Inside the New America Foundation Scandal: Corporate Funding, Academic Independence, and the Firing of Barry Lynn

Summary

This article investigates the internal turmoil at the New America Foundation (a prominent Washington think tank) following the firing of Barry Lynn, a critic of big tech companies. The scandal, which erupted in summer 2017, exposed tensions between the think tank's leadership under Anne-Marie Slaughter and its research staff over corporate funding, particularly from Google. The firing raised questions about whether corporate donations influenced the think tank's research independence and whether New America had lost its way as an independent policy institution. The article explores the broader implications for think tanks accepting corporate money and the conflict between intellectual independence and financial sustainability.