A century ago, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution made voting, our country’s most fundamental mode of civic participation, a right regardless of gender. But this watershed moment in our democracy excluded millions of women, including women of color, from the ballot box for generations.
Today, women make up more than half of the American electorate and are more engaged than ever in our politics — marching on state capitols, voting at higher rates than men, running for local office and seeking the presidency in record numbers. Yet we remain marginalized in government and in the nation’s executive ranks.
Women are also underrepresented in politics and policy journalism and in newsroom leadership, which influences what stories are told, how the news is covered and whose voices are elevated.
The 19th Amendment remains unfinished business, a fact we acknowledge in our logo with an asterisk — a visible reminder of those who have been omitted from our democracy. The expansion of the franchise continues today, and The 19th aims to capture this ongoing American story.
Our goal is to empower women — particularly those historically underserved by American media — with the information, community and resources they need to be equal participants in our society. The 19th aims to level the playing field with:
Free-to-consume and free-to-republish journalism that reimagines politics and policy coverage through a gender lens
Deep-dive, evidence-based reporting that exposes gender inequity and injustice, and reveals surprising and original stories on the issues that most deeply affect women’s lives, from health care to the economy
A digital platform for civil conversations and community building, and national events that bring our readers into direct contact with their elected officials
A newsroom that reflects the racial and socioeconomic diversity of American women and is devoted to covering all women with empathy
Here’s what you won’t find at The 19th: Cheap shots or cheerleading. Opinion or false equivalency. Partisanship. Horse-race politics. Turn-of-the-screw stories. Clickbait. (Sorry, not sorry.)
The 19th expects to be up and running this summer; you can apply for our open jobs here and help us reach our fundraising goals here.
In the meantime, our editor-at-large, Errin Haines, will be publishing under The 19th banner with our inaugural news partner, The Washington Post. You can sign up to have her stories emailed directly to your inbox and find out if our upcoming listening tour is coming to a city near you.
Last but certainly not least, The 19th is grateful for its generous founding donors and sponsors, who have made this effort possible. We’d love for you to join them by making a tax-deductible gift to our member-supported newsroom here!
OUR TEAM
EMILY RAMSHAW
Emily Ramshaw is the co-founder and CEO of The 19th. She was previously editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, an award-winning nonpartisan digital news startup that now boasts the largest statehouse reporting bureau in the country and the nation’s most successful business model for local news. A Washington, D.C., native, Emily started her career at The Dallas Morning News. She is the youngest member of the board of the Pulitzer Prize. A graduate of Northwestern University, Emily lives with her husband and daughter in Austin. You can reach Emily at [email protected].
AMANDA ZAMORA
Amanda is the co-founder and publisher of The 19th. Previously, Amanda spent nearly two decades as a digital editor, product manager and audience strategist at newsrooms including The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and The Washington Post. A Houston native, Amanda has a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Austin. You can reach Amanda at [email protected].
ANDREA VALDEZ
Andrea Valdez is the editor-in-chief of The 19th. Previously she served as editor-in-chief of the Texas Observer, editor of WIRED.com and editor of Texas Monthly's website. She wrote the book How to be a Texan: The Manual. She lives in Austin. You can reach Andrea at [email protected].
ERRIN HAINES
Errin Haines is editor-at-large for The 19th. She was previously national writer on race for The Associated Press, focused on the intersection of race, politics and culture. An award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of reporting experience, Errin has also worked at The Los Angeles Times, the Orlando Sentinel and The Washington Post. She is a native of Atlanta. You can reach Errin at [email protected].
JOHANNA DERLEGA
Johanna Derlega is chief revenue officer of The 19th. Most recently, she launched Broad Branch Strategies, a consultancy focused on revenue and communications. She previously oversaw revenue efforts, events and marketing as publisher of The Hill and senior vice president at National Journal. She started her media career at The Hill in sales and management roles. Johanna lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two kids. You can reach Johanna at [email protected].
