Love the Free Press and everything you do! My only gripe is I want my Free Press Socks!! I became a Premium Subscriber last July 2025 and have corresponded with your support, but still NO SOCKS! (Yes, I'm an entitled Free Presser.) So please, y'all, I would be very much obliged to get my socks and flaunt them here in the Carolinas <3
Ah, Normandy ! I told myself that I could never attend a Free Press Retreat, being French, I assumed most of them would take place in the US, but if you guys come to my home region (I know live in the Southwest), I might join ! 🙂
I'm sorry Bari - while your original intentions were noble, and the Forum idea novel, I have found that while your desire is for "Free Pressers to meet, debate, recommend, organize, joke, argue, and converse like civilized people", my experience has been quite different. It might be the Free Press, but in my opinion its a gathering for narrow-minded bloviates. This subscriber is one and done. Good luck the rest of the way
Thank you Bari, I am an active news junkie, I compare coverages from multiple outlets and publications. What is really sad is that it takes 3 to 5 of them to get both sides of the story without spin. I do watch multiple CBS products, however it still seems they seek nothing but negative about this current administration. Much the opposite of the prior administration or any republican governance.
I point it out for 1 simple reason, as a moderate Republican all my life the legacy media has portrayed us extremists. The constant echo of the DNC officeholders not getting push back or being call out for manufactured talking points not based in actual facts.
1st example: the weaponization of government fund by Trump. That money itself is a settlement from the IRS for his tax records not being secured before he was president. Yet your news department at CBS did not report the $1.5 billion as Trump's settlement. It was spun as a republican slush fund created by Congress. The fund he created is bipartisan. You should have several staff meetings about the accuracy of DNC or AP and others reporting. The media echo chamber is not accurate..
I was a big supporter for the Free Press and still get a lot from reading it, but became disenchanged when Bari sold out to CBS and cratered from Trump over the 60 Minute Episode.
Then Neal, you believe the world CBS once portrayed was genuine, benign and not an agenda. And you accept Trump-as-evil as a shrug-of-the-shoulders given.
Great idea. Yes, it is good not to feel alone and isolated in this bitterly divided world of ours. I, myself, though intend to remain being a mere reader and, when interested, a commenter on what I read. Good enough for me.
“When we launched The Free Press, the plan was simple: Tell the truth plainly, and let readers come to their own conclusions.” This is a worthy goal Bari Weiss reiterates today in her newsletter about expanded subscriber services. Given that, I want to point out where TFP fell short earlier today. In his piece this morning, Michael Doran writes that Chris Van Hollen “gloated” that the emerging framework amounts to “a return to the pre-war status quo.” I wish he had not used that pejorative and, instead, used neutral language that Chris Van Hollen “said” that the emerging framework amounts to “a return to the pre-war status quo.” That would have been consistent with telling the plain truth and letting the reader decide. Better not to imply that one party has “friends” when the other has “cronies.”
But characterizing an attitude is an opinion. What might seem a gloat to one person is a straight forward remark to another. Again, let the reader decide. No
This is a very good idea. However, the overwhelming focus on NYC and California seems a bit overdone. It is a big country, let’s get out into the whole of it.
This is not a new idea in social media. We ran forums this way for decades on CompuServe, before being upended by the ease of identity switches that came with the web software. But I certainly wish you luck.
I only wish The Free Press will have a larger distribution than The New York Times. It would serve them right. This is a great idea. You guys do a great job/Service.👍
Seriously - I can't se this (new forum) being more than another echo chamber - I read TFP to get another view point - I never get "news" here except for the Friday posting that makes me LOL (the sarcasm is so fun) - but I always find this destination TFP leans one way ... But I come to read and try to understand how others think
As opposed to? I subscribe to the NYT, and after reading the millionth drumbeat article followed by 800 commenters bleating out the identical, warped view of some situation- it's unreal!
That isn't "lean," that's a valley of guppies living in an alternate universe. Stay with this lean: it tests your reasoning rather than massage your learned bias.
Bari, I am 100% behind you in everything you are doing. I love CBS evening news now - Tony is so much more authentic than the other anchors. Don't let them get you down. Remember: no dog barks at a parked car. You are moving forward!
Love the Free Press and everything you do! My only gripe is I want my Free Press Socks!! I became a Premium Subscriber last July 2025 and have corresponded with your support, but still NO SOCKS! (Yes, I'm an entitled Free Presser.) So please, y'all, I would be very much obliged to get my socks and flaunt them here in the Carolinas <3
Ah, Normandy ! I told myself that I could never attend a Free Press Retreat, being French, I assumed most of them would take place in the US, but if you guys come to my home region (I know live in the Southwest), I might join ! 🙂
I'm sorry Bari - while your original intentions were noble, and the Forum idea novel, I have found that while your desire is for "Free Pressers to meet, debate, recommend, organize, joke, argue, and converse like civilized people", my experience has been quite different. It might be the Free Press, but in my opinion its a gathering for narrow-minded bloviates. This subscriber is one and done. Good luck the rest of the way
Great addition! Looking forward to engaging more with the FP community.
Thank you Bari, I am an active news junkie, I compare coverages from multiple outlets and publications. What is really sad is that it takes 3 to 5 of them to get both sides of the story without spin. I do watch multiple CBS products, however it still seems they seek nothing but negative about this current administration. Much the opposite of the prior administration or any republican governance.
I point it out for 1 simple reason, as a moderate Republican all my life the legacy media has portrayed us extremists. The constant echo of the DNC officeholders not getting push back or being call out for manufactured talking points not based in actual facts.
1st example: the weaponization of government fund by Trump. That money itself is a settlement from the IRS for his tax records not being secured before he was president. Yet your news department at CBS did not report the $1.5 billion as Trump's settlement. It was spun as a republican slush fund created by Congress. The fund he created is bipartisan. You should have several staff meetings about the accuracy of DNC or AP and others reporting. The media echo chamber is not accurate..
I was a big supporter for the Free Press and still get a lot from reading it, but became disenchanged when Bari sold out to CBS and cratered from Trump over the 60 Minute Episode.
Then Neal, you believe the world CBS once portrayed was genuine, benign and not an agenda. And you accept Trump-as-evil as a shrug-of-the-shoulders given.
Great idea. Yes, it is good not to feel alone and isolated in this bitterly divided world of ours. I, myself, though intend to remain being a mere reader and, when interested, a commenter on what I read. Good enough for me.
“When we launched The Free Press, the plan was simple: Tell the truth plainly, and let readers come to their own conclusions.” This is a worthy goal Bari Weiss reiterates today in her newsletter about expanded subscriber services. Given that, I want to point out where TFP fell short earlier today. In his piece this morning, Michael Doran writes that Chris Van Hollen “gloated” that the emerging framework amounts to “a return to the pre-war status quo.” I wish he had not used that pejorative and, instead, used neutral language that Chris Van Hollen “said” that the emerging framework amounts to “a return to the pre-war status quo.” That would have been consistent with telling the plain truth and letting the reader decide. Better not to imply that one party has “friends” when the other has “cronies.”
Point well taken, Becky, but thorough reportage requires noting the ATTITUDE with which something is said. It matters.
But characterizing an attitude is an opinion. What might seem a gloat to one person is a straight forward remark to another. Again, let the reader decide. No
Great idea, and I hope it works out.
I was very happy and honored to be a beta tester for the forum. I hope you all check it out!
This is a very good idea. However, the overwhelming focus on NYC and California seems a bit overdone. It is a big country, let’s get out into the whole of it.
This.
This is not a new idea in social media. We ran forums this way for decades on CompuServe, before being upended by the ease of identity switches that came with the web software. But I certainly wish you luck.
Bravo!
I only wish The Free Press will have a larger distribution than The New York Times. It would serve them right. This is a great idea. You guys do a great job/Service.👍
Seriously - I can't se this (new forum) being more than another echo chamber - I read TFP to get another view point - I never get "news" here except for the Friday posting that makes me LOL (the sarcasm is so fun) - but I always find this destination TFP leans one way ... But I come to read and try to understand how others think
Bravo! You are a rare gem - someone looking for balanced input.
As opposed to? I subscribe to the NYT, and after reading the millionth drumbeat article followed by 800 commenters bleating out the identical, warped view of some situation- it's unreal!
That isn't "lean," that's a valley of guppies living in an alternate universe. Stay with this lean: it tests your reasoning rather than massage your learned bias.
Bari, I am 100% behind you in everything you are doing. I love CBS evening news now - Tony is so much more authentic than the other anchors. Don't let them get you down. Remember: no dog barks at a parked car. You are moving forward!