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Welcome to The 19th*
A century ago, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution made voting, our country’s most fundamental mode of civic participation, a right regardless of gender. But this watershed moment in our democracy excluded millions of women, particularly women of color, from the ballot box for generations. And the reality is suffrage remains a work in progress for many in this country, particularly people living in states where voter suppression exists and tens of thousands of transgender Americans who face barriers to voting.
Today, women make up more than half of the American electorate and are more engaged than ever in our politics — marching on state capitols, voting at higher rates than men, and running for local office and seeking the presidency in record numbers. Yet they remain underrepresented in government and in the nation’s executive ranks. Women and LGBTQ+ people are also underrepresented in politics and policy journalism and in newsroom leadership, which influences what stories are told, how the news is covered and whose voices are elevated.
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82.7 million
Number of women who voted in 2020 — nearly 10 million more than men
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26.9%
Seats in Congress held by women in 2021
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8.6%
Percentage of state legislators who are women of color
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378,000
Number of transgender people who could be turned away at the polls in 2020 because they lack an ID to vote
In short: The 19th Amendment remains unfinished business, a fact we acknowledge in our logo with an asterisk — a visible reminder of those who have been omitted from our democracy. The expansion of the franchise continues today, and The 19th aims to capture this ongoing American story.
The 19th was founded in 2020 by Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora, longtime journalists who believed the news was not representative enough.
Our goal is to empower women and LGBTQ+ people — particularly those from underrepresented communities — with the information, resources and tools they need to be equal participants in our democracy. We will do this through:
- Free-to-consume and free-to-republish journalism that reimagines politics and policy coverage through a gender lens.
- Deep-dive, evidence-based reporting that exposes gender inequity and injustice, and reveals surprising and original stories on the issues that most deeply affect the lives of women and LGBTQ+ people, from health care to the economy.
- A digital platform for civil conversations and community building, and national events that bring our readers into direct contact with their elected officials.
- A newsroom that reflects the racial, ideological, socioeconomic and gender diversity of American voters, and is devoted to covering everyone with empathy.
Here’s what you won’t find at The 19th: Cheap shots or cheerleading. Opinion or false equivalency. Partisanship. Horse-race politics. Turn-of-the-screw stories. Clickbait. (Sorry, not sorry.)
How We’re Funded
The 19th is a nonprofit newsroom supported by a mix of membership, philanthropy and corporate underwriting. Our goal is long-term sustainability to support a lasting future for news and information at the intersection of gender, politics and policy.
All of the money we raise goes back into our journalism — and we list all donors and corporate sponsors who’ve given $25,000 or more on our website. Any donor or sponsor at this level who’s mentioned in a story will be identified in that story.
Donors and sponsors don’t get a thumb on the scale; they play no role in our journalism, in our storytelling or in the planning and execution of our events.
Our Values
The 19th aims to be a source of news and information for those who have been underserved by and underrepresented in American media. Among our values:
- Our reporting will be rooted in facts, data, evidence and excellence
- It will be independent — we don’t peddle both sides-ism
- It will aim to advance human rights, civil rights, racial justice and gender equity through storytelling that exposes disparities and empathizes with the lived experiences of those we cover.
- Our journalism — and our staff — will strive to reflect the nation’s diversity
- Our readers will be our community; we don’t believe in one-way conversations, and engaging with our audience is in our DNA
- We believe in constructive and civil dialogue — and that kindness is the best starting point
- Finally, we’ll be transparent: Our readers deserve to know how our journalism is funded and who’s supporting our work
Our Leadership Team
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Emily Ramshaw is our CEO and co-founder. She was previously editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, and started her career as an investigative reporter at The Dallas Morning News. She serves on the boards of the Pulitzer Prize, Austin’s Paramount Theater, and Cityside, a consortium of Bay Area newsrooms. In 2020 she was named to Fortune’s “40 Under 40″ list. Read more
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Julia B. Chan is our editor in chief. A veteran multi-platform journalist, she held newsroom leadership positions at KQED in the Bay Area, Mother Jones, Reveal for the Center for Investigative Reporting and the San Francisco Examiner. Julia serves on the board of the Asian American Journalists Association and is a founder of the Journalists of Color Slack community. She’s a proud alum of San Francisco State University and … Read more
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Errin Haines is our editor-at-large. An award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of experience, Errin was previously a national writer on race for the Associated Press. She’s also worked at the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. … Read more
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Jayo Miko Macasaquit is our chief people officer. Before joining The 19th, Jayo led equity-centered human resources processes at organizations like Mother Jones and the Oakland Public Education Fund. Jayo was a 2019 Equity in Leadership Fellow at the Surge Institute and holds an MFA in Writing from the California College of the Arts. Read more
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Fatima Hessabi is our chief financial officer, with more than 17 years of experience in finance and accounting. She holds an MBA from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and received her undergraduate degree in managerial economics and sociology-organizational studies, also from UC Davis. Read more
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I’m Clarice Bajkowski, the 19th’s Chief Creative Officer. I’m passionate about innovative storytelling and creating brands that resonate deeply with communities. My journey in design began with drawing, painting, lettering, and solving design problems—this unique blend of visual arts guides everything I do. With over 20 years in design, advertising, and brand strategy, I’m committed to … Read more
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Emily Swelgin is our chief product officer. Emily previously worked in visual journalism and user experience design at The Texas Tribune, The Washington Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Read more
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Anne Musial is our chief development officer. She has over two decades of experience helping nonprofits and visionary political leaders maximize their success through effective fundraising and communication strategies. Prior to The 19th, she worked in philanthropy and politics at consulting firms in Austin and Los Angeles. Read more
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Alexandra Smith is our chief strategy officer. She has a decade of experience working at the intersection of audience, product and news, previously working at the media startup WhereBy.Us and local newspapers The (Fort Collins) Coloradoan and the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press. Read more
Our Board of Directors
Jessica Lessin (Board Chair)
Founder and CEO, The Information
Sarah Adler
Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The New York Times, Co-Founder of Spoon University
Bradley Akubuiro
Partner, Bully Pulpit Interactive
Deb Asrate
Senior Vice President, Corporate Reputation, MSL Group
Katy Drake Bettner
Co-Founder, Playful Corp, and Producer, BetRed Stories
Katherine Boo
Journalist and Editor at The New Yorker
Gina Chua
Executive Editor, Semafor
Tamara Kreinen
Philanthropic and Strategic Adviser
Sarah Longwell
Publisher, The Bulwark
Susan McPherson
Founder and CEO, McPherson Strategies
Michelle Mercer
Philanthropist, Board Member
Mi-Ai Parrish
Managing Director, ASU Media Enterprise, and Professor, Cronkite School of Journalism
Tasneem Raja
Editor-in-Chief, The Oaklandside
Emily Ramshaw
Co-founder and CEO, The 19th
Alex Schmider
Filmmaker and Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD
Ann Walker Marchant
CEO, the Walker Marchant Group
Our Financials
The 19th is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Review our annual financial statements below.