TRNN was founded by documentary producer Paul Jay and Mishuk Munier in September 2003 in Toronto, with the goal of creating a news network that made complicated concepts accessible to the average person.

[5] In January 2007, Paul Jay told the Daily Kos that TRNN did not accept funding from advertising, governments, or corporations.

[6] In December 2018, Baltimore Magazine quoted Jay as saying the budget was $3.3 million which accrued from large and small donations from viewers and foundations, as well as a for-profit segment.

[2] In 2016, former Black Panther Marshall "Eddie" Conway became the host and producer of "Rattling the Bars," a weekly investigative program about prison systems in the US and abroad.

[9] Independent journalist Michael Fox's podcast "Brazil on Fire" is a joint project of The Real News Network and NACLA.