal nation. We’ll continue to report fearlessly on the forces shaping our democracy. And we’ll keep designing products and experiences that help you make sense of it all. 

This next chapter of The 19th starts now. Join us. We can’t do it without you.