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30 Dec 20, 12 tweets, 5 min read
1. A new @NewYorker article about Substack suggests that the subscription newsletter model "might not be in the collective interest" because it's not possible to "hold powerful people and institutions to account" via a newsletter.

I disagree.

newyorker.com/magazine/2021/…
@NewYorker 2. Today, I published a year in review of the reporting in my newsletter, Popular Information, which is dedicated to accountability journalism.

I think @tesszeeks and I were able to get some stuff done.

I'll go over a few highlights.

popular.info/p/the-year-in-…
3. In March, as the COVID took hold, we published an expose on how Darden, parent of Olive Garden, was endangering staff & customers by not providing paid sick leave

Within 24 hrs, the company announced it would provide paid sick leave for all employees

popular.info/p/update-free-…
4. Popular Information also reported extensively on Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain, and its inadequate sick leave policies

After initially attacking the newsletter, Kroger reversed course and provided sick leave policy for all employees

popular.info/p/update-kroge…
5. Popular Information identified 3 companies – Abbott Labs, Comcast, & Verizon – that publicly expressed a commitment to the BLM movement, yet were paying thousands to Matt Schlapp, a lobbyist who routinely attacked BLM

The 3 companies dropped Schlapp

politico.com/newsletters/po…
6. Popular Information exposed a network of racist and violent Facebook pages that were systematically distributing content from The Daily Wire, a right-wing website founded by Ben Shapiro.

popular.info/p/facebook-adm…
7. In a joint investigation with @emorwee (HEATED), Popular Information revealed that Facebook exempted an “opinion” piece published in the Washington Examiner promoting climate misinformation from fact-checking

popular.info/p/fact-check-o…
8. I have a bunch more examples in my year-in-review.

But the larger point is while an independent newsletter has some DISADVANTAGES compared to large media orgs in holding power to account it also has some significant ADVANTAGES

popular.info/p/the-year-in-…
9. What are the advantages?

First, no advertising. Popular Information is not financially dependent on the corps we cover in any way

That's a benefit. There isn't the psychological impact of having "FACEBOOK SUPPORTS UPDATED INTERNET REGULATIONS" plastered across every article
10. Second, independent newsletters aren't owned by billionaires. I'm not saying billionaire-owned publications can't do good work, but it's useful to have some places that aren't owned by billionaires as well
11. Are subscription newsletters on Substack and elsewhere the ANSWER to the issues with journalism?

No.

Can every journalist succeed with a newsletter?

Also no.

But I believe newsletters can play a useful role in holding the powerful accountable.
12. If you are interested in the kind of reporting I did this year, I will be doing more next year.

I've also made the publication completely FREE during the pandemic and it will stay that way until the pandemic ends

Pay only if you think its worth it

popular.info/subscribe

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More from @JuddLegum

Judd Legum Profile picture
31 Dec 20
1. On November 9, @KLoeffler accepted a $2800 contribution from Peter Zieve.

The same day, @sendavidperdue accepted $2700 from Zieve.

Who is Peter Zieve?

A notorious racist. Image
@KLoeffler @sendavidperdue 2. In 2017, Zieve was sued by Washington State for discriminating against minority applicants and imposing his racist views on his employees.

agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/…
3. The case describes Zieve's outrageous conduct. Zieve allegedly screened applicants by race, hired a nearly all-white staff, and offered employees a $1000 bonus for getting married and another $1000 bonus for having children.
Read 7 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
31 Dec 20
1. These ads from a GOP Super PAC falsely attacking Raphael Warnock are still up.

They've been up for two days.

We can rule out negligence.

Facebook is deliberately ignoring their rules to allow this false attack to be distributed on its platform.

How do I know?
2. Facebook is well aware of this issue.

I know because they've told me they are aware.

I also know from employees that it is being raised internally.

They've already decided that previous versions of THE EXACT SAME AD violate its rules.

So there is no reason for delay.
3. According to Facebook's own metrics, these ads, which should never have been approved, have already reached hundreds of thousands of Georgia voters.

This is could be a very close election.

These false attacks could be determinative.
Read 8 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
30 Dec 20
1. I wish I didn't have to do this but this is going to be a new thread about how Facebook is STILL permitting Republican Super PACs to REPEATEDLY VIOLATE FACEBOOK'S RULES and run ads with false attacks on Raphael Warnock.

Follow along if interested.
2. The story began on December 17, after Facebook begins allowing political ads in Georgia.

American Crossroads, a Super PAC run by Karl Rove and financed by Mitch McConnell, starts running a brutally dishonest ad against Raphael Warnock
3. The American Crossroads ad tells Georgia voters on Facebook that Warnock said "God Damn America."

As if he was expressing his own views.

But he wasn't. He was quoting Jerimiah Wright in a speech he delivered on 7/11/13.

We tracked down the full quote
Read 17 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
27 Dec 20
1. In this thread, @ggreenwald accused me of deception and stated that it is "obvious" that Facebook is intervening to benefit Democrats.

Glenn supports free speech, as do I. So I'm going to respond in good faith and trust that it will not devolve into name-calling
@ggreenwald 2. I don't need to speculate into whether Facebook is tilting the playing field toward the GOP. I've done reporting on it.

Public policy is set through Facebook's DC office, where Kaplan and two other Republican operative call the shots.

popular.info/p/the-republic…
3. I made calls and spoke to several people who worked there.

"Decisions are made to benefit Republicans because they are paranoid about their reputation among conservative Republicans, particularly Trump," one former Facebook DC employee told me

popular.info/p/the-republic…
Read 10 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
26 Dec 20
1. Joel Kaplan, Facebook's global head of public policy, donated $2800 to Loeffler and $2800 to Perdue on December 24
2. Here, I document how Facebook has failed to enforce Facebook's policies on ads that include false attacks on Warnock, Loeffler's opponent

Has Kaplan been involved in any of these decisions?

3. Resolve to hold corporations accountable in 2021.

Get the information you need by signing up for my newsletter.

popular.info/subscribe
Read 5 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
26 Dec 20
1. Which corporations are making last minute PAC contributions to @kloeffler?

There is a new filing that revealed, for the first time, Loeffler's corporate donors from 11/23 to 12/16.

Follow along if interested.
@KLoeffler 2. Recent corporate PAC donations to Kelly Loeffler:

@Outback (2.5K, 12/16)

@McGuireWoodsLLP (5K, 12/16)

@StateFarm (5K, 12/16)

@Wendys (5K, 12/16)

@3M (2.5K, 12/10)

@budweiserusa (2.5K, 12/09)

@Allstate (1K, 12/08)

@DLA_Piper (2.5K, 12/08)

@HomeDepot (5K, 12/08)
3. Recent corporate PAC donations to Kelly Loeffler (con't):

@LibertyMutual (5K, 12/08)

@Boeing (5K, 12/08)

@7eleven (2K, 12/07)

@Chevron (5K, 12/03)

@BACARDI (1K, 11/30)

@BurgerKing (5K, 11/30)

@pfizer (5K, 11/30)

@HRBlock (1K, 11/24)

@KochIndustries (5K, 11/24)
Read 5 tweets

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