Announcing The Accountability Journalism Institute (3/6/25)
The OptOut Media Foundation is relaunching to fill an unmet need in journalism today.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2025
CONTACT: Olivia Riggio | olivia@optout.news | 917-974-4383
NEW YORK — The OptOut Media Foundation is now the Accountability Journalism Institute (AJI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring faith in America’s critical institutions and reinforcing a shared reality and purpose.
“These are unprecedented and dangerous times,” said AJI co-founder and seasoned investigative reporter Walker Bragman. “As the nation continues to battle COVID-19 and its effects in the shadow of an accelerating climate crisis, looming infectious disease threats, and rising global authoritarianism, the need for hard-hitting accountability journalism has never been greater.”
Bragman explained that the transition reflects evolving circumstances and an urgent societal need.
From OptOut to AJI: A Broader Mission
Bragman and fellow investigative journalist Alex Kotch originally founded OptOut in 2020 to address the challenges faced by independent media in an industry increasingly dominated by subscription models and large legacy outlets. To support smaller, specialized reporting organizations, OptOut launched an algorithm- and ad-free news aggregation app exclusively for independent media. Developed by the Progressive Coders Network and curated by a diverse team of journalists, the app quickly gained traction, breaking into the top 20 news apps on the Apple App Store.
As their work progressed, Bragman and Kotch realized that their original vision needed to expand.
“COVID changed things,” Bragman said. “Faced with the first real opportunity for social change in a decade, entrenched economic interests began funneling money into promoting denialism, and too many in the media fell victim to their bad faith narratives. Today, there is no shared reality and public health, science, and scientists are under siege.”
Exposing Misinformation and the Money Behind It
In December 2022, OptOut launched its investigative newsletter, Important Context, with a focus on exposing the dark money behind public health and COVID-related misinformation. Since then, it has produced groundbreaking reporting on the funding of anti-science movements, earning recognition as a key resource for science communicators and medical experts.
Renowned vaccine scientist and global health expert Dr. Peter Hotez praised Important Context, stating:
"I have been leading efforts to counter expanding anti-vaccine disinformation. Important Context’s reporting has been essential for providing timely and mission-critical information to make this possible."
Now, as AJI, the organization will build on this momentum—not only exposing bad actors but also amplifying reliable voices and helping shape a new era of journalism.
Expanding Leadership and Expertise
With its new focus, AJI has expanded its board of directors, bringing in respected scientists, human rights advocates, and journalists. Among the new board members is renowned zoologist Dr. Peter Daszak, the former president of EcoHealth Alliance, who has been the target of politically motivated attacks based on unsupported narratives about the origins of COVID-19.
“I joined the Board because I’ve seen first hand the damage that politically-driven misinformation can do through five years of awful attacks against me, my family and my work,” Daszak said. “These often involved the same methods, organizations and people as those lined up against climate change, GMO and vaccine scientists. The AJI will shine a light on who's behind anti-science misinformation, and who pays for it, so we can all better distinguish fact from fiction.”
In addition to Dr. Peter Daszk, AJI is proud to welcome:
Dr. Robert Morris, esteemed epidemiologist who has advised the EPA, CDC, and President’s cancer panel.
Andy Izenson, attorney, LGBTQIA+ advocate, and former president of the National Lawyers Guild.
Piper Bonacquist, longtime advocate for abortion access.
Dr. Michael James Harrington, NYU professor and humanities scholar.
Jahan Sharif, communications entrepreneur, producer, and dedicated public interest advocate.
Olivia Riggio, independent media journalist.
Beyond its board, AJI has established an advisory panel of scientists and journalists, drawing experts from molecular biology, virology, cardiology, pediatrics, zoology, epidemiology, and emergency medicine. This panel will ensure that Important Context maintains the highest journalistic standards while also serving as a trusted resource for reporters covering public health and science.
A Call to Action
“Our country is on a precipice, and nobody seems to have an idea as to how we walk back from here,” Bragman said. “We have to be the people we’ve been waiting for.”
The Accountability Journalism Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to exposing threats to America’s critical institutions, especially public health. AJI seeks to rebuild a shared reality and restore public trust in science and democracy through responsible journalism.
