The far-left Omidyar Network, bankrolled by eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar, has rolled out its latest cohort of so-called “reporters in residence.” These journalists, funded directly through the organization’s LLC, are tasked with covering emerging technologies — with a heavy focus on AI.
Critics warn that these aren’t independent journalists at all, but are instead committed to a left-wing regulatory agenda. “Objectivity does not appear to be in their vocabulary,” wrote one public policy expert. Critics call the Omidyar Network’s reporters “doomer propagandists.”
Omidyar’s operation has long been accused of pumping dark money into left-wing causes, including efforts to censor conservatives and target Elon Musk’s free-speech reforms on X.
A 2023 Free Beacon investigation revealed Omidyar donated hundreds of thousands to shadowy nonprofits like Accountable Tech, which orchestrated advertiser boycotts of Twitter after Musk purchased the platform and began rolling back content moderation policies that disproportionately silenced conservative voices.
The latest “reporters in residence” batch offers a clear window into the ideological slant. Headlines from their work drip with feverish warnings about the perils of AI, prioritizing panic over balanced reporting on technological progress.
Previous Omidyar-funded residents reveal the pattern. Journalist Julia Black, a 2025 Omidyar resident, authored a slanted profile of conservative commentator Katherine Boyle that ran in the New York Times — with no disclosure of her Omidyar funding.
Tech reporter Taylor Lorenz openly touts her affiliation with the “philanthropic investment firm” of Omidyar, putting an inoffensive label on the dark money fund. Lorenz is a well known tech skeptic whose recent reporting targets include brands that advertise with conservative YouTube channels.
Another former resident, Ed Ongweso Jr., has taken a similarly aggressive pro-regulatory line on AI, calling questioners of the doomer narrative “useful idiots.”
Major outlets routinely publish these Omidyar-backed pieces without informing readers of the financial ties. A review of past residencies shows little public disclosure from Omidyar itself.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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