17-07-2025
New media outlet puts spotlight on marginalized communities
A Cleveland media outlet launched this week, aiming to tell the stories of the region's overlooked communities.
State of play: The People's Press follows in the tradition of advocacy publications like The New York War Crimes and The Written Resistance, which were created as pro-Palestinian organs in a mainstream media landscape they deem historically dominated by pro-Israeli perspectives.
Zoom in: Co-editors Ruby Darwish and Milo, who uses only a first name, have worked as protest photographers alongside the Cleveland Palestine Advocacy Community.
The People's Press won't just write about Palestine and local activism, Darwish tells Axios.
"Cleveland has a history of failing to notice its citizens who are most in need, and we hope to break that gap through our coverage," she says.
For example: The site debuted this week with Darwish covering the daily drama of the Antoine Tolbert trial.
It involves members of the activist group New Era Cleveland, accused by prosecutors of operating as a vigilante militia.
The big picture: "This moment felt more important now than ever," she says.
"Nearly two years into a genocide, seven months into the Trump administration, and the political landscape mimicking a bloody cage fight — we jumped on it."
What's next: The site has enlisted a volunteer staff of journalists and editors, many of whom are still undergraduate students, and plans to publish an inaugural print edition at the end of the month.
💸 Darwish says donations are welcome but not urgently needed, and will likely go towards printing costs and materials.
