I won’t sugarcoat this: independent media is more important than ever.
Every single day, I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to be doing this work. You have given me the best job in the world. And I don’t say that lightly. Journalism—real journalism—feels like both a calling and a responsibility. But it’s also a fight. And in this moment, it’s a fight we cannot afford to lose.
Growing up, journalism wasn’t “in the cards” for me. Not because I didn’t want it—quite the opposite—but because I was told that if I wanted to be “successful,” the only respectable paths were medicine, law, or finance. The message was clear: journalism was not a serious profession, not a way to build a life.
But today, I had the privilege of interviewing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Texas Representative James Talerico. Later this week, I have more interviews lined up with lawmakers, activists, and policy experts. None of this happened by accident. It happened because you believed in the work, supported it, and shared it.
Before I go deeper, if you value independent, human-first journalism—if you believe there’s power in storytelling that doesn't spin, sensationalize, or manipulate—I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber. This work exists because of readers like you. Subscribing helps keep this platform alive, ad-free, and fiercely independent.
That’s the part people don’t always see—how this platform is built on trust, not corporate dollars. I’m not here because an editor-in-chief decided I fit a network’s “brand identity.” I’m here because you, the readers, made it possible.
We are living in a dangerous time for journalism.
Mainstream news organizations are openly capitulating to the President of the United States. In some cases, it’s quiet—stories buried, coverage softened. In others, it’s blatant—whole narratives bent to fit a political strategy.
The White House has perfected a tactic known in media circles as “flooding the zone.” It’s the deliberate release of overwhelming amounts of information—press statements, talking points, soundbites—not to keep the public informed, but to keep it distracted. While the headlines chase the latest sensational claim, the real stories get buried.
We’re seeing attempts to discredit legitimate Department of Labor job numbers. We’re seeing the prosecution of political opponents framed as justice while serving as distraction from the unresolved Jeffrey Epstein case. And we’re seeing, across the board—from CBS to ABC—major networks pull their punches over the past several months.
This isn’t business as usual. It’s a structural collapse of the watchdog role the press is supposed to play.
That’s where independent journalism comes in.
I am not beholden to corporate executives, advertisers, or billionaire owners telling me what I can or cannot publish. I have no quarterly revenue targets that dictate my editorial judgment. My only obligation is to you—the readers who make this work possible.
My mission is simple: hold truth to power. Ask the questions that others won’t. Follow the facts wherever they lead, regardless of whose interests they challenge.
And because of you, I can keep this newsletter completely free for everyone, never behind a paywall. That’s not a business model—it’s a statement of principle. The truth should not be a luxury good.
What we are building here is bigger than a single publication. It’s a community of people committed to fact-based reporting, investigative digging, and honest storytelling. It’s a resistance to the forces that want journalism reduced to PR soundbites and infotainment.
We are fighting for something far greater than pageviews or subscribers. We are fighting for the truth itself—and for the survival of our democracy.
And make no mistake: the truth is under attack. Not just from politicians who lie, but from the media structures that amplify those lies without challenge.
I never imagined I would have to fight this hard for the basic idea that facts matter. But here we are.
I will not stop. I will not back down. And I am asking you—right now—to stand with me in this fight. Share this work. Support it if you can. Hold me accountable. And never stop demanding better from the people who claim to inform you.
We will win. And the truth will prevail.
— Aaron
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