Tracy Van Slyke

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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 Program Director of The Media Consortium–a 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.

Her first book, Beyond the Echo Chamber: How a Networked Progressive Media Can Reshape American Politics (The New Press), co-authored with Jessica Clark will be published in Fall 2009.

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 and Clark 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.”

Van Slyke is currently on the steering committee for the Women, Action, Media Conference and is on the board of the National Training and Information Center, a national non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening grassroots organizations. In the past, she has served on the leadership council for the Progressive Communicator’s Network–a network of professional strategic communications professionals working with grassroots and social justice organizations

Prior to joining In These Times, she was the Communications Director for the National Training and Information Center from 2001-2004. 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.