Thanks for this great piece. I was out of town and didn't know what all the fuss was about. But you know, when you link to the NYT or the WaPo, if we don't have a subscription, we can't read any of it. (Except for once a month, they let you read one free. Big woo.)
And I bet most of us DON'T have a subscription - that's why we're reading YOU! ❤️
I did go after her on Facebook and she was flabbergasted and accused me of seeking attention. Ha! She’s the one that threw me into the spotlight instead of being a decent moral human and calling. She had my number and email.
Someday, if someone in the media is interested, I will spill all the juicy details about this monster. There’s a lot, enough to write a best seller with. She’s a nut.
Bravo, Bari! I look forward to every column, and especially to the insightful yet gentle wit that informs Nellie’s TGIF. A reminder to stay balanced about it all … oh, the humanity!
I'm retired so I have a lot of time on my hands to consume a lot of stuff out there. But you, Bari, and Glenn Greenwald, are the shining lite of journalistic opinion in this day and age. What a pleasure it is to read your work. All the other stuff (except Glenn) pales in comparison. Keep up the fearless work.
I subscribed to Common Sense as soon as I came across it for this very reason. I do think you're doing something important, and I've been arguing for this direction for quite some time. I hope this isn't out of place, but coincidentally I have a piece today (in my teeny tiny Substack) showing how the migration from journalism as a blue-collar trade that produced Hamill and Royko to a profession for JSchool grads broke the bonds between media and the public. https://perfectingequilibrium.substack.com/p/where-have-you-gone-pete-hamill?s=w
Thanks again for what you are building here; I'm pleased to support your efforts as a subscriber.
Not having owned a newspaper, wouldn't someone like Bezos be a little embarrassed by the drama at this point and be dropping some hints to the publisher and editor in chief (or maybe he did and that's why Felicia Sonmez was let go? yet Lorenz is still allowed to push past ethical boundaries left and right). I realize there's a fine line between being the owner and influencing what gets published in his role but he does own the place and doesn't strike me as the type who cares for this kind of BS in his businesses.
Lorenz might be a canary in the coal mine. When she (her methods, her angle) is finally rejected by journalism, it may signal a seismic shift in culture. For the moment, she is absolutely immune from accountabliity.
As I sit here on a Sunday morning with my coffee and digital copy of Substack, I’m reminded of that great tradition that used to exist; When the Sunday paper would arrive and I might find an editorial that was intriguing, well written and factual. Those days are long gone. But the tradition remains! Thank God for Common Sense.
Re: Bari pining for “bundled” subscriptions… ditto, including Substack. On top of my $600 WSJ subscription (for family of 5), I pay $200 for 4 Substackers and read 4 free Substack accounts (whose excellent work frequently entices me to pay for more). I have one other $120 magazine subscription. And while I’d love to support so many worthy writers, with 2 in college, the reading material budget is stressed! I’d love to see varying Substack subscription levels: i.e. pick 10 writers for $250 annually and $20 per additional. Anyway, so glad Bari is leading charge on trustworthy reporting! I’m happy to support it.
$600 for the WSJ? Many, just call up and cancel - they'll offer you better pricing to stay on. If you only take digital as I do, it costs a third of what you are paying.
"We want to be your algorithm." Don't be an algorithm. Be a trusted source for news (and you are doing a good job). The other way "sounds" sinister (and CNN-ish).
Which brings me to a deeper and more troubling problem than MSM. When we read something and then refer to it like I did above do we say 'sounds' or 'reads'. I like 'sounds' but that's just not true as no one has said anything and 'reads' just looks and sounds awkward (when reading it my head). Thoughts?
And contained within this piece is another link to an Emily Yoffe "reason" article from 2019 regarding Sonmez' gleeful #MeToo contribution to the destruction of a colleague:
When vengeful women (it's always women, isn't it?) are unchecked in their malevolence -- indeed, encouraged -- it's a shocking and unbelievable situation. There is nothing commendable about Sonmez, or those that protect her. Maybe Julie Bindel, who wrote the execrable Amber Heard article the other day, needs to educate herself on the very real, very terrifying destruction that women like Sonmez and Heard can wreak.
Thanks for this great piece. I was out of town and didn't know what all the fuss was about. But you know, when you link to the NYT or the WaPo, if we don't have a subscription, we can't read any of it. (Except for once a month, they let you read one free. Big woo.)
And I bet most of us DON'T have a subscription - that's why we're reading YOU! ❤️
I did go after her on Facebook and she was flabbergasted and accused me of seeking attention. Ha! She’s the one that threw me into the spotlight instead of being a decent moral human and calling. She had my number and email.
Someday, if someone in the media is interested, I will spill all the juicy details about this monster. There’s a lot, enough to write a best seller with. She’s a nut.
Bravo, Bari! I look forward to every column, and especially to the insightful yet gentle wit that informs Nellie’s TGIF. A reminder to stay balanced about it all … oh, the humanity!
I'm retired so I have a lot of time on my hands to consume a lot of stuff out there. But you, Bari, and Glenn Greenwald, are the shining lite of journalistic opinion in this day and age. What a pleasure it is to read your work. All the other stuff (except Glenn) pales in comparison. Keep up the fearless work.
Exactly! Thank you. I love the podcast too.
I subscribed to Common Sense as soon as I came across it for this very reason. I do think you're doing something important, and I've been arguing for this direction for quite some time. I hope this isn't out of place, but coincidentally I have a piece today (in my teeny tiny Substack) showing how the migration from journalism as a blue-collar trade that produced Hamill and Royko to a profession for JSchool grads broke the bonds between media and the public. https://perfectingequilibrium.substack.com/p/where-have-you-gone-pete-hamill?s=w
Thanks again for what you are building here; I'm pleased to support your efforts as a subscriber.
Cjf
Common Sense is on a very short of list of publications that I will NEVER prune for reasons financial, time-related, or any other
Bari, Common Sense is on a very short list of publications that I will NEVER prune for financial reasons or any other
Felicia got shitcanned. Maybe they're starting to realize that mentally unstable people need help, not megaphones...? One can hope
Not having owned a newspaper, wouldn't someone like Bezos be a little embarrassed by the drama at this point and be dropping some hints to the publisher and editor in chief (or maybe he did and that's why Felicia Sonmez was let go? yet Lorenz is still allowed to push past ethical boundaries left and right). I realize there's a fine line between being the owner and influencing what gets published in his role but he does own the place and doesn't strike me as the type who cares for this kind of BS in his businesses.
Lorenz might be a canary in the coal mine. When she (her methods, her angle) is finally rejected by journalism, it may signal a seismic shift in culture. For the moment, she is absolutely immune from accountabliity.
As I sit here on a Sunday morning with my coffee and digital copy of Substack, I’m reminded of that great tradition that used to exist; When the Sunday paper would arrive and I might find an editorial that was intriguing, well written and factual. Those days are long gone. But the tradition remains! Thank God for Common Sense.
Re: Bari pining for “bundled” subscriptions… ditto, including Substack. On top of my $600 WSJ subscription (for family of 5), I pay $200 for 4 Substackers and read 4 free Substack accounts (whose excellent work frequently entices me to pay for more). I have one other $120 magazine subscription. And while I’d love to support so many worthy writers, with 2 in college, the reading material budget is stressed! I’d love to see varying Substack subscription levels: i.e. pick 10 writers for $250 annually and $20 per additional. Anyway, so glad Bari is leading charge on trustworthy reporting! I’m happy to support it.
$600 for the WSJ? Many, just call up and cancel - they'll offer you better pricing to stay on. If you only take digital as I do, it costs a third of what you are paying.
or Brava!
Bravo!
"We want to be your algorithm." Don't be an algorithm. Be a trusted source for news (and you are doing a good job). The other way "sounds" sinister (and CNN-ish).
Which brings me to a deeper and more troubling problem than MSM. When we read something and then refer to it like I did above do we say 'sounds' or 'reads'. I like 'sounds' but that's just not true as no one has said anything and 'reads' just looks and sounds awkward (when reading it my head). Thoughts?
There are a number of well-done evaluations of Sonmez' history of deviant workplace behavior, including this from American Thinker:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/06/felicia_sonmezs_huge_meltdown.html
And contained within this piece is another link to an Emily Yoffe "reason" article from 2019 regarding Sonmez' gleeful #MeToo contribution to the destruction of a colleague:
https://reason.com/2019/08/23/im-radioactive/
When vengeful women (it's always women, isn't it?) are unchecked in their malevolence -- indeed, encouraged -- it's a shocking and unbelievable situation. There is nothing commendable about Sonmez, or those that protect her. Maybe Julie Bindel, who wrote the execrable Amber Heard article the other day, needs to educate herself on the very real, very terrifying destruction that women like Sonmez and Heard can wreak.