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The Atlantic wants to hire newsletter writers — and it wants their subscribers, too

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Here’s a media trend: Journalists setting up their own newsletters instead of working for big, established publishers.
Here’s a media trend working in the opposite direction: Big, established publishers with robust business models or big backers — or both — consolidating their power by hoovering up talent.
And here’s a story that can do both: The Atlantic is launching a newsletter offering that wants to bring writers under the Atlantic’s umbrella (and paywall) while letting them stay semi-independent.
The idea, per people familiar, is for the magazine to unveil a roster of newsletter writers — maybe a dozen or so — in the coming weeks. They’ll only be available to Atlantic subscribers. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/insider/times-newsletters-subscription.html">The New York Times has done something similar this year</a>, rolling out subscriber-only letters from writers, including Kara Swisher and Jay Caspian Kang.
One big difference between the Atlantic’s plan and other newsletter distributors is that, in some cases, the Atlantic is recruiting writers who are already in the paid newsletter business. And it wants to convert those writers’ subscribers into Atlantic subscribers.
At least one of those writers, I’ve confirmed, is a writer who currently has set up shop at <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22338802/substack-pro-newsletter-controversy-jude-doyle">Substack</a>, the company that kicked off the most recent newsletter boom by making it easy (theoretically) to make money self-publishing.
Here’s the rough outline of what the Atlantic wants to do, via people with knowledge:
<ul>
<li>The Atlantic isn’t hiring the writers as full-time employees, but will offer them some sort of base payment with the ability to make additional money if they hit certain subscriber goals. So it’s a much more reliable income source than a paid newsletter — even Casey Newton, a contributing writer for Vox Media’s The Verge, who has been running his own, successful, <a href="https://www.platformer.news/">Substack</a> for the last year, <a href="https://www.platformer.news/p/what-i-learned-from-a-year-on-substack">says he sees monthly churn of 3 to 4 percent</a>.</li>
<li>If the writers are already selling paid subscriptions to their letters, the Atlantic wants to turn those subscriptions into Atlantic subscriptions. That is: If you’re currently paying Provocative But Thinky Takes Guy $5 a month for his work, now that same money will get you that letter, plus any other newsletters the Atlantic publishes, plus the Atlantic itself, which currently sells a digital-only subscription for $50 a year.</li>
<li>Newsletter writers who join the Atlantic’s program get to keep their existing list of subscribers. So if they decide to bail on the Atlantic, they could start up their business again.</li>
<li>How much oversight or assistance the letter writers will get from Atlantic editors and staff still sounds like a work in progress. But the thrust is that the writers are supposed to remain editorially independent from the publication; they won’t be edited by Atlantic editors. So what happens if the Atlantic ends up hiring someone the Atlantic decides is too racy/racist/problematic for the Atlantic? Good question!</li>
</ul>
An Atlantic rep declined to comment.
It’s easy to see the appeal of the program to the Atlantic, led by Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg and CEO Nick Thompson. The publication gets a new roster of voices and the possibility of instantly increasing its subscriber numbers. And while more subscribers are always nice, they would be particularly nice for the Atlantic right now, which <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-the-atlantic-is-thriving-in-the-pandemic/id1080467174?i=1000471626697">thrived during the Trump years and the pandemic in particular</a> but, like other publishers, has seen its <a href="https://digiday.com/media/as-the-atlantic-draws-closer-to-1-million-subscribers-the-publisher-must-battle-declines-in-traffic-to-keep-momentum-going/">website traffic slump as Trump and Covid-19</a> have stopped dominating the news cycle.
And since declining traffic makes it harder to convert new readers into subscribers, anything that brings in new eyeballs — let alone an injection of paying readers — would be welcome. (Here we should note that even though the Atlantic is owned by Laurene Powell Jobs, the billionaire wants the publication, which had a round of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/21/media/the-atlantic-layoffs/index.html">layoffs in the early months of the pandemic</a>, to be self-sustaining.)
The pitch to writers is a little more nuanced, with some parts spelled out and other parts more tacit. The obvious one: Come work at an award-winning publication with wide reach, backed by a billionaire. Unstated: Maybe you thought you’d be crushing it once you started up your newsletter business. But maybe you’re not, and maybe you’d like a steady paycheck. Running a solo shop isn’t for everybody.
That said, some newsletter writers who’ve found receptive audiences — primarily via Substack — are making way more money than they ever did at established media companies.
Former New York Times opinion writers and editor Bari Weiss, for instance, tells me she now has 16,500 subscribers to her Substack, <a href="https://bariweiss.substack.com/">Common Sense</a>. Which at $5 per subscriber, per month, means she could be bringing in $890,000 a year, after Substack takes its 10 percent fee. So don’t expect Weiss to show up in the Atlantic’s roster anytime soon.
I asked Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie what it means if competitors like the Atlantic poach some of his authors. He was gracious about it. “We root for writers even when they’re not Substackers, so we’re glad to see a trend toward more ownership for writers,” McKenzie said in a statement. “We’ve always advocated for writers to have full ownership of their content and audiences, and we applaud every step in this direction.”
McKenzie and his team have clearly contemplated some kind of this platform-jumping: Part of Substack’s pitch is that writers can easily walk away, taking all the content they published and an email list of all their subscribers. And Substack’s success has spurred new competitors, including Facebook and Twitter, both of which can easily outspend Substack if they want to — as I reported in June, <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22518571/facebook-substack-bulletin-newsletter-launch">Facebook dropped $6 million</a> on the URL for Bulletin, its Substack clone.
But if you’re not a Substack superstar, maybe it doesn’t take a ton of money to woo you from the company: just a steady paycheck and the ability to write for a big group of people. Like people at some regular media companies do.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/10/9/22715506/atlantic-newsletter-subscribers-substack">https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/10/9/22715506/atlantic-newsletter-subscribers-substack</a>

vox The Atlantic wants to hire newsletter writers — and it wants their subscribers, too

Here’s a media trend: Journalists setting up their own newsletters instead of working for big, established publishers. Here’s a media tren...

Iran's First President Abolhassan Banisadr Dies: Report

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Abolhassan Banisadr, Iran's first president after 1979 revolution, dies. (AFP)
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Iran:
The Islamic Republic of Iran's first president Abolhassan Banisadr died in a Paris hospital Saturday aged 88, the official news agency IRNA said.
"After a long illness, Abolhassan Banisadr died on Saturday at the (Pitie-)Salpetriere hospital" in southeast Paris, IRNA reported, citing a source close to the former president.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/irans-first-president-abolhassan-banisadr-dies-state-media-2569636">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/irans-first-president-abolhassan-banisadr-dies-state-media-2569636</a>

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Abolhassan Banisadr, Iran's first president after 1979 revolution, dies. (AFP) Iran: The Islamic Republic of Iran's first presi...

Over 100 Dead Or Missing After Boat Capsizes In DR Congo

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With no manifest of the passengers on board, number missing is an estimate based on the capacity of boat
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Kinshasa:
More than 100 people are believed dead or missing in the sinking of a makeshift vessel on the Congo river, provincial authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo said Saturday.
Fifty-one bodies had been recovered by late Friday from the sinking during the night of Monday to Tuesday, and another 69 are believed to be missing, Nestor Magbado, a spokesman for the governor of the northwestern province of Mongala, told AFP.
He said there were 39 survivors. With no manifest of the passengers on board, the number missing is an estimate based on the capacity of the boat, he said.
The vessel was actually nine traditional wooden canoes, known as pirogues, all tied together, Magbado said.
He added that the accident may have been caused by "overcrowding aggravated by bad weather" during the night.
The scale of the accident was not clear until it was reported by media late on Friday, and confirmed on Saturday by provincial authorities.
Magbado said the Mongala authorities had informed Kinshasa of the sinking just after it occurred, but had waited for more information about the number of casualties.
Search and rescue operations are continuing, but hopes are fading of finding more survivors, he said.
Provincial authorities have declared three days of mourning from Monday. 
 
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/boat-capsizes-in-dr-congo-over-100-reportedly-dead-or-missing-2569598">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/boat-capsizes-in-dr-congo-over-100-reportedly-dead-or-missing-2569598</a>

news world Over 100 Dead Or Missing After Boat Capsizes In DR Congo

With no manifest of the passengers on board, number missing is an estimate based on the capacity of boat Kinshasa: More than 100 people...

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa Dedicates Award To "All Journalists"

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Maria Ressa said she hoped the prize would provide a protective shield against attacks and threats. (AFP)
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Veteran Philippine journalist Maria Ressa on Saturday said her Nobel Peace Prize was for "all journalists around the world", as she vowed to continue her battle for press freedom.
"This is really for all journalists around the world," Ressa, a vocal critic of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, told AFP in an interview.
"We do need help on so many fronts -- it is so much more difficult and dangerous to be a journalist today."
Ressa, co-founder of news website Rappler, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their efforts to "safeguard freedom of expression".
Philippine press groups and rights activists hailed Ressa's award as a "triumph" in a country ranked as one of the world's most dangerous for journalists.
Since Duterte was swept to power in 2016, Ressa and Rappler have endured what media advocates say is a grinding series of criminal charges, investigations and online attacks.
Duterte has called Rappler a "fake news outlet", and Ressa has been the target of abusive messages online.
Ressa, 58, said she hoped the prize would provide a protective shield for her and other journalists in the Philippines against physical attacks and online threats.
"This 'us against them' was never the creation of the journalists, it was the creation of the people in power who wanted to use a type of leadership that divides society," Ressa said, describing the award "like a shot of adrenalin".
"I hope this allows journalists to do our jobs well without fear."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nobel-peace-prize-winner-maria-ressa-dedicates-award-to-all-journalists-2569561">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nobel-peace-prize-winner-maria-ressa-dedicates-award-to-all-journalists-2569561</a>

news world Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa Dedicates Award To "All Journalists"

Maria Ressa said she hoped the prize would provide a protective shield against attacks and threats. (AFP) Veteran Philippine journalist ...

PM Modi Meets Danish Counterpart On Her First State Visit To India

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="PM Modi Meets Danish Counterpart On Her First State Visit To India" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-10/3cj2k4f8_denmark-pm-mette-frederiksen-with-pm-modiani-_625x300_09_October_21.jpg" title="PM Modi Meets Danish Counterpart On Her First State Visit To India" /></div>
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is on her first state visit to India.
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New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in New Delhi on Saturday who is on her first state visit to India.
PM Modi received Mette Frederiksen at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, where she was accorded a ceremonial welcome. She also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
Danish Prime Minister said she sees her New Delhi's visit as a milestone for the relations between the two nations. "We consider India as a close partner. I see this visit as a milestone for Denmark-India bilateral relations," she said.
Speaking after the ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Frederiksen added that she sees an ambitious Indian government taking responsibility for the issue of green transition in India and the rest of the world.
Ms Frederiksen today also met with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
Danish PM arrived in New Delhi in the early morning hours of Saturday. She was received by the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, at Delhi airport.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Danish PM's visit is an opportunity to review and further the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership.
Frederiksen will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She will also interact with think tanks, students and members of civil society.
India termed Mette Frederiksen's visit very important as she is the first head of state visiting India since COVID-19 restrictions are in place since last March. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also visited Denmark earlier this year.
India and Denmark have strong trade and investment ties. More than 200 Danish companies are present in India and over 60 Indian companies have a presence in Denmark.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pm-modi-meets-danish-counterpart-frederiksen-on-her-first-state-visit-to-india-2569466">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pm-modi-meets-danish-counterpart-frederiksen-on-her-first-state-visit-to-india-2569466</a>

news world PM Modi Meets Danish Counterpart On Her First State Visit To India

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is on her first state visit to India. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with D...

China's Xi Jinping Vows "Peaceful Reunification" With Taiwan

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Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name.
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Beijing:
Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to realise peaceful "reunification" with Taiwan, though did not directly mention the use of force after a week of tensions with the Chinese-claimed island that sparked international concern.
Democratically ruled Taiwan has come under increased military and political pressure from Beijing to accept its sovereignty, but Taipei has pledged to defend their freedom and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
Speaking at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi said the Chinese people have a "glorious tradition" of opposing separatism.
"Taiwan independence separatism is the biggest obstacle to achieving the reunification of the motherland, and the most serious hidden danger to national rejuvenation," he said on the anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the last imperial dynasty in 1911.
Peaceful "reunification" best meets the overall interests of the Taiwanese people, but China will protect its sovereignty and unity, he added.
"No one should underestimate the Chinese people's staunch determination, firm will, and strong ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said. "The historical task of the complete reunification of the motherland must be fulfilled, and will definitely be fulfilled."
He struck a slightly softer than in July, his last major speech mentioning Taiwan, in which he vowed to "smash" any attempts at formal independence. In 2019, he directly threatened to use force to bring the island under Beijing's control.
China's air force mounted four straight days of incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone from October 1, involving close to 150 aircraft, though those missions have since ended. Xi made no mention of those flights.
Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name. The Republic of China was established in 1912 and its government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the Communists, who set up today's People's Republic of China.
Speaking shortly before Xi, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang noted that China had been "flexing its muscles" and causing regional tensions.
"This is why countries that believe in freedom, democracy, and human rights, and based on shared values, are all working together and have repeatedly warned that China should not invade Taiwan."
Taiwan marks October 10, when the anti-imperial revolution began in China, as its national day, and President Tsai Ing-wen will give a keynote address in Taipei on Sunday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chinas-xi-jinping-vows-peaceful-reunification-with-taiwan-2569383">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chinas-xi-jinping-vows-peaceful-reunification-with-taiwan-2569383</a>

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Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name. Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on ...