Exposed: How a Progressive Political Action Campaign has been Manipulating Local News Outlets Nationwide (Opinion)

Recently we’ve noticed a trend where progressive activists will begin attacking local news media because they “didn’t cover” an event that was important to them, such as a protest or town hall. It started with an incident in Frederick, in which the Frederick News Post was attacked by Frederick County activist Kai Hagen for not covering a protest in Frederick, because the FNP with its limited number of weekend staff (much like all local outlets these days) chose to cover a spelling bee instead which had been on the calendar for much longer. Now, approximately a month later, we found ourselves facing a similar attack (as did Herald-Mail) for not covering a town hall by Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, a town hall which we were never notified of through any press release or email. Examining the similarities between the two attacks, we started researching for documentation or playbooks which might encourage such behavior.

What we uncovered is Indivisible: A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink, a document produced shortly after Donald Trump won the 2024 election by the Indivisible Project and Indivisible Political Action Committee. This document has unmasked coordinated progressive efforts to control not only political messaging but the very mechanics of media coverage itself. This isn’t about activism in the traditional sense. It’s about staging news, manufacturing outrage, and manipulating journalists into doing the ideological heavy lifting for political operatives under the guise of “constituent power.”

The guide openly encourages followers to hijack public events—town halls, ribbon-cuttings, and even constituent correspondence—and convert them into media spectacles engineered for maximum political damage. Their stated goal? Generate headlines that cast conservative or insufficiently progressive lawmakers in the worst possible light, while elevating favorable coverage for progressive politicians. Whether that means staging protests at infrastructure projects or launching social media shaming campaigns, the mission is clear: bend the media to the narrative.

We witnessed this playbook firsthand when we were recently subjected to public attacks for not covering a town hall hosted by Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (D-MD) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Progressive activists accused us of bias and “selective” journalism. The irony, of course, is that it was likely Delaney herself—through her team and affiliated handlers—who sought to selectively manage both media coverage and participation in the event. Despite our outreach attempts earlier this year, our reporters were neither invited nor informed by Delaney’s office, and even they had been aware of the event, the location of the town hall was never revealed publicly, only emailed to some (not all) of the attendees who signed up through Eventbrite.

These incidents—and the tactics revealed in the Indivisible guide—have forced a necessary and sobering re-evaluation of how we engage with political campaigns and activist groups. We have always welcomed outreach from public officials and political organizations of all stripes. We have covered events from elected Democrats, Republicans, and independents with equal diligence and fairness, including coverage of Delaney attending a protest in Hagerstown earlier this month. In fact, reviewing our coverage finds much more coverage of Democrat-affiliated events than Republican, because they’ve been much better at getting information about their events to us. However, the existence of a national, coordinated effort to weaponize local news media outlets—and shape the direction of our coverage—compels us to draw a firm line.

Unlike other local news media, we’re not going to sit quietly while others attempt to manipulate our coverage then get upset when things don’t go their way. We will not be “shamed” for not covering an event we clearly were not wanted at by its hosts. We will not serve as an extension of any movement’s messaging apparatus. We will not reward those who stage media spectacles in hopes of coercing coverage. And we will not allow our newsroom to be bullied into submission by groups like Indivisible, who have now made clear that they value narrative dominance over honest dialogue.

To be crystal clear: this effort has backfired in likely the worst way possible for Indivisible and those affiliated with the organization. Our commitment to editorial integrity is not for sale and not subject to intimidation. We will be placing all future outreach from Indivisible or affiliated organizations under serious scrutiny. We will continue to report the truth—but we will not be manipulated, and this series of incidents is likely going to shape the direction of our coverage opposite of what was intended by Indivisible. And while in the past we have taken a very passive role in simply reporting local news, because of these attempts to put us “on the defensive” regarding our news coverage, we will now start looking much more closely at some of these topics.

As an independent news outlet without corporate ties to any politician or party, we could have been a powerful ally, a voice for all sides of the political spectrum in our area. But this attempted manipulation has seriously damaged our trust of the intention of outreach by Indivisible and their allies. It didn’t have to be this way, and it makes me sad that it has to be this way. Our number one mission at Radio Free Hub City has always been the truth, no matter which political party that truth supports. And while we will continue that mission, these incidents have been a serious breach of trust which cannot be ignored. Will we continue to hold conservative and progressive elected officials accountable? Absolutely. And if any conservative organizations attempt the same tactics with us, we will equally expose them as well.

Through these tactics to manipulate local news media coverage, Indivisible has destroyed trust and credibility in their messaging. But thank you to those who have continued to push us and criticize us regarding our coverage through your accusations of bias and complaints that we aren’t paying enough attention to local and regional matters. While the intention of these efforts was to increase local news coverage regarding certain politicians and political causes, we will say “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” We’ve tried to remain neutral, but the local Indivisible group’s actions have forced us to speak out.

I have no doubts we might lose some paying subscribers for this. But I will always prioritize the raw, honest truth and our editorial independence over a few more dollars per month. If you’d like to help us offset this undoubtedly upcoming reduction in subscribers, please feel free to help out and become a subscriber yourself.

A copy of the playbook is available on Indivisible’s website.

Opinion article by Ken Buckler, President of Radio Free Hub City. All opinions are his own, and do not reflect those of our clients or sponsors.

---