65 Comments

The only issue with all substack subscriptions is having to have a large number of them. It would be great to have a "package" of journalists at one price.

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Agreed! I would be GLAD to be a part of a bundle of content!

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Then make it happen.

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Get Flo from Progressive or Jake from Allstate to do commercials for you.

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That was exactly my reaction. The analogy is how streaming has taken over from cable/broadcast. It's not easy to pay for each individual channel. Then last year I got a package that included Hulu, MAX, and Disney+. Which sort of recreates how cable worked.

Packaging a bunch of substacks would be like starting a newspaper, wouldn't it?

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This is a great idea!

Give it some thought!

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Yes! THIS!!!!!!!!

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Like a newspaper. Maybe with some features, games, sports, finance.

And an editorial board.

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Or you could just subscribe to newspapers, even Apple News.

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What about real investigative journalism? The kind of thing often requiring teams of reporters simultaneously exploring various angles, the presence of thoughtful editors and graphic artists to provide second eyes and sophisticated visual resources, the synergy and unexpeced surprises those various elements often produce, and the considerable resources in travel, data discovery and other things often required -- in other words, the thing the dreaded "legacy media" has done very well on complicated and important topics such as climate change, race relations, sexual abuse in the Catholic church and other places. Stuff beyond just your take or opinion on the latest developments, however experienced and thoughful that might be? Has there been much or any partnerships built between various independents to produce some semblance of something that ambitious? And of course all the way to the other end of the spectrum, with the continuing deterioration of legacy media and its smaller offshoots, what intelligent coverage of local government, school boards, police stations, city halls and county board, can anyone expect in this changing landscape? I don't think anyone is substacking that very much, though maybe it's coming.

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ProPublica is probably the best current example.

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Its a dying art, but several nonprofit newsrooms are still doing it. Center for Public Integrity, among others

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Very good point, Karen!

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THIS!

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There are quite a few local, independent based reporting enterprises that cover the Teacher’s Strikes/School Board/local Congressman’s town hall, etc. Dan Kennedy has a whole website about them, Dan Kennedy.net

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I think you were my second substack. My aunt sent a piece from Heather Cox Richardson Shortly after I said whatever happened to that Cillizza guy

You and Richardson got me hooked on substack. It’s my newest addiction.

It’s not a problem with having enough money for subscriptions. It’s a problem with having enough time

It’s like the old twilight zone where the character just wants to read. He finds himself alone in a library after a huge disaster but he has lost his glasses

Just want to let you know you have been my number one substack since I started reading you. That was a feat to pass Richardson who has remained number two

But Krugman is coming up on the outside

Chris you are an early adapter

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What you and other established journalists have done is fantastic and appreciated as you can see by your subscriber rate,

However ...

What do the up and coming journalists do that do not have your following? Where do they go to develop a following?

Never mind how does an independent journalist carry out in-depth investigations into Trump or any other large organizations so that issues see the light of day and get discussed?

I posed these questions I think last week and you did not respond.

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Good for you, Chris. We’ll see what happens. (But I must share that my daughter once asked me “Why does ‘we’ll see’ always mean No?”)

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My sister and I soon realized that our parents’ “we’ll see” was a synonym for “no.” 😆

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I guess it’s pretty universal, eh.

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Yup!😆

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I agree. This is a good thing especially since large legacy newspapers and news channels have been purchased by billionaires with their own agendas.

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Agreed 💯

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This will be interesting. Keep us posted on your success with the application.

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Diversity, variety, is the best strategy for survival.

I am so glad Substack exists.

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I worry about a national conversation. Everyone can now just run to their little silo of information. I don’t see how this is good.

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You always make me chuckle…. “very much hope, however, that the Trump White House doesn’t just (or mostly) approve only news creators who are predictably in favor of their partisan views. “. Your first “Sir alert” would be your last.

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It will be great to have voices like yours in the WH Briefing Room....IF it occurs!

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I think the hardest thing for most people, who aren't Trump supporters is accepting that someone of his ilk can and will have good ideas.

This is one of those. And when these things happen, that are positive developments, I think we have to admit it.

This is a good idea......on its face. We will see how it works out and who ends up getting invites and all that stuff. But for now, and until something changes, this is a win for transparency.

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It is a POTENTIAL win. Somehow I suspect the press room will be quicker to admit Gateway Pundit than anyone not in the cheering section for Trump.

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OH NO!!! Not Gateway Pundit too!! 😱 This might not be a good idea after all!🫣

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Yes, it *seems* like a good idea.... the way trump twists everything into knots.... I hope how it plays out in real life works out well and fair.

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I want to see if they give Alex Jones HIMSELF a front-row seat, with his flight and accommodations from Texas all paid for....

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OH NO!!! What a horrendous thought!! 😱

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Do you still follow the endless drama at CNN, Chris? Do you care at this point? I’m convinced within the next year a phone call will go out to Zucker - he’s the only one who was equally skilled at putting on compelling programing -and- managing all those egos.

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Ha! Not really. All good.

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Glad to have been a passenger with you on this journey, Chris!

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Call me crusty, but I was a journalist back in the day before writers became a "brand." It lead to a lot of preening among journalists trying to get their next big book contract. I truly hope that writers will keep the focus on THE STORY as we go further into this new frontier.

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