A tribute to John Thornton, venture capitalist and local journalism pioneer
It is with great sadness that we share the news that John Thornton, co-founder of the American Journalism Project and Elsewhere Partners, and founder of The Texas Tribune, died on Saturday, March 29. He was 59. What follows is a tribute to John from the American Journalism Project, Elsewhere Partners, and his wife, Erin Thornton.
Over the course of a remarkable career that spanned, improbably, from venture capital and private equity to the emerging world of nonprofit local media, John Thornton was known for a rare mix of entrepreneurial zeal, moral urgency, and infectious humor. He devoted himself to helping entrepreneurs realize their visions — and he developed a vision of his own that transformed the business of local journalism.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1965, John graduated first in his class at Trinity University in San Antonio and went on to earn an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He began his professional life at McKinsey & Company before joining Austin Ventures in 1991, where he led nearly 50 software investments. He ultimately served as managing partner, leading a firm with over $4 billion in assets under management. He later co-founded Elsewhere Partners, an investment firm focused on bootstrapped software companies outside traditional venture hubs.
Through his work as a venture capitalist, John stumbled on what would become his greatest passion and define his legacy. In 2006, as the news business faltered, John assembled a team at Austin Ventures to explore newspaper investment opportunities. “Our team very quickly determined that there had to be easier ways to make money,” he recalled, dryly, to a class at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He came to see news not as a business opportunity, but as vital to the health of American democracy. “I was left with this sinking feeling that something was wrong,” he said.
He became a crucial early and influential voice making the case that local news was a “public good,” and that commercial markets could not sustain it. “Maybe public-service journalism — whatever you want to call it, I call it capital-J journalism…maybe this stuff is a public good just like national defense, clean air, clean water,” he said in an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review.
In 2008, in his first journalism venture, he founded The Texas Tribune, recruiting Evan Smith, the president and editor in chief of Texas Monthly, to run it as his co-founder alongside Ross Ramsey. John assembled $4 million in seed capital, and contributed over $2 million to the organization in its founding years. The Texas Tribune would become the gold standard in nonprofit news, garner broad recognition in the industry, and inspire the founding of dozens of similar organizations in other cities and states.
A decade after starting the Tribune, Thornton co-founded the American Journalism Project, a first-of-its-kind “venture philanthropy” to raise money and fund local newsrooms across the country. He brought an investor’s discipline — ambitious, strategic, and built for growth — to a civic mission. Alongside co-founder Elizabeth Green, he recruited prominent national philanthropies to support local news at the very moment it was teetering. The premise, as he often reminded staff, was that every dollar the American Journalism Project gave local news outlets would generate three new dollars in local annual recurring revenue. His theory worked: The first 22 organizations funded by the American Journalism Project have, on average, doubled in size since they received their grants; collectively, they have added over 200 journalists to their staffs. The American Journalism Project has raised more than $225 million to fund local news and now supports a portfolio of 50 nonprofit newsrooms in 36 states.
“John was the godfather of nonprofit local journalism,” said Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project. “He had the radical clarity and moral urgency to see that saving local news wasn’t just necessary — it was possible.”
But those who worked with John often noted that he was, perhaps, proudest of his investments in people. He mentored a broad range of leaders, offering his guidance with generosity, humor, and conviction. He was impatient when it mattered, and embraced fights he believed worth having. As an evangelist for the idea that a healthy democracy depends on a free and independent press, John liked to inspire others by inducting them into what he fondly called the “Democracy Hall of Fame” — and made them proud to be a part of it.
John died Saturday, March 29, in his hometown of Austin, after a long struggle with mental health.
He engaged in life so wholeheartedly that few knew the depths of his suffering. Despite his internal battles, he chose to meaningfully participate, to be in service to others, and to fiercely love the people in his life. That intense commitment was John’s essential characteristic, to the enduring benefit of his family, friends and co-workers.
John gloried, above all, in his family. He was devoted to his wife, Erin Thornton, and to giving his step-sons, Wyatt Driscoll and Wade Driscoll, a family life that he was not as fortunate to have had. He leaves behind not just a legacy, but a movement — one that will continue in his spirit. Plans for a memorial to honor John’s life will be forthcoming.
We will miss him immensely.
A memorial honoring John’s life will be held in Austin, Texas, on April 9th, 2025, on what would have been John’s 60th birthday. More information is available here.
In lieu of flowers, Erin, Wyatt, and Wade would be honored if you would consider supporting the organizations that John shaped and that shaped him:
Or consider contributing to Sound Off, a mental health organization dedicated to supporting those otherwise reluctant to seek care. Sound Off provides anonymous clinical and peer support to those who have served our country, a cause that John and Erin have supported and cherished.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that you are not alone. Call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
Photo (top): John Thornton speaks during AJPalooza 2024. By Matt Shiffler for the American Journalism Project