• by Ray Schultz , April 6, 2025

John Thornton, who founded the Texas Tribune and was a co-founder of the American Journalist Project, has died at age 59.  

The cause was suicide. Thornton had long suffered from depression, but strived despite that to advance local journalism.  

“He engaged in life so wholeheartedly that few knew the depths of his suffering,” the American Journalism Project states. “Despite his internal battles, he chose to meaningfully participate, to be in service to others, and to fiercely love the people in his life.”

The statement continues, “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.” 

Founded in 2019, the American Journalism Project has raised more than $225 million for nonprofit news outlets. Thornton co-founded the Texas Tribune in 2009 with Evan Smith and Ross Ramsey. 

“John was the godfather of nonprofit local journalism,” says 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.”