Mission

The American Independent News Network investigates and disseminates news that impacts public debate and advances the common good. To accomplish its mission, The American Independent News Network operates an independent online news network.   An informed citizenry is a fundamental principle of civil society and American democracy; in the words of the Supreme Court in Garrison v. Louisiana: “Speech concerning public affairs is more than self-expression; it is the essence of self government.”  Our reporting emphasizes the positive role of democratically elected government in securing the common good and social welfare, and the continuing benefits of our founding culture of egalitarian government by the people, for the people.

What We Do

The American Independent News Network is designed to enhance the stability of independent media by working with online journalists and blogs to support their ability to inform public debate through journalism that adheres to the highest standards of the profession. To accomplish this goal, the Network operates two program areas:

  • The New Journalist Training Program: Providing skills training and mentoring to bloggers and online journalists, state by state, this program aims to create a robust corps of individuals who can systematically report on issues critical to their communities, while adhering to the highest standards of professional journalism.
  • The New Journalist Editorial Program: Designed to pick up where the training program leaves off, the New Journalist editorial program provides talented online journalists with direct support to conduct original reporting. The majority are graduates of the training program.

Organization History

The American Independent News Network was founded as the Center for Independent Media on May 1, 2006, as a nonpartisan nonprofit organization. The center created the New Journalist Pilot Program to test the hypothesis that a melding of blog technology with the standards of professional journalism could produce original news and information, which in turn would contribute to diversifying public debate around issues of importance.

The New Journalist Pilot Program operated in two states — Colorado and Minnesota. Seventeen people participated in the program, collectively producing more than 2,200 original reports from July through October. A significant number of these reports triggered statewide and national attention, by drawing attention to important issues through the production of news that adhered to the standards of professional journalism. Approximately 29 million Americans were reached through the program, online and offline via television, radio, and newspapers picking up stories originated by CIM Fellows in the program.

Based on the successful performance of the New Journalist Pilot Program, a decision was made to expand operations and increase the number of programs. In May 2007, the CIM launched its third program, in Iowa. In September 2007, the Center launched its fourth program, in Michigan. A national program, based in Washington, D.C., was launched in January 2008, followed by a New Mexico program in April 2008.

In January 2010, CIM changed its name to The American Independent News Network to better reflect its mission as an online news network.

Each year, the senior team of The American Independent News Network establish goals for the organization. Here are the goals for 2011.

Board of Directors

David S. Bennahum is President and CEO of the American Independent News Network (AINN), which publishes a network of investigative news sites in six states and Washington D.C. AINN reaches over 500,000 readers a month. Reporters with AINN have won over 40 awards for excellence in journalism. David’s career in new media began as a founding writer with Wired magazine in 1994. His reporting on the rise of the Internet and its impact on our culture was published in The New York Times, New York magazine, and The Economist. David’s business career included guiding online strategy for several Fortune 500 corporations and partnership in a New York-based private equity fund that invested in next generation wireless mobile services. He is a magna cum laude 1990 graduate of Harvard University.

Eric Braverman, a partner with McKinsey & Company in Washington, D.C., leads McKinsey’s practice serving government on strategy in the United States.  Since joining McKinsey in 1997, Eric has become one of the Firm’s foremost experts on transformation of complex public institutions, leadership development and transition, and partnerships between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.  His expertise spans public finance, national security, intelligence, and defense.  Eric served as an advisor to President Obama’s transition team, and has spoken on leadership topics at many public venues, including several universities and OPM’s Forum on Developing Federal Executives for the 21st Century.  In 2009, Eric also conducted the first-ever survey of management performance across the U.S. government, which was widely reported in publications such as Government Executive and Federal Times, and which has been used to help other governments around the world to set their own performance strategies.  Eric holds a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale as well as a J.D. from the Yale Law School.

John Borthwick is an investor and entrepreneur in the process of creating a new early stage funding vehicle. John has an extensive history of creating and selling media, communications and technology businesses as well as investing in nascent technologies and early stage businesses, on behalf of America Online, Time Warner and individually. After graduation from The Wharton School in 1994, he founded Total New York, the first local online content directory. John led the business to profitability and sold it to America Online in 1997. He spent the next nine years driving Technology and Product Development, Strategy and Investments at AOL and then Time Warner, working directly with the Executive Management team. From 2003-2006 John was Senior Vice President of Technology for Time Warner. His New York-based team was responsible for working with Time Warner’s divisional CTOs to drive technology strategy across the company as well as lead technology partnerships with Microsoft, Google, HP, Intel and Sony. John holds an M.B.A. from Wharton (1994) and a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University (1987). He also sits on several advisory boards, including Coburn Ventures and Affinity.

Scott Nielsen is founder and principal of Alexander Nielsen Consulting. ANC partners with individual donors and foundations to develop and implement pragmatic social change strategies. Specific services include: strategic grantmaking, issue and field research, program design and management, program and field evaluation, and communications assistance. Nielsen’s fields of experience include civic engagement, issue advocacy, public policy, community development and advocacy, the arts, and academic social science and humanities disciplines. Prior to forming ANC, Nielsen was a program officer for 13 years at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago, including seven years in the MacArthur Fellows Program (“Genius Grants”). He is a graduate of Macalester College and holds a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago Divinity School.

Staff

John Amick, Managing Editor
John is the managing editor for AINN, as well as the editor for AINN’s 50-state site, The American Independent. John has worked for a variety of print and online publications, including WashingtonPost.com, Talking Points Memo and The Pitch (Kansas City, Mo.). In 2008, he won the Don Ranly Award from the Missouri Association of Publications for Best Magazine Single Written Article. He has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He lives in Washington, D.C.

David S. Bennahum, President & CEO
David is a former journalist and leading new media strategist, beginning with his role as a founding writer with Wired magazine in 1994, and a business career that included guiding online strategy for several Fortune 500 corporations and partnership in a New York-based private equity fund that invested in next generation wireless mobile services.

David was a founding writer and contributing editor of Wired magazine and the author of Extra Life: Coming of Age in Cyberspace (Basic Books; 1998). His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Economist, New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Lingua Franca, Slate, and Spin. David has also appeared on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, ABC News with Peter Jennings, CBS News with Dan Rather. Politically Incorrect, MTV, and The O’Reilly Factor on FOX News.

In 2000 David founded and launched New Things LLC, a private equity fund investing in wireless media and software services and served as an advisor or director to numerous successful Internet media companies, including Daily Candy and Media Bistro. Before founding New Things, David was executive vice president responsible for online strategy at APL Digital, the interactive division of Ammirati Puris Lintas, the world’s then seventh-largest advertising agency by billings; David and his creative team were responsible for landing the Dell Computer account, and creating the “Dell4me” campaign, which featured the first use of mass customization on a large scale through the Web, in 1999. David began his career in business as an analyst with McKinsey & Co. He is a 1990 graduate of Harvard College, magna cum laude.

Blake de Pastino, Executive Editor
Blake is a ten-year veteran of the alternative press, having worked as a reporter and editor at free weeklies in Albuquerque, Missoula, Phoenix, and Baltimore. Most recently he was editor at National Geographic News, the daily online news service of the National Geographic Society, where his field reporting and photographs were syndicated by the New York Times News Service. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Post Magazine, American Heritage, San Diego Union-Tribune, and various other papers throughout North America. He lives in Maryland.

Beth Eagle, Director of Operations
Beth Eagle comes to The American Independent News Network with a background in project management, fundraising, and event management. For the past 8 years, she worked for a fundraising consulting firm, most recently serving as the Vice President of Special Projects. Beth has lived in the Washington, D.C. area for over 12 years. She earned her BA from the University of Maryland in Government and Politics and her Masters from The George Washington University in Political Management. She lives in Maryland, with her husband, son, and dog.

Aubrey McCullen, Operations Coordinator
Aubrey hails from the Great Lakes State, where she earned her B.A. in International Relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University. Prior to joining The American Independent News Network in Fall 2010, Aubrey worked with an international travel insurance firm in Maryland. Aubrey assists the Director of Operations with advertising, office management, and is an invaluable resource to the senior team. She also works with AINN’s Outreach team on developmental projects.

Hanaa Rifaey, Publisher
Hanaa Rifaey brings a diverse background in outreach to the The American Independent News Network, with previous experience in advocacy organizations as well as on Capitol Hill.  Since moving to DC from the Pacific Northwest, she has managed programs and campaigns in a variety of issue areas including civil rights, health care, and climate change.  Hanaa received her undergraduate degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and her master’s degree at George Washington University in Washington, DC.  She enjoys searching for the perfect bowl of pho in her spare time.

Paul Schmelzer, Managing Editor
Paul Schmelzer is managing editor of The American Independent News Network. A freelance writer on art and activism, his interviews with activist Winona LaDuke, architect Cameron Sinclair, and artist Rirkrit Tiravanija appear in the book “Land, Art: A Cultural Ecology Reader.” A former editor at Adbusters and the Walker Art Center, he publishes Eyeteeth: A Journal of Incisive Ideas. Also a media writer, Paul won a Frank Premack Award for Public Affairs Journalism (2007) and Society of Professional Journalists’ Page One Awards (2006 and 2007) — the first time in the history of both awards that a journalist from a web-only publication has won.

Chelsi Warner, Development and Outreach Manager
Chelsi is a native of Kentucky, where she earned a B.A. in English from Centre College. Prior to joining The American Independent News Network, she worked in development for the Olney Theater Center in Olney, Maryland. In AINN’s Publishing Department, Chelsi focuses on fundraising and developing communications relationships. She lives in Bethesda, MD and thoroughly enjoys using the combination egg poacher/ toaster machine to perfect the AINNwich.

Kalindi Winfield, Media Manager
Kalindi comes to DC via London, where she worked in film footage at the Associated Press. With a background in American and international history (BA from Yale University, MA from Columbia University, and MSc from LSE) she has on-the-ground experience in voter education, minority rights, and sexual justice. At AINN, Kalindi handles promotional work and manages all-things social media, also acting as a liaison on collaborative projects. She was born and bred in Athens, GA and keeps a foot in Calcutta.

Mentors, Current and Past

  • Rowena Alegría, veteran of the Denver Post newsroom and current editor at the Spanish language weekly Viva Colorado; she is a communications consultant with her own company, Alegría Communications.
  • Roger Buoen, former deputy managing editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  • Jim Boyd, former deputy editorial page editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune for 25 years; former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, and winner of the 2005 media award from the American Academy of Diplomacy.
  • Tony Collings, former CNN Washington and foreign correspondent, former Newsweek London bureau chief, and current lecturer in communication studies at the University of Michigan.
  • Steve Doig, Knight Chair in Journalism at Arizona State University, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for his work at the Miami Herald.
  • Sandra Fish, instructor at Colorado University’s journalism school at Boulder.
  • Alan Fisk, former assistant city editor and investigative projects editor, the Detroit News, currently an instructor at Oakland University’s School of Journalism.
  • Kay Jarvis, former deputy managing editor, the Denver Post.
  • Bill Maurer, former managing editor of the Des Moines Register and Tribune and current editor of DSM, a culture magazine for the Des Moines metro area.
  • Mark Neuzil, associate professor of journalism and mass communication and environmental studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
  • Steve Perry, former editor of the Minneapolis alternative weekly, City Pages.
  • Herb Strentz, professor emeritus and former dean, Drake University School of Journalism in Iowa.