# Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute (legally the Poynter Institute for Media Studies) is a 501(c)(3) journalism education and research organization in [St. Petersburg, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-petersburg-florida), that operates journalist training programs, the news site Poynter.org, the fact-checking outlet [PolitiFact](https://www.edgepedia.org/politifact), the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), the media-literacy program MediaWise, and the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and [Leadership](https://www.edgepedia.org/leadership).[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/) • [2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) It is registered in St. Petersburg and required to file an IRS Form 990.[3](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/59-1630423)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal identity | Poynter Institute for Media Studies Inc, a 501(c)(3) educational institution in St. Petersburg, Florida, founded 1975, with 77 employees and Neil Brown as president[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) |
| Founding | Established in 1975 as the Modern Media Institute by Nelson Poynter, owner of the Times Publishing Company[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/) • [4](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86115322.html) |
| Newspaper ownership | Has owned the Tampa Bay Times, Florida's largest newspaper, since 1978, when Poynter willed the Times Publishing Company to the institute[5](https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/poynter-institute/) |
| Revenue | Grew from about $6 million in 2017 to $15.8 million in 2023, against $15.3 million in 2023 expenses[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) |
| Fact-checking reach | The IFCN certifies fact-checking organizations against its Code of Principles[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf) |
| Audience | Poynter.org recorded 7.4 million pageviews and 4.69 million engaged minutes in 2024, a 51% year-over-year rise in engagement[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf) |
| Training | News University, running since 2005, offers over 300 free and low-cost online courses on multimedia, reporting, and writing[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) |
## History
Nelson Poynter, journalist and owner of the Times Publishing Company, founded the school in 1975 as the Modern Media Institute, a school for journalists that owned the St. Petersburg Times.[4](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86115322.html) When Poynter died in 1978, he willed the Times Publishing Company, which operates the Tampa Bay Times (then the St. Petersburg Times), to the institute.[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/)
The two available accounts differ on when the institute took its present name. Poynter's own account says it was renamed in 1978, at Poynter's death;[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/) the Nieman Journalism Lab encyclopedia says the name changed to the Poynter Institute in 1984, six years after his death, by action of the board of trustees.[5](https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/poynter-institute/) The Library of Congress authority record confirms only the earlier and current names, listing Modern Media Institute ([Saint Petersburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/saint-petersburg), Fla.) as a former form of the authorized name Poynter Institute for Media Studies.[4](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86115322.html)
**Funding separation from the newspaper.** For decades the Times was Poynter's primary funding source. In 2012 the institute announced it would seek other funding after determining the paper was no longer a viable funding source; Poynter lost $1.7 million in 2012 after a $3.8 million loss in 2011.[5](https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/poynter-institute/) Today Poynter states that it does not receive income from the Tampa Bay Times and earns revenue from its teaching programs, contracts with business partners, and donations and grants.[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/)
## Programs and training
Since 2005 the institute has run News University (NewsU), an online journalism training program offering over 300 free and low-cost courses on topics related to multimedia, reporting, and writing.[5](https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/poynter-institute/) • [2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) In February 2011, ESPN began using Poynter staff as its ombudsman.[5](https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/poynter-institute/)
## Poynter.org and audience
In 2024 the Poynter newsroom recorded 7.4 million pageviews and 4.69 million total engaged minutes, a 51% year-over-year increase in audience engagement.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf)
## International Fact-Checking Network
The IFCN, a Poynter brand, certifies fact-checking organizations against its Code of Principles.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf) The IFCN was nominated for the [Nobel Peace Prize](https://www.edgepedia.org/nobel-peace-prize) in 2021.[3](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/59-1630423)
Platform funding supports much of this work. The $12 million Global Fact Check Fund, supported by Google/YouTube, began in 2023; its 2024 program awarded 75 or more organizations a total of $4 million.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf) Poynter also launched a $345,000 Business Continuity Fund to assist fact-checkers facing crises including natural disasters and repression.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf)
## Relationship with the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact
Poynter holds a controlling stake in the Times Publishing Company, which owns the Tampa Bay Times.[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) PolitiFact, a political fact-checking website founded in 2007 as a Tampa Bay Times project, was acquired by Poynter in 2018 and is now among the institute's brands, alongside MediaWise, the IFCN, and the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership.[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) • [1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/) The current financial arrangement runs one way: Poynter receives no income from the newspaper.[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/)
## By the numbers
Poynter's revenue grew from about $6 million in 2017 to $15.8 million in 2023, with 2023 expenses of $15.3 million (figures from [ProPublica](https://www.edgepedia.org/propublica) filings data reported by Ballotpedia).[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) The institute reports 77 employees.[2](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute) In 2024, Poynter.org recorded 7.4 million pageviews and 4.69 million engaged minutes.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf)
## What has changed since 2023
**Growth and an endowment campaign.** In 2024 Poynter achieved growth for the seventh straight year ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2025.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf) Also in 2024, president Neil Brown announced a yearlong $5 million fundraising campaign to start an endowment for the organization, which previously had none.[1](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/)
**Meta's exit and the fact-checking response.** After Meta announced the end of its third-party fact-checking program, Poynter coordinated global fact-checking leaders in a unified letter securing support from more than 70 organizations.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf) The institute also created the $345,000 Business Continuity Fund for fact-checkers in crisis.[6](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf)
## References
1. [Poynter Institute launches $5 million fundraising campaign, Poynter (2024)](https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2024/poynter-50th-anniversary-endowment-fundraising-campaign/)
2. [The Poynter Institute, Ballotpedia (citing ProPublica filings)](https://ballotpedia.org/The_Poynter_Institute)
3. [The Poynter Institute for Media Studies Inc, GuideStar (Candid) profile](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/59-1630423)
4. [Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Library of Congress Name Authority Record](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86115322.html)
5. [Poynter Institute, Nieman Journalism Lab Encyclo](https://www.niemanlab.org/encyclo/poynter-institute/)
6. [Poynter Institute Impact Report, March 2025 (PDF)](https://www.poynter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Impact-Report-March-2025-3.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Broadcasting and journalism › Periodicals and publishing › Journalism › Journalism education, organizations, and awards › Journalism schools in the United States*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license