I'm writing this diary with some very bad news for those Kossacks who value having as many sources as possible for people-powered news that counters the pabulum constantly forced upon the public by the traditional corporate media:
The NewStandard is shutting down.
How could this be happening, you ask? What's the NewStandard you wonder?
Find out more after the jump....
For those of you who don't know, the NewStandard is a reader-funded, collectively run, hard news site. It's the first place that I visit every morning (yes, even before dKos) to get a good dose of original, insightful reporting, mixed with a wealth of links to other sites that are covering major news stories that aren't getting a whole lot of play in the corporate media. In some ways, I guess, it's a lot like Daily Kos, only with a bit more emphasis on in-depth reporting.
And unless they can get enough funding to continue publishing, they are closing their doors in three weeks, on September 30.
If this happens, the country will have one less source of reporting that isn't beholden to corporate interests, and we will be one step closer to losing the vision that Thomas Jefferson and others had of an independent media that truly holds the government accountable and acts as a check on entrenched interests.
Maybe you're already a reader of The NewStandard. Maybe you're totally not interested. Either way, everyone stands to lose when an alternative to the corporate media is forced to shut down. And I'm hoping you will help save it.
Broke? Donate $3 per month. Buying a latte every day? Donate $10 per month. Living large? Donate large.
If you already donate, and you still want to help, recommend this diary, or even consider increasing your monthly donation.
Please visit their site today and pledge what you can: www.newstandardnews.net. If you're going to pledge, please don't wait. They're going to be making a decision about the future of the site very, very soon.
It will truly be a sad day if people cannot rally around this publication and save it. If it fails, we'll be losing one of the country's most principled news outlets.
Thanks.