Tracy Van Slyke

Tracy Van Slyke has dedicated much of her career as a journalist, communications professional and media producer to building a strong independent media infrastructure. She is currently the Director of The Media Consortium—a new network of the nation’s leading, independent progressive media outlets. Through The Media Consortium she works to organize effective partnerships and innovative projects that will change the terms of the American political and cultural debate as well as create a cooperative infrastructure that supports a sustainable future for independent media. Media Consortium projects include livefrommainstreet.org and themediaconsortium.com/reporting.

Van Slyke is the former publisher of "In These Times" magazine, a national, award-winning monthly magazine of progressive news, analysis and cultural reporting. In 2005 and 2006, she co-authored the landmark articles on strengthening the progressive media landscape including, “Making Connections: Why is the news so bad? What can progressives do to fix it?” and “Welcome to the Media Revolution: How today’s media makers are shaping tomorrow’s news.” These articles are the basis for a book to be published by The New Press in 2009. She is also the co-editor of buildtheecho.net.

Van Slyke is on the leadership council for the Progressive Communicator’s Network—a network of professional strategic communications professionals working with grassroots and social justice organizations. She is also a board member of the National Training and Information Center.

Prior to joining In These Times, she was the Communications Director for the National Training and Information Center, a national non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening grassroots organizations. In 2000, she worked in Knight Ridder’s Washington, D.C. bureau during the presidential campaign, covering national politics and events. She also covered city and county government for the Iowa City Gazette in Iowa City, IA in 1999 and 2000. She holds a double BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and Literature, Science and the Arts from the University of Iowa.