As debate over Virginia’s redistricting referendum heats up ahead of next month’s vote, a partisan newspaper advancing Democrats’ arguments has begun showing up in Arlington mailboxes.
The latest issue of The Virginia Independent — a product of American Independent Media, which specializes in content that mimics the form of impartial news sources in order to promote progressive causes — devotes a significant amount of space to the upcoming April 21 vote on redistricting.
A front-page spread spotlights former President Barack Obama’s support for the effort, which would heavily advantage Democrats in response to gerrymandering in Republican-controlled states such as Texas. Another story emphasizes the temporary nature of the proposal, while a third is an “exclusive” Q&A with the headline, “Two Virginians, one message: Why they support the April 21 redistricting amendment.”
Softball questions in the Q&A touch on topics such as a “30-second elevator pitch” for undecided Virginians and the consequences of gerrymandering in red states.
“Mathews County retiree Sheila Crowley and former redistricting commission member James Abrenio say the temporary measure is necessary — both to meet the moment and to ensure Virginia’s congressional map represents voters,” the subhead states.
Media watchers including the Center for Health Journalism and the Columbia Journalism Review have described American Independent Media’s content as a form of “pink slime” journalism, which looks like news but is usually thinly and unevenly reported in order to support a partisan viewpoint. Conservative counterparts to The Virginia Independent include the Richmond Leader and the Henrico Times in the Richmond area.
The Virginia Independent did not respond to a request for comment.
This isn’t the first unconventional mail campaign connected to this year’s redistricting vote. On the other side of the issue, a mailer opposing redistricting used imagery evoking the Civil Rights Movement in accusing Virginia lawmakers of “trying to take our districts away.”
Sponsored by a political action committee led by former Del. A.C. Cordoza (R), it prompted criticism from the Virginia NAACP and Attorney General Jay Jones (D), who accused the mailer of spreading a false message that redistricting would threaten Black representation.
The Virginia Independent predates the current redistricting campaign. The oldest stories on its website date back to early 2025, and it sent other mailers in Northern Virginia during last year’s election cycle — prominently featuring content that favored Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger’s successful gubernatorial campaign.
Unlike some partisan publications, The Virginia Independent’s stories all have bylines. The author of the front-page story on redistricting, Anna Gustafson, previously worked at the Michigan Advance — part of States Newsroom, the same nonprofit news organization behind the Virginia Mercury — before joining the American Independent News Network in late 2023, according to her LinkedIn.
While redistricting is a prominent theme, most stories in the mailer are about other topics, including health care, therapy dogs and the Virginia Teaching Artists program.
American Independent Media describes itself as “a progressive media organization that produces news and information content regarding government and politics.” It had total revenues of $35.7 million in 2024.
The organization’s website lists a total of five sites in addition to The Virginia Independent: The Michigan Independent, The Pennsylvania Independent, The Wisconsin Independent and The New Jersey Independent.
