Build, baby, build
When we started to build The Bulwark, we had no idea we’d get here. We just saw the need for something that could bring together Americans who were alarmed about this moment we’re living through—and wanted to create something better.
Eight years later, and we’re one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing truly independent media outlets. Now the Wall Street Journal is out with a big new profile on us:
The Bulwark is profitable. . . . More than one million people have signed up to receive the Bulwark’s newsletters; it has more than 140,000 paid subscribers across Substack and YouTube.
In addition to offering 10 newsletters and 10 podcasts . . . the publication puts on live shows around the country in cities, sometimes adding second nights after selling out in a matter of hours.
I cannot stress how rare this kind of thing is for media companies right now. And it’s all thanks to our Bulwark+ supporters. This is a real community of people who care, and your support helps us reach more and more people everyday.
So thank you—seriously.
Sometimes I get asked this, so I want to be crystal clear: We are not selling. We are not looking for an exit strategy. We are re-investing in our own capabilities, and continuing to build. That’s our playbook.
That means bringing in new hires, breaking more news, hitting the road even more, and delivering the news and analysis that keeps you sane and makes you smarter about the world.
What makes this all possible is the financial support of our Bulwark+ members. With the midterms coming, now is a great time to join Bulwark+ so you don’t miss another issue of JVL’s Triad, our Secret Show, or one of Catherine Rampell’s weekly explainers about the economy in Receipts. Our members are our greatest asset, and your support helps ensure that we can give away memberships to those who can’t afford to join, but want to.
We’re living through a uniquely dangerous moment in our history. Meeting this moment requires that all of us do our part. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the last decade, it’s that you can’t meet this threat alone. It requires community.
This is how you build a community. It takes all of us. Come be part of it.
—Sarah