Just a reminder, as we’ve recently completed this phase anyway, of our in-depth Virginia Attorney General election tally coverage (with more to come, undoubtedly) and as the very real effects of climate change we’ve been warning about for five years via our Green News Report become more and more apparent: We are funded here by reader support. We rely on you to help us keep doing all that we do. So, as we head towards our 10th(!) anniversary in January, with some difficult decisions ahead for us as we try to figure out how to keep going, please consider making that decision a bit easier for us by donating today.
Better still, sign up to become a monthly sustaining supporter! It’s easy, quick, and you’ll be doing more to help than you can imagine. Yes, we really need your support if we are to continue into a second decade…
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Just signed up for $10/month. I believe in donating at least as much each year to progressive media as I do to political campaigns. The right-wing billionaires understand this, and their success in hijacking the public discourse (against the interests of the vast majority of people) is possible because of their investment over decades in right-wing think tanks and media outlets. We can’t match them dollar for dollar, but we don’t have to. TRUTH propagates naturally, if we can just get the word out. Brad Blog investigates issues I care about, and breaks through the “move along, nothing to see here” complicity of mainstream media. Hope enough other folks feel like I do, and you can find a way to keep going!
Hi Brad and Desi,
I find the Green News Report a nice, small dose of Green News flavored with some light hearted comedy.
I couldn’t donate much, but I was happy to help a little.
I think it is definitely possible for the Green News report to gather a bigger audience (and hopefully additional funds), it just needs more exposure.
If I may suggest, how about a Youtube Channel?
There are many ways to network on Youtube, many ways to increase visibility and generate hits.
The show is already fun, that fun just could be transferred to the Youtube Medium.
The show can be sold as is : talking about serious issues, politics, news, analysis, but “Snarky Comments!” are never far. = )
The show could have clips from the well known personalities you feature in the show like Stephen Colbert and Rachel Maddow.
It is the comedy in the show that is the key to success.
Everyone knows the climate is suffering because of the heedless way humanity has been developing, but it’s painful and distressing and easier to just ignore.
But comedy and humor are excellent ways to make the painful medicine of climate change less difficult to swallow.
If the Youtube channel has funny clips from people’s favorite comedic political commentators, peppered with more serious news clips, coupled with Brad and Desi’s pleasant voices and amusing banter, I think more people will gravitate towards the show.
Shows with staying power and large audiences on Youtube are shows which make people smile.
I think the Green News report already has a good style set up to do that.
Transferring it over to Youtube, with the added fun of actually seeing the funny clips (Stephen Colbert is a riot), slightly tempered with more serious clips (children wading through thigh deep water in the Philippines), will bring in people (which will lead to Youtube Ad revenue to support the show).
People do care, it’s just that the modern life we have constructed is cold, and we crave distraction from it.
But, make them laugh, and they will come, and they will come to care.
Hi Brad –
I wish I could do more, but $50 is better than $0. I’ve been a reader for a long time and felt the need to support media that supports the people with their names on their shirts, not the people with their names on the building.
Keep fighting the good fight. No one talks about election integrity except you. I hope to be able to give more in 2014.
As an aside, can you recommend other worthwhile “non-mainstream” media? I like truthdig, and I’ll read anything by Scahill, Klein, Hedges, and a few other independents who seem to have a conscience. Your contributions greatly appreciated.
-KD5
Randy D @ 1
Thank you, sir! Really appreciate all, including signing up for monthly support. Hope a few folks take your advice!
David @ 2:
Appreciate all of the very kind thoughts and insights. Yes, we’ve had some folks (won’t say who, for now) wanting us to do a video version of the GNR for some time. The holdup is largely resources (and time). We need some startup cash for a studio to do it, among other things, and since it’s video, it’d eat into a lot of the time needed for many of the other things we do around here.
There are also some issues with YouTube and clips taken from elsewhere that would like be problematic for us, even though we give credit and are using them under fair use guidelines for news coverage.
The bigger picture, however, is that I agree. Getting there, with a product that we can be as proud of as we are of the radio version of GNR is another issue, however. As you’ve likely noticed, GNR is edited very tightly. Doing same with video takes a bit more…everything.
Until we can get there, however, the support from folks like you mean the world. So thank you for that!
KD5 @ 3 said:
Love that. Thank you. And, yes, $50 is way better than $0! If even a 5th of our readership gave even a 5th of that, we’d be in great shape! So thank you for stepping up!
Tough question, believe it or not. There used to be such places I’d recommend, but even they have changed over the last several years. Instead, I now tend to follow people who’s work I appreciate, rather than any single news source. For that, I strongly recommend Twitter (we’re at @TheBradBlog if you don’t follow us already).
It’s actually quite a fantastic news source in that if you follow the right people, you’ll end up getting more links (and insight) on stuff that actually matters than you will anywhere else. Following some of the sources you mentioned above will invariably lead to following other sources that those folks follow. Also, for me, being able to follow *actual* folks who are a part of the news (not the coverage, but the actual news) themselves is often very helpful as well.
Does that help at all?
I have tried to set up a monthly donation on your Blog site. After I complete the information, I cannot complete the donation. A paypal message appears claiming my email is connected to a paypal account. This is no true. If you can guide me in avoiding the paypal message, I will gladly complete my donation. I will not use a paypal account.
James Carroll @ 7:
Thanks for your effort. It’s greatly appreciated. I’m not entirely sure what went wrong, but I’ll pick it up with you via email. If you don’t hear from me there (for some reason), let me know!