I just subscribed to Andrew Sullivan’s great site, the Daily Dish, for a year for $20. Actually, 19.99. Here’s the link. Sullivan’s announcement yesterday that he’s going independent of Daily Beast in February and will raise money from his readers stunned the media world and I believe/pray will help to revolutionize the model of the journalist’s relationship to his or her readers.
In the time I’ve followed Sullivan, he’s worked for The New Republic, The Atlantic, the New York Times, Time Magazine, and The Daily Beast. His blog was independent once before for a while, as I recall, but generally it’s been hosted at a big media shop. Several of those shops are noted for their support for Israel. Which raises the question. In the last year or so Sullivan has gotten more and more out in his criticism of Israel. And I wonder whether support from readers — independence of media barons — will allow Sullivan even greater freedom on this question. Will he oppose Zionism hammer and tongs? Will he call for a democratic state in Israel and Palestine? Will he try and destroy the idol of the two-state solution in the US discourse? Time will tell, of course, but I bet that Sullivan will become even more vociferous and eloquent when he is freed of dependence on the media lords. And if you think I am accusing Sullivan of self-censorship, I am. All writers self-censor. Sullivan certainly must have self-censored when he was at the Zionist New Republic under Marty Peretz, and I imagine he felt pressure at the Atlantic and the Daily Beast as well on the Viva Israel front. Melville said it best, of Shakespeare: All writers wear muzzles on their souls. So I can’t wait for Sullivan’s next act on the Middle East…
I signed up yesterday. I hope he wasn’t ditched because of his pointed anti-Kristol remarks in his smear-Hagel articles. Or. Maybe because he knew he was leaving, he let loose.
I was very impressed by his bravery, he is basically taking a leap into the dark, with no safety net. Sort of like you guys here.
I hope this is the future of media. Completely democratized. There are two threats: first, the paranoia of our governments and their spying on us. Second, the long arms of the media barons. Bloggers can do a lot, but they cannot replace an entire newsroom, even by collaboration. Yet.
The Israel Lobby strikes again. Time-Warner is rushing to drop Current TV before it becomes Al Jazeera America.
Is there any indication that Andrew Sullivan was forced out of the Daily Beast because of his views on Israel? That would be a very big story — but I have seen no information yet to support that speculation.
Subscribed to Sullivan as well! He’s come a long way since that appearance of his on the Bill Maher(sp) show.