Unfortunately, Friend, that didn't take very long: [The Messenger](, a news startup that launched less than a year ago backed with $50 million and 175 journalists, has run out of money and shut down. The problem is that far too many news organizations are run by businessmen who are only concerned with turning a profit. Yes, there have been a lot of people that have made a lot of money in the news business, but more likely than not, especially over the past decade, a lot more people have lost a lot of money. Here's the thing, delivering the news shouldn't be about the bottom line. It's about delivering quality content that serves and educates the public. That's why Daily Kos is so different from any other news outlet in the country. Our largest source of income is grassroots donations of just a few dollars. Daily Kos is accountable to youânot to some billionaire or corporation with their own agenda. We know that in order to keep operating, we have to fight and deliver for what you believe in. [That's why I am asking you to support progressive and independent news with a donation of $5 or more to Daily Kos.]( [DONATE](
Thank you for all you do,
Amanda McKay, Daily Kos --------------------------------------------------------------- Friend, the calendar may have changed, but news media outlets are still facing the same problems: dwindling cash due to declining advertising revenue. [Please support progressive, independent news with a donation of $5 or more to Daily Kos.]( [DONATE](
It didn't take long for the first round of news media layoffs. On January 2, [The Messenger]( announced they are laying off staff as part of a cost-cutting measure. In order to stay afloat, the top brass at The Messenger is looking for more investors (besides money, who knows what else those investors will want in return). Other news outlets have tried to bring in more money by finding corporate sponsors, some billionaire backer, or cash from hedge funds. Others find more revenue by blocking news content with a paywall or only make it accessible with expensive subscriptions. Every single one of these options has a tradeoff. Unfortunately, there were some news outlets, like [ThinkProgress]( and [Buzzfeed News](, that couldn't find another source of revenue and were forced to shut down completely. Daily Kos isn't a stranger to the financial hardships that have plagued so many other news outlets. Almost a year ago, facing declining revenue, we were forced to make some hard decisions and other changes in order to [survive](. However, instead of looking for a billionaire backer that could use their purse strings to influence our work or a hedge fund that is just interested in the bottom line, we asked our community of readers and activists to support our work by donating a few dollars at a time. In fact, grassroots donations now make up over 60% of our total income. Honestly, we prefer it this way because it makes us accountable to youânot to some billionaire or corporation with their own agenda. We know that in order to keep operating, we have to fight and deliver for what you believe in. Looking at future trends, we don't expect our advertising revenue to return the peak levels of just a few years ago. We are now dependent on the generosity of our readers and activists to power our work. [Daily Kos is the country's largest progressive news and activism hub. As we head into 2024, it's not enough for us to survive, we need to thrive. Support our work with a donation of $5 right now.]( [DONATE](
Thank you for all you do,
Amanda McKay, Daily Kos If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.