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How Independent Journalists Can Save Democracy

TL;DR

This article is intended for independent journalists—podcasters, bloggers, pundits, and other unaffiliated voices working outside traditional media. The intent is to encourage you to actively lead your followers in structured efforts, using existing and proven methods, to engage with their  Trump-supporting friends and family. This will be a key part of saving our Democracy.

Our last chance to save democracy may lie in a grassroots movement—one that sparks a widespread awakening to the truth, exposes the con, and unites us against our real, shared enemies.  In short, we need to start talking to each other again. A loss of support for Trump might be the only way Congress will have the courage to slow him.

In the past, these conversations often failed or were avoided altogether. But as Trump’s second term begins, they may become easier—fueled by broken promises and the growing harm many will personally feel.

These conversations are difficult to navigate. The potential for frustration, missteps, and backlash is high. It’s not enough to simply tell your followers to talk to the misguided voters in their lives—they need structure, strategies, and insight. And they need you to guide and encourage them along the way.

In a perfect world, these conversations will create a feedback loop that grows your following, thus accelerating the movement.

This article will be updated and refined frequently

Note: With the primary goal of diminishing Trump’s support, this article focuses on Trump supporters within your followers’ circles. It can also apply to folks they know who are non-voters or those who have recently moved away from mainstream media or have otherwise checked out of politics since the Harris defeat.

This election was less about character and intelligence and more about the success of decades of increasingly advanced propaganda and disinformation, culminating in a highly sophisticated, well-funded, high-tech assault on our minds in 2024. In hindsight, it’s clear that Democrats and too many journalists had no idea what democracy was up against.

Trump and the oligarchs won. The Republicans will do little to check either. Conservative disinformation and foreign propaganda will surge while mainstream media will be further intimidated into whitewashing reality. The Democrats will remain feckless and powerless. 

Reducing Trump’s support may be the only way to give Congress the courage to push back against his assault on democracy. And the only way to do that is for everyday Americans to reclaim the friends and family who were misled into supporting him. That means we have to engage with the Trump supporters in our lives. So, yes, it falls to us regular folks to save America. If we don’t step up, no one else will—but we need help.

Unfortunately, many Americans are understandably repulsed by the idea of talking to their Trump-supporting friends and family right now, but Democracy desperately needs these conversations. Regardless of being hard-core MAGA or simply uninformed, his voters (and non-voters) were in the dark and we, unfortunately, let them rot there – let’s not make that mistake again.

The good news is that many Trump voters already regret their choice, and others will soon follow as the consequences of his second term set in.  It will be much easier to talk to them when they can actually see, and in some cases, feel the pain he is causing. We must use this moment to help them replace their misguided loyalties with a renewed commitment to collective well-being.

Further simplifying things is that these “conversations” don’t need to be overt attempts at returning Trump supporters to reality. They can be more about sowing the seeds that will help folks come around on their own.

But make no mistake, these conversations can be difficult – and this is where independent journalists can make a difference.

The Ask

Saving democracy will require a grassroots effort, and it’s critical that you, as independent journalists, podcasters, etc. drive this point home to your followers. They’ll need to understand their role in decreasing the divide, grounding people in reality, and amplifying the few remaining voices of truth. Independent journalists, encouraging and driving kitchen table conversations, might be our only hope.

However, for reasons outside the scope of this article, your followers may easily mishandle these conversations, leading to frustration and counterproductive outcomes. It’s not enough to tell your followers to run off and have the chats – they will need ongoing help.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel as there are already easily-digestible resources available to guide us through these conversations. It won’t take much effort to review them to determine those that will make sense for your audience.

You have the opportunity to help save democracy by reconnecting Americans with competent, truthful journalism. Below, we explore the reasoning behind this and how it could take shape on your platform.

How Independent Journalists Save Democracy

You Have the Trust that Institutions Have Lost

Many Americans, particularly those who distrust mainstream media, turn to independent journalists because they see them as more honest, aligned with their values, and free from institutional agendas. You have been vetted and trusted—your followers have invested in you. This trust gives you a unique ability to influence conversations in ways that traditional media cannot.

You Provide Clarity for these Conversations

You spend countless hours crafting thoughtful, fact-based content that enlightens your followers—now empower them to spread the message. Your reporting can inform, but when your followers strategically carry that clarity into conversations, it has the power to transform.

Disinformation Thrives in Silence—Your Audience Can Make Some Noise

Silence allows disinformation to take root. Many recognize their loved ones are consuming and spreading false narratives but feel powerless to address it. Without guidance, they either avoid the conversation entirely or engage in unproductive, frustrating debates that often backfire.

Our unwillingness to engage with Trump supporters only strengthens the influence of those who have captured them.

Expand Your Reach Beyond the Like-Minded

A major challenge for independent journalists is that their work often reaches only those who already share their views. While this strengthens and informs their existing audience, it does little to reach those who need it most. To be truly effective, independent journalists must find ways to reach beyond their usual audience—including those who wouldn’t normally subscribe.

Your followers collectively have far greater influence than you alone. If even a fraction of them—and those following other independent journalists—engage in meaningful conversations, the ripple effect can be profound.

Without this kind of outreach, independent journalism risks becoming an echo chamber rather than a catalyst for change.

Provide Continuous Encouragement

By guiding and equipping your followers, you empower them to start conversations that might never happen otherwise—and to stay engaged even when those discussions become difficult. When people feel supported, they are far more likely to persist.

Disinformation spreads through relentless repetition—counter it with relentless encouragement. The more you urge people to engage, the more likely they are to speak up.

 What This Might Look Like

Leverage existing tools and resources
    • Don’t reinvent the wheel [add a list of resources at the bottom and reference it here]
    • Identify which existing resources make sense for your audience and keep sharing these resources through your various mediums
    • Take your own deeper dive so that you can better help your audience
    • Resources can include:
      • How to have and maintain these conversations
      • Psychological insights (e.g., how people change their minds, identity-based political affiliations, the impact of anxiety and self-esteem, etc.).
      • Self-care strategies to avoid burnout.
Push the Message Regularly
    • Consistently encourage followers to reach out to friends and family—don’t just mention it occasionally.
    • Establish a dedicated time slot to encourage, provide a “tip of the day”, and share success stories
    • Push this on all your content mediums
Develop a Community Aspect
    • Followers could share experiences & strategies (through your social media, article replies, forums, etc.) to refine the approach.
    • Maintain a “small wins” campaign—stories of people making progress, even in small ways, to keep motivation high.
Expand your Content
    • Create space on your platform to support this effort
    • Link to various approaches to these conversation
    • Include references to supportive articles
    • Share success stories
    • The idea is to expand your content with minimal impact on your normal workload
Grow your Subscriber Base
    • The reach of the right-wing information bubble will expand and the disinformation and propaganda will get much worse
    • Platforms like BlueSky and Threads will likely follow the path of X/Twitter, while Facebook will continue to decline—leaving independent journalists with fewer ways to get their message out
    • The clarity you provide your followers is crucial—but it and they remain trapped in a bubble.
    • Encourage your followers to regularly share your content with friends and family—and to support independent journalism as a whole.

Conclusion:

This Is How We Defend Democracy

The decline of democracy isn’t just about bad policies or corrupt politicians—it’s about the erosion of truth and the manipulation of public perception. Many Trump voters are not unreachable, but they are surrounded by a closed-loop media environment designed to reinforce their beliefs. We must use this moment to help them replace their misguided loyalties with a renewed commitment to collective well-being.

Your journalism can provide facts, but personal conversations can challenge narratives at a deeper and more emotional level. By empowering your followers to engage, you’re extending your journalistic mission beyond reporting—you’re actively helping rebuild a culture of truth. Democracy isn’t defended from the top down; it’s saved through individual actions, repeated across millions of small but meaningful conversations. 

If there’s any hope for change, it won’t come from mainstream media. Hopefully, as an independent journalist, you’ll want to be part of a grassroots effort like this because it aligns with your anti-establishment, truth-seeking mindset. It could even grow your audience by tapping into a movement that people are hungry for.

Send any feedback or collaboration interest to:

admin@democracyrebooted.com