Common Dreams has been providing breaking news & views for the progressive community since 1997. We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100% reader supported.
Our mission.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
“Common Dreams is a daily, glorious taste of what the dominant media could be if it was shaped by our common dreams of justice and peace.”
– Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine
Common Dreams is a non-profit independent newscenter created in 1997 as a new media model. By relying on our readers and tens of thousands of small donations to keep us moving forward—with no advertising, corporate underwriting or government funding—Common Dreams maintains an editorial independence our readers can count on.
We are optimists. We believe real change is possible. But only if enough well-informed, well intentioned—and just plain fed up and fired-up—people demand it. We believe that together we can attain our common dreams.
What we value.
We share our readers’ progressive values of social justice, human rights, equality and peace. Common Dreams is committed to not only being your trusted news source, but to encouraging critical thinking and civic action on a diverse range of social, economic, and civil rights issues affecting individuals and their communities.
What we do.
Common Dreams works diligently to uncover and publish honest, independent news and information that you can rely on. Every day.
We publish a diverse mix of breaking news, insightful views, videos and press releases covering issues that resonate with progressives in every corner of the globe. We compile it all in one easy-to-access online location, and present it in a clean, uncomplicated format, uninterrupted by pop-ups, advertising or gimmicks.
“Common Dreams is a must in my life and work.”
-Bill Moyers, Moyers & Company
Common Dreams makes sure that the critical issues and ideas for the future are not drowned out in the ceaseless noise and dis-information that calls itself “the news” in most of the corporate media.
Our community.
We are writers. Activists. Everyday citizens.
We are hundreds of thousands strong.
We understand that to assure a meaningful participation by all in democracy we must maintain a free press—providing reliable information, critical thought and creative ideas.
Common Dreams is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. And in order to ensure our independence, we accept no corporate or governmental financing or advertisements of any kind. Common Dreams is funded by the pooling together of thousands of small donations from our readers.
Common Dreams NewsCenter, often referred to simply as Common Dreams, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, U.S.-based news website that declares itself as serving the progressive community. Common Dreams publishes news stories, editorials, and a newswire of current, breaking news. Common Dreams also re-publishes relevant content from numerous other sources such as the Associated Press and had published left-wing writers such as Robert Reich and Molly Ivins. The website also provides links to other relevant columnists, periodicals, radio outlets, news services, and websites.
Inspiration for the name, "Common Dreams", came from the book title, The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars, written by Todd Gitlin and published in 1995.
The nonprofit organization, Common Dreams, was founded in 1996 by political consultant, Craig Brown, and the News Center was launched the following year, in May 1997, by Brown and his wife, Lina Newhouser (1951–2008). Brown, a native of Massachusetts, has a long history in progressive politics. He was the director of the Maine Public Interest Research Group from 1973 to 1977 and worked on the presidential campaigns of former U.S. Senator Alan Cranston and U.S. Senator Paul Simon. Brown also served from 1990 to 1994 as chief of staff for Tom Andrews.[1] Part of Brown's job was to compile news for Representative Andrews, which gave Brown the impetus to do the same on the internet.[2]
During the Kosovo War Common Dreams hosted the "Drumbeats of War" site which, according to the BBC, presented "a round-up of interesting articles with wide-ranging points of view that have previously appeared in newspapers and journals across the United States."[3] Common Dreams is also known for its strong anti-war stance.[4][5]
Common Dreams is funded through subscriptions and donations of its readers and does not have advertising.
Features
Common Dreams has featured original articles by the following authors:
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