Where I get my corn-pone

This page lays out as transparently as possible which media I consume for news and information. The previous version of this page was published 1 June 2024. (The title comes from an essay by Mark Twain.)

In the last two years, media have completely fragmented. Columnists have struck out on their own, mostly on Substack, where they charge just a few dollars a month so they can make a living as writers without the backing of a major newspaper. This has increased my media spending considerably.

Here are the media sources I consume, in descending order of how much I paid or donated to each in the 12 months ending January 31st:

1. National Public Radio / WBEZ-Chicago, $1,200
2. The Economist, $349
3. The New York Times, $319
4. Crain's Chicago Business, $199
5. Talking Points Memo Prime, $140
6. Strong Towns, $131
7. The New Yorker, $125
8. The Guardian UK, $120
9. Rolling Stone, $120
10. The Washington Post, $120
11. Block Club Chicago, $100
12. Andrew Sullivan (The Weekly Dish), $100
13. Molly White (Citation Needed), $100
14. Puck News, $100
15. Scientific American, $99
16. New York Magazine, $96
17. The Atlantic, $90
18. National Geographic, $79
19. Robert Wright (Nonzero), $72
20. Paul Krugman, $70
21. The Chicago Sun-Times, $65
22. James Fallows, $60
23. Jeff Maurer (I Might Be Wrong), $60
24. Brian Beutler (Off Message), $42
25. Consumer Reports, $39
26. New Republic, $30
27. Amanda Nelson (Amanda's Mild Takes), $24

I also frequently go to these sources which, I admit sadly, I have not paid for:

1. The BBC
2. NBC
3. Snopes
4. Streetsblog Chicago

After preparing this list, I might revise some of my subscriptions...