Outlet profile

Underscore Native News

U.S. left-of-center, Indigenous-advocacy focus

Owned byIndependent nonprofit; founded as a spin-off of InvestigateWest, now a standalone 501(c)(3) based in Portland, Oregon

FundingPhilanthropy and donations — primary funders include the American Journalism Project (early-stage operating grants), the Pivot Fund (including a $150,000 video-expansion grant), Report for America, and individual donors; no advertising or subscription revenue model

On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Underscore Native News began as the Oregon reporting team embedded within InvestigateWest, a regional investigative nonprofit. In 2019, it spun off into its own standalone nonprofit and sharpened its focus to Indigenous affairs, positioning itself as the only newsroom in the Pacific Northwest dedicated full-time to Native news. The outlet operates on a collaborative model, sharing its reporting at no cost with tribal and non-tribal media across Oregon, the broader Pacific Northwest, and nationally. Funding comes primarily from philanthropic journalism investors: the American Journalism Project provided early-stage operating support structured as multi-year grants to build the newsroom's business infrastructure, while the Pivot Fund has backed specific initiatives including video journalism expansion. The outlet is also a Report for America partner, which places subsidized reporters in local newsrooms. Editorially, Underscore frames its mission as 'journalism for justice' and produces coverage centered on the concerns and perspectives of Native communities — a stance that has led to consistent scrutiny of federal policies affecting tribes. Since January 2025, its reporting on the Trump administration has focused heavily on budget cuts to tribal programs, elimination of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People funding, rollback of land and environmental protections, and reduced tribal consultation, coverage that runs broadly critical in tone.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-08-21; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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