According to the FEC, A contribution is anything of value given, loaned or advanced to influence a federal election. It does not have to be given to the candidate's campaign fund. If you put a billboard up in your front yard that says Elect Trump, that is an election contribution.
Tens of millions of dollars were spent writing and broadcasting stories to influence a federal election by the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, et al. Where did they report those
contributions? How much were they fined by the FEC?