In a stark assessment of the American media landscape, a Guardian US columnist has expressed profound relief at working for a reader-funded publication, contrasting it with outlets facing intense pressure from billionaire proprietors and the Trump administration.
A Perfect Storm of Pressure on US Media
The columnist, Moira Donegan, describes a US media environment increasingly swayed by competing incentives. On one side, billionaire ownership has consolidated, with figures like Jeff Bezos at the Washington Post and the Trump-aligned Ellison family at Paramount and CBS exerting influence over editorial direction and opinion sections.
On the other, the administration of President Donald Trump has applied direct pressure, using a combination of aggressive defamation lawsuits and regulatory threats against critical coverage. Examples cited include a vast settlement extracted from CBS over an edit to a Kamala Harris interview and a lawsuit against the New York Times.
The Guardian's Model as a Bulwark
"The Guardian has never – and would never – ask me to pull a punch," Donegan states, highlighting the paper's unique position. She attributes this integrity directly to its funding model, being supported by readers rather than a wealthy owner.
This structure, she argues, frees the publication from the need to flatter powerful interests or shape coverage based on political expediency. "It is you, not a billionaire, that we answer to," she writes, addressing Guardian supporters directly.
A Declining Landscape for Independent Journalism
The result of these dual pressures on other outlets, Donegan observes, has been a palpable decline in quality and courage. Fearful of legal retaliation and unwilling to challenge prevailing narratives, some major organisations have softened their coverage.
"As the media continues to flounder... there are fewer and fewer places where I would be able to do this kind of work," she concludes, framing the Guardian's reader-supported model as not just an alternative, but a vital necessity for preserving a truly free press.
The column, published on Friday, December 19, 2025, coincides with the Guardian's year-end fundraising appeal, underscoring the direct link between public financial support and its editorial independence.
