Hey readers,
Managing editor Andy Hirschfeld here. We have some exciting new developments coming to the America In Context Newsletter that I want to share with all of you. What is America In Context? Where are we going? And What’s next?
First off, What is America In Context?
We live in polarizing times but at the end of the day the concerns of someone who lives in New York City and someone who lives in rural Idaho fundamentally have a very similar concern. How am I going to pay to live my life and support those I care about?
This publication aims to show the cost of living issues define us and can bring us together to solve real issues. Through investigations into abusive industries like the troubled teen industry to salon style talks with the biggest names in business and politics. We are hoping to elevate to conversation around cost of living issues.
It is our core belief that business reporting is fundamentally flawed. Reporting in business focuses largely on what a company is doing, how it's innovative or how their choices impact investors. It's not about how workers are treated in the process. It's not about the real people their choices impact. It's rarely about accountability.
Meanwhile, political reporting is focused on holding power to account. Our belief is that if companies are "buying" our elected leaders should they be held to at least the same level of security if not more. We aim to fix that narrative.
Our stories focus around connecting the dots through America’s communities and industries— putting America in Context.
We are currently setting up a sustainable framework to ensure long term growth that values strong reporting alongside competent leadership.
Subscribe:
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. Here’s what you will get:
Free Subscribers:
You’ll get to hear our podcast hosted by Andy Hirschfeld. Now entering its third season, our podcast has brought in guests including influencer Susie Moore, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, author Trevor Blake, singer Rebecca Black, climate activist Bill McKibben and many more.
You’ll get enterprising reporting on cost of living issues from some of the best writers in the business.
You’ll get to read and listen to our coffee break series where we sit down with the biggest newsmakers, trendsetters and industry leaders to learn their secrets to success as well as their takes on the news of the day in their respective fields.
You’ll also get witty features and essays as well as strong op-eds from our writers.
Paid Subscribers:
You will have access to our salon style live events where you will have the chance to meet with newsmakers themselves and experience the story. Imagine going to a small house party and one of the guests is an A-list actor, sitting Senator, a market disrupting CEO, or an activist making a huge impact on their community.
You’ll also have access to our books, special series and investigations.
You’ll be supporting strong, independent journalism in a time when it’s needed most.
EDITORIAL STANDARDS
Worker funded media is the future of news. The writers and editors who write for us are working journalists in the field with top tier experience. Our writers understand the need for free flow independent journalism but also hold themselves to the rigid editorial standards expected at large legacy news organizations.
We are objective in our reporting. We have our opinions but we leave those at the door. We believe the facts speak for themselves. Our opinion editorials are clearly marked as an opinion.
WHO WRITES FOR AMERICA IN CONTEXT:
Andy Hirschfeld the lead writer and managing editor of America In Context. He is one of the nation’s leading cost of living journalists. His work has appeared in numerous publications including CNBC, The New York Observer, Thinknum, OZY, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg News, Fortune Magazine, ABC News, Al Jazeera English, CS Monitor, Nationswell and many other publications. With an audience of millions, his work has also been featured on CNN International, CNBC, and NPR broadcasts. He's the host of The Coffee Break Podcast America In Context’s official podcast. Previously, he produced and reported for CNN and CBS News.
Michael Porter is an editor and contributor for America In Context. He is a Brooklyn-based, L.A.-born writer and visual artist. His writing focuses on art and the artists that make it. His reporting has appeared in publications including L.A. Review of Books, Hyperallergic and Cultured Mag among other publications. Porter is also a fiction writer. His fiction work incorporates themes from crime and sci-fi while experimenting with narrative structural norms.
With the help of a small grant, we are building out a strong set of contributors with diverse voices across the United States. We want our contributors to represent diverse schools of thought but also adhere to the highest editorial standards in journalism. So far we’ve signed two contributors with many more to come.
We believe everyone deserves recognition for their work and should be considered a vital part of the team even if they only contribute one article. Here’s who we have so far:
Contributors:
Thor Benson is a New Orleans based independent journalist who has contributed to The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Wired and many other publications.
Diane Eastabrook is a Chicago freelance reporter with expertise in business and economics. She specializes in economic opportunity, workplace diversity and the aging workforce. Diane has worked for PBS Nightly Business Report, Al Jazeera Media Network and is a contributor to the PBS digital site Next Avenue.
I look forward to share more of what we build in the future.
Best,
Andy
Managing Editor / Lead Writer