Dear Reader
I mean this in the best possible way: You’re our Saudi Arabia. You’re hot, exotic, just a little bit dangerous, and very sandy, like a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
No, wait. That’s not right. You’re not sandy.
You know why the Saudis have so much power in global oil markets? Well, yeah, they have a lot of oil. But so do we. The thing is, their oil is right below the surface. It’s super accessible, which means they can more easily ramp up production when they want (which, apparently, isn’t right now unfortunately). Meanwhile our oil often plays hard to get.
Well, that’s sort of our theory about Dispatch readers like you. You’re already signed up to get the free stuff sent to your email box. We think that means you—or at least many of you —like us enough that you might be persuadable to sign up for the whole megillah.
And that’s what I’m writing to you about. There’s just so much that you’re missing. Dispatch members get access to the full suite of our wares, including members-only newsletters from David French, Klon Kitchen, Scott Lincicome, Chris Stirewalt, Sarah Isgur, and yours truly. They also get the full version of the Morning Dispatch, the best day-starter on politics in the business. Members also get access to special podcasts and Dispatch Live— – our exclusive weekly online show. They will also get first dibs on events. And, of course, they get to participate in the best comments section on the internet, where people have real conversations. Sometimes they can get heated, but they’re not the hot messes that gave rise to the adage “Never read the comments.”
And if you don’t like the clutter of emailed newsletters, that’s fine. Just go into your account settings and tell us what you want sent to you. You can get the rest by visiting the site, whenever you want. And, remember, we’ve got no pop-up ads, no hidden audio or video suddenly playing out of nowhere. We want the user experience to be defined by what the user wants to experience— – not what we can monetize.
I honestly and sincerely think it’s more than worth the 27 cents a day of a yearly membership. But even if you’re happy remaining on the free list, there’s another reason why I think you should sign up. Because we don’t rely on intrusive web advertising for revenue, and because we’re not a charity, becoming a member is the only way to financially support what we’re doing.
We think what we’re doing is important, journalistically, ideologically, and culturally. We’re trying to prove that our business model of taking our readers seriously— – telling them not just what they want to hear but what we, in our humble judgment, think they need to hear. The clickbait model depends on fan service, and on making people angry for money. We’re more interested in shedding light, not heat. That doesn’t mean offering lots of eat-your-spinach conventional wisdom dreck. Our writers and reporters are passionate about their jobs— – I’d like to think you know that already.
Becoming a member helps us grow and do more, but it also sends a powerful message that we have the right idea (Also, if you become a member in response to this pitch, I get to rub it in the face of Steve Hayes and David French that I converted more people than they did with their pitches).
These are tough times, so if you can’t spare the money, I totally understand. But if you can, I think you’ll be glad you did. I know I’ll be grateful.
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