Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark Is Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is
*By Carlo Versano*
Craig Newmark, the founder of the ubiquitous listing site Craigslist, has a new role as patron of investigative journalism and has donated $40 million of his personal fortune to the cause. Now, he's making a plea to news outlets.
"Make me give more," he said Friday in an interview on Cheddar.
Newmark's latest [donation](https://www.motherjones.com/media/2018/08/craigslist-founder-craig-newmark-makes-1-million-gift-to-mother-jones/) of $1 million to the magazine Mother Jones came from the founder's desire to "stand up and do what I can to help protect the country," he said.
The spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories and a pressing need for better cybersecurity led Newmark to embark on a philanthropic tour, giving money to schools (CUNY's School of Journalism, Harvard's Kennedy School), publications (Columbia Journalism Review, Mother Jones) and platforms (Firefox, DonorsChoose.org) that he said work to promote responsible journalism, fact-checking, and STEM education.
"We're in a long-term war against some really, really bad people," he said.
Newmark said the U.S. is under attack from enemies both foreign and domestic that are using "hybrid warfare" to sow division in the population.
Safeguarding Americans against these forces should be the job of the government, he said.
"Where the government isn't going to do the job, other people can."
Ironically, Craigslist, which Newmark founded in 1995, is widely thought to be among the reasons the news industry is facing such dire financial straits. The free listing site lifted the concept of a newspaper classified and made it seem anachronistic in the digital age. The news media, for its part, was wholly unprepared for the shift.
But his philanthropic efforts have nothing to do with that, Newmark said.
"This is a matter of defending the country."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/craigslist-founder-on-protecting-the-press-this-is-my-war).
Merriam-Webster has fully revised its popular “Collegiate” dictionary with over 5,000 new words. They include “petrichor,” “dumbphone” and “ghost kitchen.” Also “cold brew,” “rizz,” “dad bod,” “hard pass,” “cancel culture” and more.
YouTube will offer creators a way to rejoin the streaming platform if they were banned for violating COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that are no longer in effect.
Lukas Alpert of MarketWatch explores how networks, brands, and ad buyers absorb the shockwaves when late‑night show hosts are suddenly cut — and brought back.
A new poll finds U.S. adults are more likely than they were a year ago to think immigrants in the country legally benefit the economy. That comes as President Donald Trump's administration imposes new restrictions targeting legal pathways into the country. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey finds Americans are more likely than they were in March 2024 to say it’s a “major benefit” that people who come to the U.S. legally contribute to the economy and help American companies get the expertise of skilled workers. At the same time, perceptions of illegal immigration haven’t shifted meaningfully. Americans still see fewer benefits from people who come to the U.S. illegally.
