Liberal Megadonors Plan To Dump Tens Of Millions Into Astroturfing New Media

A massive liberal donor network is planning to spend “ten of millions” of dollars on new media to counter conservatives.Democracy Alliance, founded in 2005 to pool liberal funds, spent most of 2024 trying to flip House seats in New York and California. The group has spent $2 billion on electoral campaigns, media outlets, and think tanks since its creation. But following the new media success of conservatives, the group is shifting its strategy to developing alternative media, Semafor first reported.“It became crystal clear after 2024 that we collectively had relied too much on forms of media that were not reaching people,” Pamela Shifman, president of Democracy Alliance, told Semafor. “Too much focus on paid advertisements, too much focus on broadcast television, and that is simply not where the majority of people consume their news.”The 2024 election cycle – during which President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance made huge gains through appearances on podcasts — convinced liberal donors to change their strategy.“Donors are more fired up, are more clear about the stakes, and more ready to go all in to defeat authoritarianism,” Shifman said. “Because it is more than just about one election, right? It is about defeating authoritarianism.”An