Discourse Blog is a leftist politics and culture site.
Since our founding in 2020, our mission has been the same: to say what we think.
We don’t hide behind fake objectivity or mealy-mouthed centrism. We tell you exactly what’s on our minds about everyone fucking this world up—the U.S. government in all its forms, media cretins and propagandists, cops, billionaires, and many, many more—and about the good people who fight back every day. We leave a lot of room for weirdness and stupidity.
We operate as a fully worker-owned, independent collective. We take our independence seriously. We answer to ourselves and you, our readers—nobody else.
Also we love birds!
(Note: we are not associated with Discourse, the open source project.)
Looking for an introduction to our work? Click here.
Who are you?
Aleks Chan is the publisher of Discourse Blog. He was an editor at The Guardian and was previously the editor-in-chief of Splinter and an editor at Fusion, Gawker, and Gothamist.
📍 New York | aleks@discourseblog.com | @aleksnotalex
Jack Crosbie writes about conflict, politics, labor, and the media. He was previously a contributing writer at Splinter and has written for Rolling Stone and The Atlantic.
📍 New York | crosbie@discourseblog.com | @jscros
Samantha Grasso is the head of design and writes about social justice, pop culture, and Texas for Discourse Blog. She was previously a staff writer for Splinter. She has also written for subtext by AJ+, Vox, The Texas Observer, and the Daily Dot.
📍 Austin | samantha@discourseblog.com | @samjgrasso
Katherine Krueger writes about politics and culture for Discourse Blog. She was previously the managing editor of Splinter. She has worked at Fusion, Talking Points Memo, and The Guardian.
📍 New York | katherine@discourseblog.com | @kath_krueger
Jack Mirkinson is the editor of Discourse Blog, where he also blogs about politics, the media, and birds. He is also a senior editor at The Nation and was previously the deputy editor of Splinter.
📍 New York | jack@discourseblog.com | @jackmirkinson
Caitlin Schneider writes about culture, labor, and birds for Discourse Blog. She also manages audience development for podcasts at Slate Magazine and was previously a senior social editor at VICE and the social editor at Splinter.
📍 Los Angeles | caitlin@discourseblog.com | @caitschneider
Rafi Schwartz writes about the conservative movement, the media, and the weirder corners of the internet. He was previously a senior writer at Splinter and has been published in Rolling Stone, Good, Mic, and Heeb Magazine.
📍 Twin Cities | rafi@discourseblog.com | @TheJewishDream
Honorary staffer for life:
Why should I subscribe?
We are in desperate need of journalism that offers something different to the tired old outlets owned by the people who have driven our world off a cliff. We need spaces fueled by the passions of their writers, not by chasing after whatever toxic sludge people think might drive traffic. We need spaces free from the profit-driven greed that has destroyed so much of the media industry. And we need spaces to help us ease the alienation and insanity that 21st-century life makes us all feel.
We think Discourse Blog has been able to serve as one of those spaces, and we have built a strong and caring community around our shared values. But we are 100 percent reader-funded—without your support, we will cease to exist.
OK, you’ve convinced me. How do I subscribe and how much does it cost?
You can subscribe on the homepage or by clicking the button below. Subscriptions cost $8/month or $80/year. (We also have a $100 option if you feel like kicking us a few extra bucks out of the goodness of your own heart, and want our eternal gratitude!)
What do I get for subscribing?
The free plan:
A few posts a week
Paid subscribers:
Daily (Monday through Friday) posts and access to the full archives
Our podcasts, including Oppo Research, our deep dive into the sins and scandals of the political class
Commenting privileges on all our posts
Do you have discounts for students?
We sure do! Click this special link for 50 percent off an annual subscription. Note: This link will only work with a .edu email address. Are you a high school student interested in subscribing at a discounted rate? Email us at hello@discourseblog.com and we can help you.
Discourse Blog is a proud member of OptOut, a non-profit news app featuring exclusively independent media. Interested in partnering with us? Email jack at discourseblog.com.
How can I get in touch?
Contact us at hello@discourseblog.com.
What’s with the bird?
A starling yelling at the sky perfectly encapsulates what we’re trying to do here. Our starling icon and logo were designed by the incredible Angelica Alzona.
