Hello and welcome back to Reason‘s annual webathon, already in progress on your screens and in your earbuds. We’re asking you to donate to support “free minds and free markets,” and we’re reminding you of the important work we do all year-round.
Today I want to talk about the people who work at Reason and the amazing journalism that your support enables. There aren’t many places where principled libertarian journalists don’t have to pull punches to keep their jobs. Many Reason staffers are people who literally could not do the work they do at any other publication, and we think it’s really important work.
Over the past 24 hours, a bunch of Reason staffers have tweeted about work they’re proud of, and I’m proud of it too.
Let’s start with the incredible work of Managing Editor Stephanie Slade, a staunch defender of classical liberalism against a swamping tide of illiberalism from both the left and the right and the person who keeps the print magazine’s trains running on time. Reason rescued her from a life of public opinion polling, and your support will enable her to keep doing the intellectual work of offering a classic liberal alternative to both national conservatism and democratic socialism:
All of my colleagues do incredible work, and I’m so proud of the magazine we put out every month. But on a personal note, more resources mean the ability to hire more editors, which allows me to invest my own time in writing projects. For example…
— (Stephanie) Slade (@sladesr) December 2, 2021
Senior Editor Jacob Sullum wrote early and often about bungled COVID response and election shenanigans this year:
Judging from traffic, our readers this year were especially interested in stories about perverse pandemic policies… https://t.co/grbMHg2IMG (2/11)
— Jacob Sullum (@jacobsullum) December 2, 2021
Or what about Associate Editor Christian Britschgi, who was struck down with COVID while doggedly pursuing a classic pandemic era story about government overreach, and who is relentless on the beat of housing and zoning policy?
@reason‘s ongoing webathon week is as good an occasion as any to say how grateful I am for our readers and donors who enable us to produce the stories you won’t find anywhere else. Here’s a thread of a few of those from me from over the past year (1/9) https://t.co/JLVj9vqyve
— Christian Britschgi (@christianbrits) December 2, 2021
Associate Editor Billy Binion is dog with a bone on stories about police misconduct, getting the real story on cases of abuse as well as busting myths when the media get the story wrong:
I wrote a series on a group of Baton Rouge cops who strip-searched a minor in public & then conducted a warrantless search of his home. One was eventually demoted.
But only after the city tried to jail the professor who sent me the footage. Gov’t at work:https://t.co/XHfUPnwwoc
— Billy Binion (@billybinion) December 2, 2021
Reporter C.J. Ciaramella has been FOIAing FBI files and filing records requests for court documents since Binion was in diapers (Just kidding! Billy’s not that young! Please stop teasing him!), not to mention his relentless coverage of abuse in prisons and jails:
I’m very thankful to be writing at a place that appreciates the importance of covering jails and prisons.
Of my work this year, I think this piece is the best representative of that https://t.co/Znn6rdOt43
— CJ Ciaramella (@cjciaramella) December 1, 2021
Books Editor Jesse Walker, author of The United States of Paranoia, runs our unofficial A.V. club, keeps the books section stocked with reviews, and still finds time to do thoughtful, empathetic, eye-opening reporting and analysis of the beliefs and lifestyles of people on the fringes of American politics:
Like: Do you like reading about cults, moral panics, conspiracy theories, and obscure byways of American history that turn out to have been at the center of our story all along? Well, Reason lets you explore all that at much longer than tweet length. https://t.co/ZHGGrtMnlS
— Jesse Walker (@notjessewalker) December 2, 2021
Associate Editor Liz Wolfe probably understands NFTs at this point, which is good, because that’s one of her beats. (Along with borscht and hating people named Cuomo.) You can bid on Reason‘s own Webathon NFT here, or just read about them and donate your crypto directly to support Wolfe’s work. We’re not picky.
Interested not just in criticizing politicians and bad laws, but also celebrating what the future holds––what’s happening in the world of DAOs and crypto and NFTs and AI and utterly dope space tourism https://t.co/Z0zn5VKNej
— Liz Wolfe (@lizzywol) December 2, 2021
Reporter Eric Boehm is keeping an eye on all the borrowing, spending, and regulating going on at both the state and federal levels:
No, Joe Biden, you can’t fix inflation by spending more of other people’s moneyhttps://t.co/tJNAPWacMq
— Eric Boehm (@EricBoehm87) December 2, 2021
Deputy Managing Editor Jason Russell has brought a little sports content to our pages of late, filling a significant gap in our coverage. Yesterday he left the office for the afternoon to gamble on soccer and hockey for a story in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Your donations support that:
The wonderful staff at @reason couldn’t do all the great work we do without the generous support of donors. DONATE TODAY and it’ll be matched: https://t.co/2B1CTHf5V2
As @kmanguward said, “If you too enjoy the sportsball, perhaps you should support our publication.” THREAD
— Jason Russell (@JRussellMI) December 2, 2021
And Associate Editor Scott Shackford is keeping an eye on supply lines and police officers alike in his wide-ranging reporting:
A judge also stepped in when a sheriff attempted to censor a teen’s Instagram account to try to stop her from telling people she had COVID-19. https://t.co/WPyRvcc4KG
— Scott Shackford (Blue Checkmark) (@SShackford) December 2, 2021
Of course there’s Editor at Large Nick Gillespie, who brings you great new interviews every Wednesday on The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, as well as stories about cancel culture, psychedelics, and more:
The Reason Interview podcast (featuring interviews with @JohnHMcWhorter @sapinker @GeorgeWill @AndrewYang @ChefGruel @ComicDaveSmith @BridgetPhetasy @ErikVoorhees @janecoaston @drcarlhart @MsMelChen + dozens more) 2/x
— Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) December 2, 2021
All of these threads are full of great reads, listens, and watches that are absolutely worth your time, so click through and enjoy them all. And these are just the folks who did those tweet threads. It’s not an even remotely comprehensive list! Senior Editor Damon Root was too busy covering abortion and the courts. Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey is elbow-deep in the Senate candidacy of Dr. Oz. Editor at Large Matt Welch is probably at a baseball game? Senior Editor Robby Soave just blew by on an e-scooter. And there’s also the unbylined but still vital work of our editing, marketing, and development staffers who help get our work into your face every day. Our crack team of video and podcast producers is gathered together in person in the D.C. office this week for the first time in years, to scheme how to make more, faster, better content for your listening and viewing pleasure.
We have a generous donor who is currently matching your gifts, which means you can double your money. There’s great swag as well, including a temporary tattoo. If you like any of the stuff described and linked above, consider supporting it with a donation to Reason today.
The post Donate Today To Support Reason‘s Hardworking Journalists appeared first on Reason.com.
Founded in 1968, Reason is the magazine of free minds and free markets. We produce hard-hitting independent journalism on civil liberties, politics, technology, culture, policy, and commerce. Reason exists outside of the left/right echo chamber. Our goal is to deliver fresh, unbiased information and insights to our readers, viewers, and listeners every day. Visit https://reason.com