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

Ohio Capital Journal

U.S. center-left (nonprofit state-government news with a progressive-leaning editorial slant)

Owned byOperated as part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a network of state-focused news sites. It is not owned by a commercial company or a single owner.
FundingGrants and donations, including reader contributions and foundation money, with support from States Newsroom. States Newsroom says it takes no corporate underwriting or political-organization donations, and it lists donors who give more than $500. It was incubated from 2017 to 2019 under the Hopewell Fund, a left-of-center fiscal sponsor managed by Arabella Advisors.
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The Ohio Capital Journal launched on December 4, 2019, with editor Susan Tebben and reporter Tyler Buchanan. Jake Zuckerman and Marty Schladen joined as reporters later. It is one of the state outlets in States Newsroom, which began as a project of the Hopewell Fund and became an independent nonprofit in 2019. The Hopewell Fund is a left-of-center fiscal sponsor managed by Arabella Advisors, and a 2020 NewsGuard commentary criticized States Newsroom for launching with its backing. The site says it keeps full editorial independence, relies on grants and donations, and takes no corporate underwriting. David DeWitt is now editor in chief and an opinion columnist, and he has covered Ohio public affairs since 2006. Critics describe him as a former Ohio Democratic Party communications staffer who also wrote for the progressive blog Plunderbund; I found these claims in a secondary source and did not verify them against a primary source. The outlet is generally seen as accountability-focused journalism with a progressive-leaning perspective, especially in its opinion section. It focuses on the Ohio Statehouse, courts, public policy, and the effects of federal actions on Ohioans, and it carries many stories from the wider States Newsroom network. Some of its coverage is also republished by other outlets. Its stance on the administration is based on its recent record and is not a permanent judgment.

Sources

  1. About • Ohio Capital Journal
  2. In a short time, the Ohio Capital Journal has accomplished a lot. We appreciate all the support.
  3. Ohio Capital Journal - Influence Watch
  4. States Newsroom (Newsroom Network) - Influence Watch
  5. Hopewell Fund - Wikipedia
  6. Arabella Advisors - Influence Watch

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

← Back to track record