MacDowell Presents: Democracy, Journalism, and the Arts

April 16, 2025

In collaboration with the Henry Luce Foundation, MacDowell hosted a powerful conversation at the intersection of democracy, journalism, and the arts.

The stories we tell about what we're living through matter. Writers at the frontlines of world events are faced with unprecedented pressure on the freedom of the press and with social upheavals whose scale and speed call for new forms and avenues of reportage. Thank you for joining us at MacDowell NYC for a discussion of the changing terrain of news media and alternative newsrooms and initiatives led by Black and BIPOC journalists.

Spotlighting reporters, collectives, and platforms expanding beyond traditional journalism to incorporate interdisciplinary forms and storytelling, we invited vanguard writers and thought leaders Tristan Ahtone (Grist), Jin Ding (formerly of Initium Media), and Lauren Williams (Capital B News) for a conversation moderated by Sean Buffington (Interim President, Henry Luce Foundation) on innovative reporting and the vitality of grassroots media.

This conversation event was livestreamed and recorded on MacDowell's YouTube channel.

About the Participants

Tristan Ahtone is a member of the Kiowa Tribe and is Editor at Large at Grist. He previously served as Editor in Chief at the Texas Observer and Indigenous Affairs editor at High Country News. He has reported for Al Jazeera America, PBS NewsHour, Indian Country Today, and NPR, to name a few. Ahtone’s stories have won multiple honors, including a George Polk Award, a National Magazine Award nomination, and investigative awards from the Gannett Foundation and IRE: Investigative Reporters and Editors. A past president of the Native American Journalists Association, Ahtone is a 2017 Nieman Fellow.

Jin Ding (she/they) is the former Chief Executive Officer of Initium Media 端傳媒, an independent news outlet serving global Chinese-speaking communities. Before joining Initium, Jin spent a decade in U.S. nonprofit news, holding roles such as Chief of Staff and Operations at the Center for Public Integrity, News Partnership Manager at the Associated Press, Program Manager at the International Women’s Media Foundation, and Inclusion and Communications Manager at the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Lauren Williams is cofounder and CEO of Capital B, a nonprofit local-national news organization serving Black audiences that launched in January 2022. Before starting Capital B, Williams was senior vice president and editor in chief of Vox, where she managed editorial and business operations. In addition to Vox.com, Lauren oversaw one of YouTube’s largest news channels and more than a dozen podcasts, including the daily news show Today, Explained, and a TV operation anchored by the Netflix franchise Explained. Lauren previously served as executive editor and managing editor at Vox and has also been an editor at Mother Jones and deputy editor at The Root. Lauren serves on the board of directors for the International Women’s Media Foundation. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, she lives outside of Washington, DC, with her husband and two young children.

Sean T. Buffington is Interim President and Vice President for Programs at the Henry Luce Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 2015 and directs the grantmaking and operations of the $1 billion foundation. Sean created the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Initiative and leads the development of new programs. Prior to joining the Luce Foundation, Sean served as President of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. During his tenure, the University introduced an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum; restructured its visual arts college to encourage collaboration and experimentation; launched a number of new degrees; and established a program for creative entrepreneurs. Before moving to Philadelphia, Sean was a senior administrator at Harvard University for many years, serving as an assistant provost for interfaculty programs, as deputy chief of staff to the President and Provost, and, finally as Associate Provost for Arts and Culture. As Associate Provost, he had responsibility for the Harvard Art Museums, the American Repertory Theater, the Graduate School of Design, and other cultural activities and organizations at the University. Sean received the A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard College, and an M.A. in American Culture from the University of Michigan.

The Henry Luce Foundation, established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, aims to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world by nurturing knowledge communities, fostering dialogue, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development

Watch the Conversation here

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