LGBTQ+ Media: Challenges, Funding, and Future

LGBTQ+ media faces financial struggles, shrinking ad dollars, and political backlash. The LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project seeks solutions via funding, tech, and community partnerships to ensure vital local reporting.

The project’s findings were launched in September and “underscore both the obstacles and strength of queer media, and ask for better investment to ensure these necessary voices remain to offer their neighborhoods,” as stated on Information Is Out’s internet site. Via carefully compiled surveys, interviews, and data, a comprehensive downloadable report was created in addition to an interactive map.

Financial Challenges Facing LGBTQ+ Media

“Financial security is the leading struggle for a vast majority of outlets responding to the study,” says Baim. “They don’t have adequate team to cover the stories that require covering or team to help them pivot into brand-new earnings streams. LGBTQ+ advertising and marketing dollars have actually shrunk, and this harms the community overall and media particularly.”

“There are lots of areas in the U.S. with little or no LGBT+ initial local reporting,” states Tracy Baim, supervisor of the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project and cofounder of the Chicago-based Windy City Times paper. “As the political backlash grows, these gaps become a lot more important to attempt to full of some imaginative assistances. That might be partnering with regional LGBTQ+ community centers, community colleges and universities, or even traditional media ready to do coverage of their local LGBTQ+ areas.”

The Impact of Political Backlash on LGBTQ+ Media

“We began this survey right prior to this brand-new governmental management took control of,” Baim clarifies. “The reaction against DEI had actually already begun two years back; it has simply been turbocharged in 2025. Corporate pullback on variety advertising and marketing has definitely hurt both national and neighborhood LGBTQ+ media. In addition, there are genuine worries concerning targeting of LGBTQ+ media, both firms and people.”

“While a lot of it entails the demand for more financing and coming together to locate ways to obtain even more philanthropy dollars into LGBTQ+ media, it is likewise regarding assisting national and local media expand their earnings, develop much better tech stacks where needed, and especially develop the muscular tissue to request for little contributors,” she states. “That will make them much less at risk to swings in nationwide political tides.”

Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Company pullback on diversity advertising has definitely harmed both local and nationwide LGBTQ+ media.

Created in collaboration with News Is Out, the MacArthur Foundation, Resident Media Structure, and the Craig Newmark Grad College of Journalism at City College of New York City, the Mapping Project offers one of the first checks into the regional queer media landscape. Baim spearheaded the task alongside Hanna Siemaszko, who led research.

“There are numerous areas in the United state with little or no LGBT+ original regional coverage,” claims Tracy Baim, director of the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Task and cofounder of the Chicago-based Windy City Times newspaper. That could be partnering with local LGBTQ+ community facilities, community colleges and colleges, or even traditional media eager to do coverage of their neighborhood LGBTQ+ neighborhoods.”