December 29, 2022
 
Dear readers,

Earlier this year, when Norman Stockwell reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in joining the team here at The Progressive, he sent me a box full of back issues of the magazine (and other delightful items like the annual Hidden History Calendar). 

As I perused a year’s worth of colorful and in-depth work by the magazine’s thoughtful and skilled writers and editors, a sense of relief and fulfillment washed over me. It was exactly what my brain (and soul) were needing at that moment.

You may relate to this: Truthfully, I’d long been lulled to sleep by a constant barrage of digital and television media, with its divisive rhetoric, hot takes in 280 characters or less, and a bunch of Hollywood Squares-style talking heads regurgitating talking points gleaned from Twitter while ignoring deeper, more critical issues. 

The Progressive was the antidote to all of this that I didn’t realize I needed. Holding a print magazine in my hands and being able to turn its pages to see the wonderful illustrations, “Letters to the Editor” (!), and, of course, its knowledgeable insights into the important issues being ignored by most other media, prompted both nostalgia and elation. It’s the same food for the soul that readers of The Progressive have been enjoying for nearly 114 years.

Having previously worked for print publications, I am keenly aware of the monumental task of keeping the presses running and the lights on in today’s digital media ecosystem. I consider it a minor miracle that any print media still exists. 

The Progressive’s ability to thrive under these circumstances is a testament to the devotion of readers and supporters like you, who value independent reporting and progressive voices to counter today’s landscape of billionaire-backed rightwing attacks on freedom, democracy, and civil rights.

Plus, The Progressive offers a variety of other content, including a website with quality daily news and analysis from around the globe, a weekly email newsletter, a public schools reporting initiative, and a prolific progressive op-ed syndication project, among others.

All of this is only possible thanks to your help. Please click on the link below to support this work. I know we can count on you to ensure The Progressive’s independent journalism for another 114 years.

Here’s to another year of work and progress.

Sincerely,

David Boddiger

Managing Editor