Hope for a nonprofit news organization’s survival under authoritarianism

If we are serious about confronting authoritarianism and safeguarding the truth, we must also defend journalism. Journalism endures only when it continues to tell untold stories, confront hard truths, and expose falsehoods. That can happen only if independent journalism is allowed to survive.

My year as a 2026 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, spent hunting ways for nonprofit news to survive, has led me back again and again to that one inescapable truth: no story should be silenced; it should be told, regardless of the cost.

This conviction rose in my mind like waves at sea — at times calm and measured, at others forceful, even turbulent. It comes from a firm belief: no story should be silenced.

As Bhagavad Gita — a significant ancient Indian book still relevant today says — “Satyam, truthfulness means that facts should be presented as they are, for the benefit of others. Facts should not be misrepresented.” “The truth should be spoken in a straightforward way, so that others will understand actually what facts are.”

Such a reality is not possible under the shadow of compromised journalism. After a decade in the field of traditional journalism, I told myself one day that it was time to turn a long-held ambition into reality: to launch my own news outlet.

It was a dream I had buried deep within me. I had convinced myself that the daughter of a single mother could not raise the resources to build a news organization in an authoritarian environment, especially within a media industry dominated by men and driven by commercial interests.

And yet, the queen of nature seemed to have other plans. In 2017, during my Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellowship, that dream took shape with the founding of The Rise News, a nonprofit news organization in Sindh province, Pakistan. The Rise News was not merely the product of aspiration; it was built with a clear mission: to strengthen local journalism, to pursue impact, and to ensure that truth is never compromised by financial interests.

To me, the infinity of impactful journalism lies in accuracy, transparency, incontrovertible facts, independent voices, being truthful, and holding the powerful accountable. Indeed, impactful journalism is not just a practice — it is a remedy against authoritarianism and the oxygen that sustains the truth.

In fact, The Rise News has earned the trust of its readers — the soul of any news organization. Yes, The Rise News is committed to building journalism that is both impactful and uncompromised. As the saying goes, it is easier said than done.

Launch The Rise News — A tough walk ahead

“Veengas, you are Sindhi (Sindhi is an ethnic people from Pakistan’s Sindh province; Sindhis routinely face discrimination by the state.) — never forget it. Someone like you, who challenges an authoritarian system, has no place in journalism. Have you forgotten how you have been treated? And now you want to launch a nonprofit news outlet?”

“You are ruining your career.”

“Media means profit. What do you mean by nonprofit media? What is that?”

“One day, you will call us asking for a job.”

It was a chorus of discouragement. As my mother told me, “Every new beginning faces resistance — and so have you.”

When I decided to launch The Rise News in 2017, the idea of nonprofit media was almost alien in Pakistan. Even today, many struggle to understand what a nonprofit newsroom means. Back then, I knocked on every door, trying to register such an organization — but to no avail.

Eventually, I reached out to a well-known digital media activist. Someone had suggested they might guide me. I dialed the number with a sense of cautious hope. The call was answered, but the response was curt. “I don’t know how to register a nonprofit media organization,” the person said. “When you figure it out, let us know.” Then the line went dead.

That moment stayed with me — not just as a setback, but as a reminder. The language of discouragement is everywhere. And I found myself thinking: perhaps it is just as important to build a vocabulary of encouragement — so that no other woman journalist has to go through what I did.

Time to develop independent viable business model

Every difficult phase forces new approaches to navigating how to lead a sustainable business model — there is no single recipe for how a nonprofit media outlet can generate revenue.

Let me admit: while applying for the JSK Fellowships program, the application process truly pushed me to dig deep and clarify exactly what was needed. (I would suggest that other journalists go through the JSK application and its questions, sit down, and work through it. I assure you — it will open new ideas for your career.)

My aim has been to build The Rise News into a self-sustaining news organization. I brought some questions to the JSK community: how can a nonprofit newsroom, focused on reporting for marginalized communities, achieve financial viability in an authoritarian country like Pakistan, where the media environment is heavily restricted?

Some have said, “We are the present of local journalism.” And yet, I am still searching for answers to my questions: what other avenues exist for financial sustainability for local journalists, and how can they be realized in a country like Pakistan, where inflation is high?

The question that hits me hardest is this: is there space for independent journalists like us to invent the future of nonprofit news? Or will only those with elite backgrounds capture the nonprofit media space to promote the version of the corrupt system?

I have realized that an independently viable business model is a lifeline for any news organization. It is a powerful method to sustain the organization on its own terms.

It is true that reaching a self-sustaining model requires fuel in the form of financial support — and every story that must be told also requires fuel. Today, the conversation around the survival of independent journalism centers on financial viability. Without it, those who control media finance will control journalism.

As Guy Kawasaki wrote in The Art of the Start: “Not-for-profits, which have to fight for money just to stay alive. You can’t change the world if you are dead, and when you are out of money, you are dead.”

That is why I want to fight for viable financial support to keep The Rise News alive — not dead. This is not just about TRN; it is about ensuring incontrovertible facts are reported and that impactful, independent journalism continues to thrive.

JSK: A hope for independent nonprofit journalism

In an age where every issue is interconnected, no one can survive alone. Nothing exists in isolation. Sadly, our planet is full of chaos, and so too is journalism, riddled with uncertainties. Can independent journalism survive? Of course — it will, but the fight for its independence must continue. And it cannot be fought alone; only through collective effort can it endure.

For me, the JSK Fellowship has been like a guru — building strength, offering guidance, and connecting fellows to a global network of alumni and learning experiences at Stanford. The fellowship’s lessons are unique, moments of insight gathered and carried in both heart and mind.

JSK represents hope for independent journalists and local journalism alike. It is a reminder that we are not alone. Every effort we make — especially collective efforts — must be devoted to sustaining independent local journalism.

If local journalism weakens, the entire journalistic ecosystem becomes fragile, leaving the truth vulnerable to authoritarian power. JSK exists to empower strong local journalism, ensuring that the truth is reported boldly and fearlessly.