Outlet profile

Bolts

U.S. progressive / left-leaning nonprofit (justice and democracy reform focus)

Owned byOperated by The Political Report, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. It has no commercial parent or individual owner. Founder Daniel Nichanian is editor-in-chief.

FundingPhilanthropic grants and individual donations. Early backers included Justice Catalyst and The Just Trust, among others. It runs no paywall and is not primarily ad-funded. It is a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News and LION Publishers.

On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Bolts launched in February 2022 as a digital magazine founded by Daniel Nichanian, who had previously run The Appeal's Political Report, a newsletter on local criminal-justice elections. It grew out of that project and operates through the nonprofit The Political Report, Inc. Its stated focus is the 'nuts and bolts' of power: local officials and institutions such as district attorneys, sheriffs, judges, county clerks and election boards, with emphasis on criminal justice and policing and on voting rights and democracy. Funding has come from philanthropic grants and individual donations, including early support from Justice Catalyst and The Just Trust. Because several funders are in the criminal-justice reform field, readers may note that overlap with its editorial priorities. Its reporting is typically data-driven and original, with a national audience for local stories. It has also run explicit explainers on ballot measures and local races. The outlet does not claim neutrality on the aims of reform. Its framing generally treats mass incarceration and barriers to voting as problems to be addressed, and its coverage tends to be sympathetic to progressive candidates and reform-minded prosecutors. Media Bias/Fact Check has also reviewed it, but that rating is a third-party judgment and was not verified here.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-10-26; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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