This is on point. I canceled my NYT subscription a couple of years ago, but I still thought I could rely on WaPo. Not anymore. Bloggers and independent journalists are the future. Onward!
Writers make a difference. I've been influenced by Substack writers, including you, to increase my financial support of the organizations I think will have the most impact on the election.
Even though I live in the UK I took out a NYT subscription in 2017 when Trump announced the ban on a number of Muslim countries. I thought it was important to fund the press to challenge him. I didn't realise that the ownership had changed. It is very noticeable that the mainstream press are accepting Trump instead of shining a light on his inaccuracies and the fascist stuff he is coming out with.
I have been shocked and appalled at the pro-Trump bias on the part of main stream media. I count on Heather Cox Richardson's Substack newsletter for the truth and an objective analysis.
I am appalled by mainstream media (since before dt was elected) and, more recently, major newspapers. Writers on this platform are not afraid to tell it like it is and do so in compelling ways based on observations, experience, and research. I admit to getting most of my information from this platform. Independent writers not beholden to oligarchs are the way forward.
I think political commentary shifting to the world of blogging is a predictable and natural shift. Everything nowadays is being shifted to a smaller scale. Big Hollywood celebrities now need to share and and compete with 'smaller' and more personable influencers. The internet has in many ways empowered the individual. No longer are they at the mercy of wealthy and powerful gatekeepers to wealthy and powerful industries. If you want to model, make music, write, publish, act, create, all you need is a social media account. Politics has been flooded and influenced by big bucks who are buying political favor left and right. This includes some of the oldest vestiges of political commentary like the NYT or WaPo. The individual blogger is just that, an individual blogger. They are less influenced by the money and power of those with money and power. The fact that they are individual and more spread out also makes them harder to control compared to that of a consolidated company. This gives them the freedom to speak, research and call out the ways in which our politics is deteriorating before our eyes. If you ask me, this shift was always inevitable.
“They are less influenced by the money and power of those with money and power. The fact that they are individual and more spread out also makes them harder to control compared to that of a consolidated company. This gives them the freedom to speak, research and call out the ways in which our politics is deteriorating before our eyes. If you ask me, this shift was always inevitable.”
Good points, Rhea. I believe that, too. Independence doesn’t mean mediocrity or dishonesty. It can mean quality and truth, as we’ve seen already at so many blog sites.
As an indie writer, I agree with every point. But I just had a thought. If politics deteriorates to the point of ground zero, what then? Do indie commentators become the underground press reminiscent of previous world struggles? Interesting thought.
I read last night that American democracy is at the very edge of its life and that true democracy is represented by Canada and Australia in first world countries. As an Australian I agree with that sentiment. But then I don't live in the US and can only make shallow judgements from what I see in the media. Fingers crossed for you all.
For several years, I started my day with the NYT and WaPo (and the Guardian!) We cancelled the NYT subscription, like you, after the ceaseless attacks on Biden - as well as how they failed to cover him or his awesome wife who teaches English at a community college! I'd have rather listened to her every day rather than the non-stop Melania apotheosis during the Trump years. Yesterday was the end point for my husband to drop WaPo. We live out here in Bezos land, even though he abandoned his wife and four kids for another female impersonator whose 'likeness' he had attached to the front of one of the largest (polluting) yachts in the world. I strongly urge everyone to also boycott Amazon and Amazon Prime. They force out small businesses. Here in Amazon land, they now deploy these huge vans that occupy almost every street in our small village - there is no place to pull over in a village - so the vans just occupy the town and deploy free advertising to Amazon as well. I've refused to use Amazon or Amazon Prime for several years, and one can easily return to - patronizing small businesses. Not billionaires.
It is a sad day when trusted sources decide to go silent. Silence is a form of complicity. "Don't upset the big guy; just in case he wins." Silence is as damaging as deliberate disinformation. And, saddest of all, if Trump wins after all his bombast, BS, and threats of retribution, he will claim that he has a mandate since the voters knew what he had said in public. The only good thing I can offer this morning is that the old man has no successor. When he goes, there will be many toadies trying to move up but the splinter groups will be too busy fighting each other to be very effective at subverting our democracy... if there is any democracy left.
Agreed. I have just canceled both subscriptions to the only two papers I believed were still truly democratically aligned. Until now they’ve been stalwart in their journalism.
I have also unsubscribed from all their newsletters.
I cannot watch democracy being slaughtered so adroitly.
Independent writers will continue to upend this space but so will small scale publications doing the gritty, detailed investigative journalism that the big papers seem to have abandoned. Here on Substack, Popular Information is a good example of that.
In the larger world outside of Substack, I'll continue to shout out ProPublica. I've found their reporting factual, informative, deeply researched and focused on weighty topics that affect us all. Their donation based funding helps prevent the control that monied interests exert over traditional press. I think more hard-hitting small scale publications like these are our future. Perhaps they can all choose areas of expertise, find a way to be loosely confederated and share resources to amplify their investigative reach. It will provide the public with information we desperately need to make informed purchase and electoral decisions.
Bloggers are making an impact. My husband searches the sources named, finds hidden pieces of information, and I've already read it by Robert, Ruth, Heather or Joyce, and it is fleshed out, too.
I get most of my news from Substack now and for a while I enjoyed reading posts of Never Trumpers. It seemed they had begun to see the light (although they never realized they were the ones who brought us to this point). However, these republicans now seem to sense that Harris is winning and they have begun to pull their heads back into their shells so they can become part of what they hope will emerge as the NEW Republican Party. I feel that I have entered a bubble of my own choosing by reading only the people I agree with and this worries me. I think we will become an even more divided nation now that we can choose to read only one side of an issue.
It's impossible to miss the rantings of the other side. I preach to the choir and I prefer to read other preachers on my side. I don't think I'm missing anything by not reading the garbage.
If I have changed a single vote with my posts, I would be thrilled. This is otherwise rewarding and helps give a sense that collectively, we are accomplishing something.
I’m believing it more and more. The argument that bloggers are ‘inaccurate’ and not to believed is lame when we see so many thoughtful and articulate bloggers getting it right in this runoff to the election. I’m so proud of those I follow. They show me every day that journalistic ethics are every bit as valid in a blog.
This is on point. I canceled my NYT subscription a couple of years ago, but I still thought I could rely on WaPo. Not anymore. Bloggers and independent journalists are the future. Onward!
Writers make a difference. I've been influenced by Substack writers, including you, to increase my financial support of the organizations I think will have the most impact on the election.
Pat yourself on the back, David. You've been an influence!
Even though I live in the UK I took out a NYT subscription in 2017 when Trump announced the ban on a number of Muslim countries. I thought it was important to fund the press to challenge him. I didn't realise that the ownership had changed. It is very noticeable that the mainstream press are accepting Trump instead of shining a light on his inaccuracies and the fascist stuff he is coming out with.
I have been shocked and appalled at the pro-Trump bias on the part of main stream media. I count on Heather Cox Richardson's Substack newsletter for the truth and an objective analysis.
I am appalled by mainstream media (since before dt was elected) and, more recently, major newspapers. Writers on this platform are not afraid to tell it like it is and do so in compelling ways based on observations, experience, and research. I admit to getting most of my information from this platform. Independent writers not beholden to oligarchs are the way forward.
My thoughts, too. Thanks!
I would add that The Guardian is an independent publication, it is free and it reports American news with great competence and fairness.
Yes, I agree.
I think political commentary shifting to the world of blogging is a predictable and natural shift. Everything nowadays is being shifted to a smaller scale. Big Hollywood celebrities now need to share and and compete with 'smaller' and more personable influencers. The internet has in many ways empowered the individual. No longer are they at the mercy of wealthy and powerful gatekeepers to wealthy and powerful industries. If you want to model, make music, write, publish, act, create, all you need is a social media account. Politics has been flooded and influenced by big bucks who are buying political favor left and right. This includes some of the oldest vestiges of political commentary like the NYT or WaPo. The individual blogger is just that, an individual blogger. They are less influenced by the money and power of those with money and power. The fact that they are individual and more spread out also makes them harder to control compared to that of a consolidated company. This gives them the freedom to speak, research and call out the ways in which our politics is deteriorating before our eyes. If you ask me, this shift was always inevitable.
“They are less influenced by the money and power of those with money and power. The fact that they are individual and more spread out also makes them harder to control compared to that of a consolidated company. This gives them the freedom to speak, research and call out the ways in which our politics is deteriorating before our eyes. If you ask me, this shift was always inevitable.”
Good points, Rhea. I believe that, too. Independence doesn’t mean mediocrity or dishonesty. It can mean quality and truth, as we’ve seen already at so many blog sites.
As an indie writer, I agree with every point. But I just had a thought. If politics deteriorates to the point of ground zero, what then? Do indie commentators become the underground press reminiscent of previous world struggles? Interesting thought.
I read last night that American democracy is at the very edge of its life and that true democracy is represented by Canada and Australia in first world countries. As an Australian I agree with that sentiment. But then I don't live in the US and can only make shallow judgements from what I see in the media. Fingers crossed for you all.
I think an underground press might be the end result yes. Thank for your good wishes. America will definitely be needing it this cycle 😭😭
For several years, I started my day with the NYT and WaPo (and the Guardian!) We cancelled the NYT subscription, like you, after the ceaseless attacks on Biden - as well as how they failed to cover him or his awesome wife who teaches English at a community college! I'd have rather listened to her every day rather than the non-stop Melania apotheosis during the Trump years. Yesterday was the end point for my husband to drop WaPo. We live out here in Bezos land, even though he abandoned his wife and four kids for another female impersonator whose 'likeness' he had attached to the front of one of the largest (polluting) yachts in the world. I strongly urge everyone to also boycott Amazon and Amazon Prime. They force out small businesses. Here in Amazon land, they now deploy these huge vans that occupy almost every street in our small village - there is no place to pull over in a village - so the vans just occupy the town and deploy free advertising to Amazon as well. I've refused to use Amazon or Amazon Prime for several years, and one can easily return to - patronizing small businesses. Not billionaires.
It is a sad day when trusted sources decide to go silent. Silence is a form of complicity. "Don't upset the big guy; just in case he wins." Silence is as damaging as deliberate disinformation. And, saddest of all, if Trump wins after all his bombast, BS, and threats of retribution, he will claim that he has a mandate since the voters knew what he had said in public. The only good thing I can offer this morning is that the old man has no successor. When he goes, there will be many toadies trying to move up but the splinter groups will be too busy fighting each other to be very effective at subverting our democracy... if there is any democracy left.
Agreed. I have just canceled both subscriptions to the only two papers I believed were still truly democratically aligned. Until now they’ve been stalwart in their journalism.
I have also unsubscribed from all their newsletters.
I cannot watch democracy being slaughtered so adroitly.
Independent writers will continue to upend this space but so will small scale publications doing the gritty, detailed investigative journalism that the big papers seem to have abandoned. Here on Substack, Popular Information is a good example of that.
In the larger world outside of Substack, I'll continue to shout out ProPublica. I've found their reporting factual, informative, deeply researched and focused on weighty topics that affect us all. Their donation based funding helps prevent the control that monied interests exert over traditional press. I think more hard-hitting small scale publications like these are our future. Perhaps they can all choose areas of expertise, find a way to be loosely confederated and share resources to amplify their investigative reach. It will provide the public with information we desperately need to make informed purchase and electoral decisions.
I didn’t have a subscription to either, but I did block both on Tiktok, and I will do same on any social media platform where I find them.
Bloggers are making an impact. My husband searches the sources named, finds hidden pieces of information, and I've already read it by Robert, Ruth, Heather or Joyce, and it is fleshed out, too.
Yes, my absolutely necessary bloggers, too. 💙
Oops forgot Dan and Elliot!
There are so many! That's why I chose not to make a list. Thanks for the reminders.
You are one of the greats on this platform.
A must-read.
I'll second this.
Too kind. ❤️
Well, thank you, but you’re the one… Seriously.
We got good taste, love. Also why we support Harris. -Cheers
I get most of my news from Substack now and for a while I enjoyed reading posts of Never Trumpers. It seemed they had begun to see the light (although they never realized they were the ones who brought us to this point). However, these republicans now seem to sense that Harris is winning and they have begun to pull their heads back into their shells so they can become part of what they hope will emerge as the NEW Republican Party. I feel that I have entered a bubble of my own choosing by reading only the people I agree with and this worries me. I think we will become an even more divided nation now that we can choose to read only one side of an issue.
It's impossible to miss the rantings of the other side. I preach to the choir and I prefer to read other preachers on my side. I don't think I'm missing anything by not reading the garbage.
If I have changed a single vote with my posts, I would be thrilled. This is otherwise rewarding and helps give a sense that collectively, we are accomplishing something.
I think there's merit to preaching to the choir. It tells us all that we're in this together and there are a lot of us.
Ramona, You are right.
Mainstream Media has been corrupted by shady oligarchs pushing their agenda & not truth & the common good.
I have tried to do what I can online to help Future President Harris.
I think bloggers like us can have an impact.
I’m believing it more and more. The argument that bloggers are ‘inaccurate’ and not to believed is lame when we see so many thoughtful and articulate bloggers getting it right in this runoff to the election. I’m so proud of those I follow. They show me every day that journalistic ethics are every bit as valid in a blog.
exactly