November 1, 2025

Democracy Docket has always been different.

When I started the organization in 2020, legacy media was still powerful, and both-sides journalism was the norm. I knew there was a place for an independent news outlet with laser focus on the fight for democracy.

To make this a reality, we could not have any corporate overlords, venture capitalists or investors looking to make a quick buck with an “exit strategy” in mind.

It was also essential that Democracy Docket own its entire technology stack. Members of our community needed to know that we weren’t on a platform that harvests emails to pitch things they didn’t sign up for. I wanted them to have confidence that when we ask for their email or contact information, it’s only to send our content — not to cross-sell them on another product.

Perhaps most important, I wanted all of Democracy Docket’s content to be free and easy to access. From day one, our website — including all articles and case pages — has been completely free, without even requiring registration.

The same is true for our video and audio content. Videos are posted for free on our YouTube channel, and audio is available on all major podcast apps (also free). While we require email addresses to send our free daily and weekly newsletters, we treat that information with the same care we treat our own.

Having said no to outside investors, as we grew and added features and staff, it became clear that we needed a sustainable way to support our work. Initially, we relied on voluntary donations. For a while, I personally covered many of the costs.

By March 2024, Democracy Docket had grown too large and too expensive to operate solely on one-off voluntary payments. So, we did something we had resisted until then: we created a premium membership tier. For $10 a month, members gain access to additional content, newsletters and events.

Since then, Democracy Docket has grown to a team of 21. We have expanded our news coverage and social media reach and made major investments in video and events — all made possible by our growing community of premium members.

Today, Democracy Docket reaches millions of people each month through our website, newsletters, videos and social media. And we remain committed to keeping as much of our content as possible free to everyone.

Last month, Democracy Docket published over 100 news stories and released more than a dozen new court documents — for anyone to access for free. We sent out dozens of newsletters to free subscribers, produced 14 long-form videos and interviews to keep you informed and posted 1,300 pieces of content — resulting in 7 million impressions — across every major social platform to provide breaking news and deeper context about what’s happening to our democracy. We also hosted a free virtual live event about the threats Donald Trump poses to our courts.

Every time Democracy Docket develops something new for premium members, we ask: Is there a way to make it free without compromising the premium program?

As our systems of government collapse around us, it is essential that Democracy Docket continue to grow to meet an even greater need. But ultimately, our growth depends on you. Our influence depends on you. Our success depends on you.

If you are able to support Democracy Docket’s mission, please consider becoming a premium member today. Your support ensures that our independent, pro-democracy voice will grow stronger, louder and more influential. If not, we invite you to continue enjoying and sharing our free content.

Now, here's a little joy from our pawtners in the opposition! Have a furry friend of your own? Reply to this email and send us a pic — we’d love to feature them.