Transparency Hub
Welcome to the central transparency repository for IN THE WAKE TV.
As a 501(c)(3) people-powered media co-op centering Black life, our editorial independence and financial integrity are anchored by our community. We believe total funding transparency is an essential extension of public interest journalism.
This hub serves two purposes: guiding our grassroots members in sustaining our core operations and outlining strict boundaries for institutional underwriters to fund thematic coverage verticals without compromising our journalism.
1. People-Powered Membership Model
In alignment with Article III of the IN THE WAKE TV Bylaws, our media network operates as a non-stock, nonprofit cooperative. Governance relies on a democratic, one-member, one-vote system. Membership is a vehicle for movement solidarity, resource sharing, and community accountability—not a commercial transaction or financial equity stake.
We maintain two distinct membership classes that work interdependently to sustain our ecosystem:
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Worker Members
Active media creators, journalists, editors, and production coordinators. Worker-members retain complete editorial control over the newsroom, ensuring our investigations remain independent of institutional funders. They hold primary voting rights over operational policies, working conditions, and joint labor agreements.
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Community Members
Supporters, viewers, organizers, and ecosystem participants. Community members participate in democratic advisory forums to shape coverage priorities and ensure community accountability. They sustain the co-op via a "Give-What-You-Can" sliding scale or sweat equity.
| Community Tier | Monthly Support | Operational Impact | Engagement & Governance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustaining Member | $5 – $10 / mo (or volunteer time) | Sustains open-access community digital archives, web hosting, and public safety gear for field reporters. | Direct invitation to the quarterly Co-Op Community Advisory Forum to give feedback on coverage priorities; inclusion in the digital People's Registry. |
| Producer's Circle | $25 – $50 / mo | Funds camera/audio equipment upkeep, travel stipends for community correspondents, and public records (FOIA) filing fees. | All previous access, plus guaranteed priority seating at live studio tapings, community town halls, and monthly behind-the-scenes production memos. |
| Sustaining Guardian | $100+ / mo ($1,200+ annually) | Anchors the legal defense fund for investigative journalists and secures seasonal broadcast slot commitments on our partner stations. | All previous access, plus an invitation to the annual private briefing with editorial leads and prominent on-screen end-credit acknowledgements. |
2. Institutional Vertical Underwriting Framework
To protect our reporting from outside influence, IN THE WAKE TV does not accept corporate, foundational, or institutional funding for individual stories, segments, or investigations. Instead, aligned institutions are invited to underwrite broad thematic coverage verticals.
🛑 The Editorial Firewall Policy
Underwriters provide foundational funding for the educational, cultural, and investigative ecosystem of a broad topic. Underwriters maintain zero input, zero review rights, and zero editorial control over specific stories, reporting angles, interviewees, or investigations handled by the newsroom.
Current Underwriting Verticals
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The Land & Sovereignty Vertical
Focus: Investigating land theft, environmental racism, housing rights, and urban agricultural resilience.Eligible Underwriters: Environmental justice funds, community land trusts, housing rights foundations. Compliant Acknowledgement Example"Support for our Land & Sovereignty Vertical is provided by [Organization Name], working to preserve urban agricultural spaces."⚖️
The Systemic Harm & Economic Equity Desk
Focus: Investigative journalism exploring engineered scarcity, state violence, predatory finance, and solidarity economics.Eligible Underwriters: Policy think-tanks, social justice legal funds, community development financial institutions (CDFIs).Compliant Acknowledgement Example"Support for the Economic Equity Desk comes from [Organization Name], providing community-backed banking alternatives."🎭
The Culture, History & Healing Vertical
Focus: Documenting how communities heal, create art, protect oral traditions, and organize collective resistance.Eligible Underwriters: Arts councils, local museums, academic institutions, cultural preservation funds.Compliant Acknowledgement Example"Support for our Culture & Healing Vertical is provided by [Organization Name], dedicated to archiving local storytelling."
3. IRS Compliance & Underwriting Guidelines
As a 501(c)(3) organization, all broadcast and digital acknowledgements must strictly follow Qualified Sponsorship Payment rules to protect our tax-exempt status. Acknowledging our institutional partners is an expression of appreciation, not commercial advertising.
What is PERMITTED(Value-Neutral Acknowledgement) | What is PROHIBITED(Commercial Advertising) |
|---|---|
| Logos, brand names, and corporate identities. | Qualitative or comparative language (e.g., "the city's best legal team"). |
| Value-neutral descriptions of product lines or services. | Pricing information, interest rates, or discounts (e.g., "members get 10% off"). |
| Web addresses, phone numbers, and location details. | Direct calls-to-action (e.g., "call today to sign up" or "visit our office"). |
| Established, non-promotional corporate slogans. | Endorsements or inducements to buy, sell, or rent products. |
Sustain Independent Black Media
Join our community of members sustaining public interest journalism, or learn more about underwriting a coverage vertical.