Talking Points Memo

Tomorrow (January 15th) TPM is hosting its first live podcast recording. Next month, TPM will host a happy hour in New York City with members. Later this year, we'll take the show on the road and host an event somewhere beyond the two cities where we do most of our work, New York and DC.
 

Live podcasts aren't new. Media companies having live events certainly is not new. TPM hosting events is not new. Yet while TPM's approach to events may not be entirely novel, it's worth elaborating on.

A core component of TPM's DNA going back to the very first blog post Josh Marshall ever wrote was that we are in constant conversation with the readers. It's a dialogue, a back and forth. It's become cliché at this point in the digital media cycle to emphasize community and authenticity. This is unfortunate because while many publications have come to realize the marketing value of these terms, we at TPM believe that they are core to what journalism is all about.

Despite the rise of "social media" which ostensibly breaks down barriers between readers and journalists, it often feels like the divide between publications and the public has actually grown in recent years. Trust in the media is at an all time low. We at TPM believe that this is in part because many publications have traded interacting with their readers, viewers or listeners to merely driving engagement from their readers, viewers and listeners. One is a way of meaningfully building relationships with the people who rely on you for accurate information; the other is a way to generate metrics that appeal to advertisers. They sound the same, but are meaningfully different.

Our editors still read the emails we get from readers. We post them in the ed blog. We allow our members to comment on articles and we provide a forum for them as well to discuss whatever they like. Expanding our events is another way to build relationships with our readers. It's another way for us to distribute information and facilitate conversation. It's a way for us to support a community of like-minded individuals who want to discuss what is important and what is interesting. Journalism isn't just reporting and writing. It's building authentic relationships and encouraging solidarity with those in search of a better world. 

So, over the course of the next year as you encounter more event pitches from TPM, we hope you'll keep this in mind. Events aren't "just" a business line for us. And "authenticity" and "community" aren't just marketing jargon. These are things we believe are necessary to a well-functioning democratic society. We're just doing our part. We hope you'll support us and join the cause.