45% of US Independent Arts Publications Face Existential Crisis, Report Finds

In addition to declining funding, the survey identified a disturbing correlation between censorship concerns and financial precarity.

Nearly half of independent publications covering arts and culture in the United States said their business models will not be sustainable without “profound changes” to the current funding landscape, according to a report from Critical Minded and the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation released this week.

The new survey notably identifies a disturbing correlation between censorship concerns, including external pressure from advertisers and sponsors, and financial precarity. The 41% of respondents who said they faced free-speech pressures or threats in the last two years were more likely to report funding declines, throwing into stark relief how what outlets choose to cover — or not — may determine whether they can pay staff and contributors, or keep the lights on altogether.

“Support for Arts and Culture Journalism: A Survey of Independent Publications in the United States” polled 141 independent outlets that cover the arts on issues impacting the field and strategies used to address them. The anonymized respondents are based in 34 states and the District of Columbia, with the highest concentration (38.2%) in the Northeast, and reach an average annual audience of about half a million.