Nice to see the lively Free Press discussion here. I, too, am one of the formerly oft-banned, now unsubscribed TFP commenters. That Substack has become something other than what drew so much early interest. While the occasional interesting article appears, they are often UniParty screeds, dismissive of populist sentiment (my fave in that genre is the Ben Kawaller pieces where he appears in his full-flamed gayness before some Middle of America gathering and attempts to get the locals to display their presumed inchoate evil natures).
I think Michelle has it right on TFP elsewhere in these comments - Weiss sought participation from "investors" (read, VC people with money looking for a platform to rule over or at least become a cool kid through association - many VCs have so much money to burn that even taking a loss is no loss if the psychic gains are good enough). Weiss also hired Kahr to be COO (the man in charge) and Wiseman as head editor (to change the editorial tone). Kahr worked at some German rag that was alleged to have ties to the CIA (as in a purveyor of CIA propaganda). I've written before (including in my subscribing, not-banned time at TFP) that you can take Weiss out of the NYT, but not the NYT out of Weiss. Did you all know that Weiss (and Bowles) has moved back to NYC? I think Weiss' goal is to take on the NYT directly with "New Media" .She is empire building and won't stop until the NYT bends her to come back LOL! Bari Weiss, New Media Magnate!
There is much truth in what you say. I do think some of this is two fingers up to the NYT.
It has definitely morphed and not in a good way. They have lost track of what first drew people. You ignore your core customer, you don't really last that long.
Didn’t Harlan & Wolfe build the Titanic? I remember that from the many documentaries I’ve watched. I also picked up a copy of A Night to Remember by Walter Lord, who was featured in all of those older documentaries.
Glad the Cass report is getting the attention it deserves.
I didn’t know there was a refugee section for FP commentators. lol. I know Kevin has been kicked off multiple times. My guess is that the comment section is very right and at their hearts they want back with the left. TGIF has been bugging me lately.
Paddy looks great!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I’ll be sitting here praying that Eric Adams doesn’t resign because if he does there’s a progressive waiting to take over and I don’t want to know what happens to my beloved NYC then.
Yes they did. They are an iconic firm, particularly in Belfast where the Titanic was built. Poor Belfast which is already a v poor city.
I discovered the refuge for FP commentators this week! It is good. TGIF annoyed me this week and so I am not bothering. They should have stuck with the centre.
It's quite easy to just scroll on past and not to push the like button! I think Big Mommy controlling what us other commentors had access to, was what really got my goat. Meanwhile, a relentless troll on TFP site, has never to my knowledge been banned. The inconsistency and arbitrariness of the censorship is glaring. Obviously I am still a bit ticked about it. So incredibly disrespectful and disloyal to many founding members of TFP.
I am thinking about it as well. I did a year's subscription after 7 Oct as I thought they would really cover everything well but they seem to have gone off the boil in a major way.
And yes sometimes Kevin was v funny. He just needed pithy comments lobbed back at him.
drop it and follow michelle and come on over to celia's jotting in purple! most of the folks who used to be on tfp and had great comments are over there now, except compost. i have seen two compost-esque trolls on JiP on occassion, but i also consider that an indicator of celia reaching such a larger audience, it comes with the territory and lets you know "you've arrived" in a manner of speaking. unlike others, i adored kevin and his humor, so i follow him on substack, too. he's sometimes just absolutely bonkers in his rants, but he doesn't post very often and i just enjoy the craziness when he does post something (whether i agree with any or all of it or not). i also like unsaint finbar and follow him, too. he posts a lot and its more a substack for his random stream of consciousness as he tries to work things out, but i enjoy much of what he posts and much of it is thought-provoking and often, too smart for me but i enjoy it, anyway.
Bruce has been banned repeatedly, for long periods over at TFP. He has stayed on over there just to push back I think. I could give you a whole list of names that have been banned at least once over at TFP, including real head scratchers, like 'huh, what could they have possibly banned that person for?'
It’s really a shame because the early reporting was very good and definitely subjects not covered by mainstream. And The Witch Trials of JK Rowling is outstanding.
I bet they’re looking at real financial backing to grow. I’m sure they make enough money from Substack but are probably looking for money elsewhere. Which goes to show that when you grow you end up just becoming the establishment you were trying not to be.
But what do I know? I’m finding myself skipping over their articles when they come up.
Early this year TFP announced their expansion and intention to actively seek investors. That's when this all blew up. Two things happened that I believe were pivotal. They hired Lars Kahl as head of operations and Ollie Wiseman as main editor. I suspect alot of the changes have come directly from these two guys, neither of whom I have any real respect for. Several of us kept trying to contact Bari directly as we wondered if she even knew what was going on. But it became clear that she knows what is happening, she just has chosen not to deal with it, as she has now invested in moving on and up.
And BTW, I remember reading a story that Naomi Campbell would leave her fur coat in a limo in the way to a PETA event. Maybe true maybe false, but an interesting story.
nc has had a LONG history of bad and questionable behavior throughout her career, from throwing her blackberry at the help to the blood-diamonds trial. her testimonial is telling: "i am used to getting [expensive] gifts [out-of-the-blue] day or night..."
I am a TFP refugee from the very beginning of Jotting In Purple founded by Celia Paddock. Celia and I and many others tried respectfully to get TFP to be reasonable, consistent and clear about their new censorship policy, but they have refused repeatedly to do so. Also many felt the overall quality of the reporting basically tanked. I was never censored personally, but watching what happened with those who were censored and what they were actually censored for, was alarming. It appeared to be quite targetted to certain individuals and quite arbitrary with no explainations given at all, even after repeated pleas to do so. I just could not support that kind of authoritarianism. It wasn't just Kevin Durant. I know of at least a couple of dozen relatively moderate comments and commentators which were banned with no appeal mechanism at all. One TFP commentor even bragged that she 'reported' on folks and got them banned. The snitch culture that seemed to be developing around the new heavy handed censorship was a huge turn off for me. Added to the deteriorating quality of the reporting, it was a relief to move over to JIP. There are many on the right over there, but a lot of us are centrists (Independents) too. And we can actually have reasonable, thoughtful and respectful converse, even when we don't agree. Amazing.
So basically turning into what The Free Press was against from day one.
My other guess is that they’ll be courting advertisers as they grow which is why they’re kicking people who lean right off.
Probably over a year ago there were many comments about what a fraud Bari is and I didn’t really believe it then but I’m starting to wonder. I wouldn’t call her a fraud but I don’t like what’s happening there.
Yes it's disappointing. Alot of us have respected Bari and really appreciated what she created. After the long running, deafening silence from her on this censorship issue tho, I sadly have lost significant respect for her. I'm not into dissing her, but she has chosen to turn her back on many who helped her build her empire in the first place. That rankles.
Good question. They might not since there is significant cachet for Bari and Nellie with TFP. Or maybe selling out was the plan all along. We'll find out I guess.
Another fine roundup of articles. I was glad to see Hannah Barnes' article on the BMA revising its views. Lets just hope there "critique" comes up with the right conclusions. But it's too bad about Naomi Campbell and her so-called charity.
The story of Song Binbin is, indeed, a dark one. You saying she's "the Greta Thunberg of the Red Guard movement" sounds just right. And I wasn't aware of how Biden was hamstringing Ukraine in their fight for freedom, with the Storm Shadow and tanks.
Paddy looks good, as usual. And I'm glad to hear the proposal is about done. I also want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Tempted by Her Forbidden Warrior, which finally showed up in my Kindle this past week. I'm really looking forward to Secret Princess for the Warrior and the book You're writing now.
I had a good week, as temps dropped and fall arrived.
TY, as always, Michelle. Always good to hear from You.
I just pressed send on the proposal to my editor! So hopefully she will like it. I had a few questions for her as she is a good sounding board.
I do hope you enjoy Tempted.
I am pleased you found the articles interesting. Song Binbin was v dark indeed. Chilling in fact. I suspect most people do not know what happened. I did read Wild Swans years ago and was struck how terrible it must have been for people caught up in it.
And it is the hamstringing I think that people in the US are ignorant of. They think oh these packages which keep being announced are going above and beyond. Why did they send the new tanks instead of the older ones which were requested, for example?
I am assuming that the video clip where a teacher is beaten publicly by the Maoists is based on the Song incident. Yuri Bezmenov (a great substacker who adopted the name of the Russian dissident) did a few parodies on woke culture with that clip which were hilarious. I mean…it sounds awful, but they really were very funny.
Conditional good news about the BMA. Maybe doctors will get their brains and cojones back and start pushing back over here as well. One can hope. Wonder how much nuclear garbage that sunken Chinese sub is adding to the already significant radioactive waste in our seas. And why is it that so many of the truly evil bad boys and girls at the top, who have caused aggregious harm seem to get off scot free? Something seriously wrong with that. Congratulations on your new book out! Can't wait for winter to settle in for a good read.
Nice to see the lively Free Press discussion here. I, too, am one of the formerly oft-banned, now unsubscribed TFP commenters. That Substack has become something other than what drew so much early interest. While the occasional interesting article appears, they are often UniParty screeds, dismissive of populist sentiment (my fave in that genre is the Ben Kawaller pieces where he appears in his full-flamed gayness before some Middle of America gathering and attempts to get the locals to display their presumed inchoate evil natures).
I think Michelle has it right on TFP elsewhere in these comments - Weiss sought participation from "investors" (read, VC people with money looking for a platform to rule over or at least become a cool kid through association - many VCs have so much money to burn that even taking a loss is no loss if the psychic gains are good enough). Weiss also hired Kahr to be COO (the man in charge) and Wiseman as head editor (to change the editorial tone). Kahr worked at some German rag that was alleged to have ties to the CIA (as in a purveyor of CIA propaganda). I've written before (including in my subscribing, not-banned time at TFP) that you can take Weiss out of the NYT, but not the NYT out of Weiss. Did you all know that Weiss (and Bowles) has moved back to NYC? I think Weiss' goal is to take on the NYT directly with "New Media" .She is empire building and won't stop until the NYT bends her to come back LOL! Bari Weiss, New Media Magnate!
There is much truth in what you say. I do think some of this is two fingers up to the NYT.
It has definitely morphed and not in a good way. They have lost track of what first drew people. You ignore your core customer, you don't really last that long.
Thank you for the boost!
Thank you for doing what you are doing.
Didn’t Harlan & Wolfe build the Titanic? I remember that from the many documentaries I’ve watched. I also picked up a copy of A Night to Remember by Walter Lord, who was featured in all of those older documentaries.
Glad the Cass report is getting the attention it deserves.
I didn’t know there was a refugee section for FP commentators. lol. I know Kevin has been kicked off multiple times. My guess is that the comment section is very right and at their hearts they want back with the left. TGIF has been bugging me lately.
Paddy looks great!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I’ll be sitting here praying that Eric Adams doesn’t resign because if he does there’s a progressive waiting to take over and I don’t want to know what happens to my beloved NYC then.
Yes they did. They are an iconic firm, particularly in Belfast where the Titanic was built. Poor Belfast which is already a v poor city.
I discovered the refuge for FP commentators this week! It is good. TGIF annoyed me this week and so I am not bothering. They should have stuck with the centre.
That’s exactly how I feel.
It is a shame and Kevin was a bit abrasive but he could have been contained or even just ignored. I thought it amusing to see what had got him going.
It's quite easy to just scroll on past and not to push the like button! I think Big Mommy controlling what us other commentors had access to, was what really got my goat. Meanwhile, a relentless troll on TFP site, has never to my knowledge been banned. The inconsistency and arbitrariness of the censorship is glaring. Obviously I am still a bit ticked about it. So incredibly disrespectful and disloyal to many founding members of TFP.
That’s it in a nutshell: banning Kevin but never Compost. I cancelled my subscription in disgust.
Kevin was definitely over the top but sometimes he was really funny. I’m thinking of dropping my subscription to TFP.
I am thinking about it as well. I did a year's subscription after 7 Oct as I thought they would really cover everything well but they seem to have gone off the boil in a major way.
And yes sometimes Kevin was v funny. He just needed pithy comments lobbed back at him.
drop it and follow michelle and come on over to celia's jotting in purple! most of the folks who used to be on tfp and had great comments are over there now, except compost. i have seen two compost-esque trolls on JiP on occassion, but i also consider that an indicator of celia reaching such a larger audience, it comes with the territory and lets you know "you've arrived" in a manner of speaking. unlike others, i adored kevin and his humor, so i follow him on substack, too. he's sometimes just absolutely bonkers in his rants, but he doesn't post very often and i just enjoy the craziness when he does post something (whether i agree with any or all of it or not). i also like unsaint finbar and follow him, too. he posts a lot and its more a substack for his random stream of consciousness as he tries to work things out, but i enjoy much of what he posts and much of it is thought-provoking and often, too smart for me but i enjoy it, anyway.
Maybe we should all start our own Free Press with articles!
I just looked at the comment section and glad to find Bruce Miller!
Yes I know and Unwoke in Idaho. Apparently they would like to get Maureen in NC but don't know how to contact her.
Bruce has been banned repeatedly, for long periods over at TFP. He has stayed on over there just to push back I think. I could give you a whole list of names that have been banned at least once over at TFP, including real head scratchers, like 'huh, what could they have possibly banned that person for?'
It’s really a shame because the early reporting was very good and definitely subjects not covered by mainstream. And The Witch Trials of JK Rowling is outstanding.
I bet they’re looking at real financial backing to grow. I’m sure they make enough money from Substack but are probably looking for money elsewhere. Which goes to show that when you grow you end up just becoming the establishment you were trying not to be.
But what do I know? I’m finding myself skipping over their articles when they come up.
Early this year TFP announced their expansion and intention to actively seek investors. That's when this all blew up. Two things happened that I believe were pivotal. They hired Lars Kahl as head of operations and Ollie Wiseman as main editor. I suspect alot of the changes have come directly from these two guys, neither of whom I have any real respect for. Several of us kept trying to contact Bari directly as we wondered if she even knew what was going on. But it became clear that she knows what is happening, she just has chosen not to deal with it, as she has now invested in moving on and up.
And BTW, I remember reading a story that Naomi Campbell would leave her fur coat in a limo in the way to a PETA event. Maybe true maybe false, but an interesting story.
It rings true though and is certainly interesting.
nc has had a LONG history of bad and questionable behavior throughout her career, from throwing her blackberry at the help to the blood-diamonds trial. her testimonial is telling: "i am used to getting [expensive] gifts [out-of-the-blue] day or night..."
https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity-news/naomi-campbell-in-court-over-blood-diamond-gift-168019
I am a TFP refugee from the very beginning of Jotting In Purple founded by Celia Paddock. Celia and I and many others tried respectfully to get TFP to be reasonable, consistent and clear about their new censorship policy, but they have refused repeatedly to do so. Also many felt the overall quality of the reporting basically tanked. I was never censored personally, but watching what happened with those who were censored and what they were actually censored for, was alarming. It appeared to be quite targetted to certain individuals and quite arbitrary with no explainations given at all, even after repeated pleas to do so. I just could not support that kind of authoritarianism. It wasn't just Kevin Durant. I know of at least a couple of dozen relatively moderate comments and commentators which were banned with no appeal mechanism at all. One TFP commentor even bragged that she 'reported' on folks and got them banned. The snitch culture that seemed to be developing around the new heavy handed censorship was a huge turn off for me. Added to the deteriorating quality of the reporting, it was a relief to move over to JIP. There are many on the right over there, but a lot of us are centrists (Independents) too. And we can actually have reasonable, thoughtful and respectful converse, even when we don't agree. Amazing.
So basically turning into what The Free Press was against from day one.
My other guess is that they’ll be courting advertisers as they grow which is why they’re kicking people who lean right off.
Probably over a year ago there were many comments about what a fraud Bari is and I didn’t really believe it then but I’m starting to wonder. I wouldn’t call her a fraud but I don’t like what’s happening there.
Yes it's disappointing. Alot of us have respected Bari and really appreciated what she created. After the long running, deafening silence from her on this censorship issue tho, I sadly have lost significant respect for her. I'm not into dissing her, but she has chosen to turn her back on many who helped her build her empire in the first place. That rankles.
Very true. We were all some of the first paid subscribers.
Hamish McKenzie posted that TFP just announced its funding round. Raised $15mil and valued at $100mil
How long before they sell?
Good question. They might not since there is significant cachet for Bari and Nellie with TFP. Or maybe selling out was the plan all along. We'll find out I guess.
Someone who has decided to believe her own publicity.
Hello Northumberland! Good to see Ya.
Another fine roundup of articles. I was glad to see Hannah Barnes' article on the BMA revising its views. Lets just hope there "critique" comes up with the right conclusions. But it's too bad about Naomi Campbell and her so-called charity.
The story of Song Binbin is, indeed, a dark one. You saying she's "the Greta Thunberg of the Red Guard movement" sounds just right. And I wasn't aware of how Biden was hamstringing Ukraine in their fight for freedom, with the Storm Shadow and tanks.
Paddy looks good, as usual. And I'm glad to hear the proposal is about done. I also want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Tempted by Her Forbidden Warrior, which finally showed up in my Kindle this past week. I'm really looking forward to Secret Princess for the Warrior and the book You're writing now.
I had a good week, as temps dropped and fall arrived.
TY, as always, Michelle. Always good to hear from You.
I just pressed send on the proposal to my editor! So hopefully she will like it. I had a few questions for her as she is a good sounding board.
I do hope you enjoy Tempted.
I am pleased you found the articles interesting. Song Binbin was v dark indeed. Chilling in fact. I suspect most people do not know what happened. I did read Wild Swans years ago and was struck how terrible it must have been for people caught up in it.
And it is the hamstringing I think that people in the US are ignorant of. They think oh these packages which keep being announced are going above and beyond. Why did they send the new tanks instead of the older ones which were requested, for example?
I am assuming that the video clip where a teacher is beaten publicly by the Maoists is based on the Song incident. Yuri Bezmenov (a great substacker who adopted the name of the Russian dissident) did a few parodies on woke culture with that clip which were hilarious. I mean…it sounds awful, but they really were very funny.
Conditional good news about the BMA. Maybe doctors will get their brains and cojones back and start pushing back over here as well. One can hope. Wonder how much nuclear garbage that sunken Chinese sub is adding to the already significant radioactive waste in our seas. And why is it that so many of the truly evil bad boys and girls at the top, who have caused aggregious harm seem to get off scot free? Something seriously wrong with that. Congratulations on your new book out! Can't wait for winter to settle in for a good read.