Pressure of Truth
Exposing the spin on all sides of the news.
Outlet profile

Florida Phoenix

U.S. left

Owned byStates Newsroom, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit news network; Florida Phoenix launched in 2018 initially under fiscal sponsorship of the Hopewell Fund (managed by Arabella Advisors) before States Newsroom became its own independent nonprofit in 2019
FundingGrants and individual donations; no advertising, no corporate underwriting, no anonymous donors; early financial backers included the New Venture Fund (also managed by Arabella Advisors, underwritten in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation); States Newsroom as a whole reported an annual budget of more than $22 million as of 2024
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Florida Phoenix launched in July 2018 as a nonprofit digital outlet focused on Florida government, politics, the environment, and how national policy affects the state. It started as a project fiscally sponsored by the Hopewell Fund, a 501(c)(3) managed by the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm Arabella Advisors, which critics have described as a hub for left-of-center 'dark money' nonprofits. In 2019, the parent organization rebranded as States Newsroom and obtained its own independent 501(c)(3) status, severing formal ties with Hopewell. Florida Phoenix operates out of the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee with a small staff — roughly five journalists as of the mid-2020s — led by Editor-in-Chief Diane Rado and Deputy Editor Michael Moline, both veterans of Florida political journalism. The outlet covers the state legislature, the governor's office, courts, and social policy with particular attention to progressive priorities such as Medicaid, public education, and voting rights. Media Bias/Fact Check classifies it as Left Biased with a high factual-reporting record. Its coverage of the Trump administration's second term has included skeptical reporting on immigration enforcement, federal funding shifts, and the intersection of state and federal Republican policy.

Sources

  1. About • Florida Phoenix
  2. Florida Phoenix – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
  3. Florida Phoenix – Influence Watch
  4. States Newsroom – Wikipedia
  5. States Newsroom (Newsroom Network) – Influence Watch
  6. Introducing The Florida Phoenix • Florida Phoenix

Profile compiled 2026-09-21; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

← Back to track record