Friends,
One thing we talk about here at Hopium Chronicles is the need for the pro-democracy, center-left to “get louder.” The idea is that the right has built a superior system to advance their arguments, that they are “louder” than we are, and that to defeat MAGA we will have close the gap in the coming years - “get louder.”
For me there are two principal ways we get louder - 1) build our own media organizations and 2) all of us doing more by becoming information warriors and spreading positive stories about Joe Biden and the Democrats through our networks. We should acknowledge that together through the money we raise and the volunteer work we do we have helped our campaigns get very loud and successfully control the information environment in our elections. These bigger more muscular campaigns is a central reason we keep winning all across the US. But when I talk about getting louder I mean every day, not just in elections. The right’s noise machine operates every day, and so must we.
I launched Hopium in March so I could get louder myself. Substack is an innovative and powerful media platform, evolving and growing. We read yesterday about some significant upgrades in how video can be used here, something I am still learning about (do note the shout Hopium Chronicles gets in the short promotional video). I moved my work to Substack because of the power of the platform, and felt it was the best way for me do my work and engage with all of you. To me this platform itself is one of the ways we can all get louder together in the coming years, and nine months into this Hopium project it’s pretty clear we are going to be around for a while!
Earlier this year, before Hopium began, I hosted an event which showcased 4 pro-democracy, center-left media organizations that I believe are an important part of how we close the gap with the right - MeidasTouch, Courier Newsroom, Resolute Square and Deep State Radio. In the video above you can watch the leaders of these four intrepid organizations - Ben Meiselas, Tara McGowan, Joe Trippi and David Rothkopf - give a brief overview of their projects, and we then have a great discussion about it all. It was a terrific event, and hope you will get a chance to watch and check out these organizations when you have the time.
I’ve returned to loudness this week because our friends at these organizations are hitting important new milestones, and I wanted to celebrate with them a bit:
MeidasTouch landed their first interview with President Biden. It dropped last night - do watch! So proud of these guys for building such a remarkable and influential organization.
Courier Newsroom has launched a national news program to supplement its state-based newsrooms. I’ll be interviewing Courier’s Tara McGowan later this week to get an update on their exciting progress. Look for it Thursday or Friday here on the Hopium site.
Deep State Radio is entering into a new partnership with The New Republic, and continues to launch new shows. You can catch me on Deep State’s political pod this week, talking with founder and CEO David Rothkopf. It’s a great conversation, full of Hopium.
Resolute Square continues to grow and expand, and this morning is featuring one of my recent Hopium posts on its homepage! I am grateful to them for helping bring our work here to a wider audience.
It’s really great to see all this progress!
I’ve also returned to loudness and info warring this week because I received an email last night from the Biden-Harris campaign titled, “You're Invited! Spark conversation in your community.” Interesting, don’t you think? The email reads:
Hi Simon --
At the heart of every community is a network of relationships, each one offering a chance for significant change. As we look towards the 2024 elections, the importance of these personal connections becomes even more crucial. We are committed to the simple yet effective strategy of community organizing. This method recognizes YOU as a key influencer within your own circles, capable of sparking significant shifts through the bonds you've cultivated over time.
This approach is more than just a strategy, it's a celebration of the impact you can make through utilizing your relationships with friends, family, and neighbors. Join an upcoming share bank or friend bank session, where you’ll tap into these personal connections and spark meaningful conversations.
As we confront many challenges over the next year, your efforts will become even more vital. Your advocacy for Team Biden-Harris and Democrats down the ballot in your community will play a pivotal role in pushing back against the persistent threat of MAGA extremism.
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event and to the powerful impact we will create together!
Team Biden-Harris
Pretty interesting stuff. I’m going to sign up and test it out. Hope you will too. Very much in the spirit of our info warrior/modernizing the War Room to make concepts we’ve been discussing here.
Of course there are many other organizations and creators in this pro-democracy space many of us follow - Pod Save America, DailyKos, the Bulwark, Lincoln Project for example - but today we are marking the progress of these four great organizations and our collective gains this year in closing the gap with the right.
Keep working hard, and keep being loud and proud everybody! Simon
Getting Louder - Celebrating Real Progress