Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

[don]

Today is my last day at Rolling Stone. As of this week, I’m leaving to work for First Look Media, the new organization that’s already home to reporters like Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill and Laura Poitras.

I’ll have plenty of time to talk about the new job elsewhere. But in this space, I just want to talk about Rolling Stone, and express my thanks. Today is a very bittersweet day for me. As excited as I am about the new opportunity, I’m sad to be leaving this company.

[Fox]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

Best of luck to him. I hope it's all for the right reasons

[lektrode]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

whoa... mr don???

THIS - IMHO - is THE financial news story of the year, as in WHY is matt "leaving" the stone?

[don]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

from FLM site . . .

MATT TAIBBI TO LEAD FIRST LOOK'S NEXT DIGITAL MAGAZINE

News Release February 19, 2014 Print

First Look Media, the news organization created by Pierre Omidyar, today announced that acclaimed journalist and New York Times best-selling author Matt Taibbi will launch First Look’s second digital magazine. Taibbi will help assemble a top-notch team of journalists and bring his trademark combination of reporting, analysis, humor and outrage to the ongoing financial crisis – and to the political machinery that makes it possible. The magazine will launch later this year.

Taibbi comes to First Look from Rolling Stone, where he served as a contributing editor for the past 10 years. During his tenure, he built a large and devoted following that has grown to rely on his in-depth and irreverent reporting on Wall Street and Washington. Whether busting Goldman Sachs for market manipulation or revealing the hidden roots of the student loan crisis, Taibbi has exposed and explained the most complicated financial scandals of the day with a fresh and compelling approach to journalism that has enraged and inspired millions of readers.

“Matt is one of the most influential journalists of our time,” said Eric Bates, executive editor of First Look Media. “His incisive explorations of the financial crisis – and Wall Street’s undue influence over our political system – have played a key role in helping to inform the public and transform the national debate. He is a journalist who can explain what a credit default swap is and why it’s important – and, make you bust out laughing while he’s doing it. I look forward to having him on our team and helping him launch a dynamic new site unlike any other.”

While at Rolling Stone, Taibbi won a National Magazine Award for his reporting on the 2008 presidential election, and was a finalist for his coverage of Occupy Wall Street. The author of two New York Times bestsellers, he earlier worked as reporter for the Moscow Times, an English-language expatriate newspaper, and co-founded The eXile, a bi-weekly newspaper based in Moscow. The paper became infamous for its satirical wit, as well as for hard-nosed reporting of corruption in both the Russian government and the American aid community. The paper was the only publication to correctly predict the 1998 Russian financial crisis.

“This is an incredible opportunity and a wonderful creative challenge,” said Taibbi. “I’m looking forward to helping build a team that produces hard-hitting coverage of politics and the economy, but delivers it in a way that’s fun, funny, and accessible. It’s a new golden age for reporting and it’s a real privilege to be part of this effort to create something innovative and lasting.”

Taibbi will be based in New York City. The name and launch date of his digital magazine will be announced in the coming months. First Look Media's first online publication, The Intercept, led by Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill, launched on February 10.

and . . .

FIRST LOOK'S THE INTERCEPT LAUNCHES WITH NEW NSA REVELATIONS

New York February 10, 2014

Led by award-winning journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill, the initial focus will be on stories based on documents from Edward Snowden.

First Look Media, the news organization created by Pierre Omidyar, today announced the launch of its first digital magazine, The Intercept. It is the first of what will eventually become a family of digital magazines published by First Look, covering topics from sports and entertainment to politics and business. The site is live at theintercept.org, and for the latest news and updates, follow @the_intercept.

The Intercept will initially focus on new reporting involving the disclosures made to Greenwald and Poitras by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Their previous work for a host of publications worldwide has sparked a global conversation on the extent of government surveillance and the value of a free press.

The decision to launch The Intercept now was driven by the team's sense of urgency and responsibility to continue and expand their reporting on the NSA story. The site's first news article, by Greenwald and Scahill, raises troubling new questions about the NSA's methods of identifying targets for lethal drone strikes.

“Glenn, Laura, and Jeremy are relentless in their pursuit of a story and rigorous in finding the truth,” said Omidyar. “We share a belief in the fundamental importance of a free and independent press on keeping a democracy vital and strong. In all of our reporting, at The Intercept and beyond, we will be anchored by that vision and hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards. First Look journalists have editorial independence and support and are encouraged to pursue the transformative and engaging stories of our time, no matter the subject.”

While the initial focus of The Intercept will be based on documents provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, over time the reporting will expand to a wide range of issues involving government and corporate accountability.

“Today's launch is just the beginning,” said Greenwald. “Our day one story is significant and we have more coming. Laura, Jeremy, and I recognize the responsibility in front of us, and are thrilled to be embarking on this exciting and important journey.”

In addition to the return of Greenwald's regular column, The Intercept will offer ongoing commentary and analysis, publication of relevant primary source documents, robust digital storytelling, and guest authors who are experts in their fields.

First Look Media will launch a flagship site and additional digital magazines later this year.

[lektrode]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

thanks mr D - sounds like he's taking a step up, eh? - just hoping he's not going let up on the beltway/lwr manhattan axis of evil

[don]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

thanks mr D - sounds like he's taking a step up, eh? - just hoping he's not going let up on the beltway/lwr manhattan axis of evil

Lek, do you think he'll be closely . . . watched

[lektrode]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

Lek, do you think he'll be closely . . . watched

likely - just wondren tho - if this isnt a way to... maybe not silence him... get him to re-focus his efforts on topics that point the spotlight in a diff direction - what better distraction than the spooks at the NSA = a fave of the liberal media that takes the heat off their benefactors

[don]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

FLM launched . . . with a bang

[lektrode]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

will have to look more at this later - but my first impression after looking at: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/news/
and i hope i'm wrong - is that matt is being led off the trail that he's been following so effectively - even if theres been not much immediate action on what he's turned up/focused on so far (most of it 'hidden in plain sight' that the lamstream media flatly refuses to focus on)

again and maybe i'm just being overly cynical - since matt's otherwise excellent work seems to have hit a whole bunch of nerves - what we are seeing is continued circling of the wagons, with the media distraction machine going into high gear to protect those at the top of the dems money machine

[Thailandnotes]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

Good to see Dan Froomkin over there...

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2...-toll-secrecy/

[dcarrigg]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

Good to see Dan Froomkin over there...

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2...-toll-secrecy/

I don't have big hopes for this place even still. Too California techno-crunchy (pgp keys right in the sidebar looking for anonymous leaks will get them flooded with anonymous bs), and too civil-libertarian / anti-US every step of the way.

There's some power that comes from reporting in the rolling stone - it's a music magazine after all - and you can be serious in a venue that's not too serious and that reaches across party and occupational lines. It's slow and you can do slow journalism there.

When it comes down to a California techno-crunchy, doomer, civil liberties website we know there's just as much weed smoked by the staff at rolling stone, but there's not that slow monthly pace of waiting for good stories, and we can't chat about music and other cultural stuff that's not political in between.

I hope this is a good move for him. I fear that the laser-like snowden/leak focus, beholden to a single billionaire in EBay founder Pierre Omidyar (especially when his friend and co-founder just ran for Governor of Cali under one of the two party banners). It might be fair to ask what news isn't run by a single billionaire these days? Well, one notable exception is Rolling Stone which Jann Wenner still runs.

But Omidyar just dropped the money to start this out of the sky. As of now there are no ads or ways to generate revenue. So for now, it's a vanity project. The top stories on the page right now are:

1) Drones
2) Illegal Detention
3) Snowden/Assange
4) Snowden
5) Drones/NSA
6) NSA

So I already know where it's going. And how long do you think it will be until someone drops the line: "an 'Iranian billionaire' created this anti-US spy agency site out of nothing overnight?" Or why, of all issues in the world, do we get Snowden, Assange, Drones, NSA, an Illegal detention?

I get Snowden/NSA. That's Greenwald. Drones and Assange and illegal detention? That's a Cali-techno-crunchy, civil-libertarian fetish.

I don't mind some of those stories mixed in. But if the front page of ITulip looked like that every day, I'd be off to greener pastures. Sorry. Drones and Gitmo don't way as heavy on my mind as economic malaise. We all have our own interests.

Like I said, I hope it's a good move for Taibbi.

I fear they'll have him reporting about Gitmo instead of Jefferson County AL in no time, though, if you catch my drift. And that will be sad. He had done a ton of great state, county, and municipal reporting illustrating how investment banking mixes in and blows up local budgets. He told me how I was paying too much for my beer cans because they rigged the aluminum market. That kind of stuff mattered to a lot of regular schlub Americans like me.

The intercept seems so full of itself and California-hacker-dude / Silicon Valley Chick / "Disrupt the economy, bro!" / "Drones, dude!" that I can't see myself reading it.

Someone's got to side with the protestors against the California tech complex...or at least be willing to hear their side of the story...and this picture from the goog bus protest maybe says it all:

[Thailandnotes]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

Your points are well-taken, especially “billionaires providing the news” and the decline of slow journalism.

I wonder what Omidyar is thinking. Public statements and interviews are noticeably lacking.

If he just wanted to put forth a more truthful narrative on what’s going in the US and the world and get more Americans to watch and read, he could have spent his money more wisely.

[lektrode]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

altho the comments on froomkins story kinda give the flavor of what can be expected on this one - guess we'll just have to wait and see what matt's first output is, to see where the op/ed direction is headed.

hopefully he's going to be their guy for financial themed content - if not, my suspicions will be confirmed (at least in the shorter term)

[DSpencer]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

I don't have big hopes for this place even still. Too California techno-crunchy (pgp keys right in the sidebar looking for anonymous leaks will get them flooded with anonymous bs), and too civil-libertarian / anti-US every step of the way.

There's some power that comes from reporting in the rolling stone - it's a music magazine after all - and you can be serious in a venue that's not too serious and that reaches across party and occupational lines. It's slow and you can do slow journalism there.

When it comes down to a California techno-crunchy, doomer, civil liberties website we know there's just as much weed smoked by the staff at rolling stone, but there's not that slow monthly pace of waiting for good stories, and we can't chat about music and other cultural stuff that's not political in between.

I hope this is a good move for him. I fear that the laser-like snowden/leak focus, beholden to a single billionaire in EBay founder Pierre Omidyar (especially when his friend and co-founder just ran for Governor of Cali under one of the two party banners). It might be fair to ask what news isn't run by a single billionaire these days? Well, one notable exception is Rolling Stone which Jann Wenner still runs.

But Omidyar just dropped the money to start this out of the sky. As of now there are no ads or ways to generate revenue. So for now, it's a vanity project. The top stories on the page right now are:

1) Drones
2) Illegal Detention
3) Snowden/Assange
4) Snowden
5) Drones/NSA
6) NSA

So I already know where it's going. And how long do you think it will be until someone drops the line: "an 'Iranian billionaire' created this anti-US spy agency site out of nothing overnight?" Or why, of all issues in the world, do we get Snowden, Assange, Drones, NSA, an Illegal detention?

I get Snowden/NSA. That's Greenwald. Drones and Assange and illegal detention? That's a Cali-techno-crunchy, civil-libertarian fetish.

I don't mind some of those stories mixed in. But if the front page of ITulip looked like that every day, I'd be off to greener pastures. Sorry. Drones and Gitmo don't way as heavy on my mind as economic malaise. We all have our own interests.

Like I said, I hope it's a good move for Taibbi.

I fear they'll have him reporting about Gitmo instead of Jefferson County AL in no time, though, if you catch my drift. And that will be sad. He had done a ton of great state, county, and municipal reporting illustrating how investment banking mixes in and blows up local budgets. He told me how I was paying too much for my beer cans because they rigged the aluminum market. That kind of stuff mattered to a lot of regular schlub Americans like me.

The intercept seems so full of itself and California-hacker-dude / Silicon Valley Chick / "Disrupt the economy, bro!" / "Drones, dude!" that I can't see myself reading it.

Someone's got to side with the protestors against the California tech complex...or at least be willing to hear their side of the story...and this picture from the goog bus protest maybe says it all:

Is there anything a rich person who likes freedom can do that you wouldn't assume is some kind of sinister conspiracy? The points you make seem downright comical to me:

1. Serious journalism should happen within magazines about music and pop culture. Really? And the Ministry of Peace should be in charge of war?
2. We can't trust Omidyar because he's rich and his former employee ran as a Republican candidate. I guess we'll ignore that he stated explicitly he would not endorse her and in fact he may actually be a different human with his own political beliefs.
3. His project doesn't even have a way to make money. It's like he actually believes that these issues are important and the media can do good in society and that he already has enough money! God Forbid! We'd all feel much better if he realized a website about Duck Dynasty and Honey Boo Boo would be more lucrative.
4. Why does he think we care about the NSA and foreign civilians getting blown up by missiles from the sky? Well it is the stated short term goal of the project. And brace yourself...Some people actually think 1984 is NOT a utopian blueprint.
5. Taibbi might, with no evidence yet, be forced to write about other issues. "The editorial independence of our journalists will be guaranteed. They will be encouraged to pursue their passions, cultivate a unique voice, and publish stories without regard to whom they might anger or alienate." Again, I guess because he's an evil billionaire we'll just assume that the about section is 100% lies.
6. These Californians are so annoying. Yeah, Taibbi should work for a company run by Jann Wenner who founded Rolling Stone in...oh no, dude! San Francisco!

I mean, honestly, what do you want from the guy? He hires serious reporters to cover serious issues. You complain it's too single issue focused. He hires a reporter you respect who covers the issues you want covered and states they will be allowed the freedom to continue covering those issues. You aren't convinced.

Maybe you will be proved right, but so far it seems like they haven't done anything to warrant such unfounded criticism.

About The Intercept

The Intercept, a publication of First Look Media, was created by Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill. It has a two-fold mission: one short-term, the other long-term.
Our short-term mission is to provide a platform to report on the documents previously provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Although we are still building our infrastructure and larger vision, we are launching now because we believe we have a vital obligation to this ongoing and evolving story, to these documents, and to the public.
Our NSA coverage will be comprehensive, innovative and multi-faceted. We have a team of experienced editors and journalists devoted to the story. We will use all forms of digital media for our reporting. In addition, we will publish primary source documents on which our reporting is based. We will also invite outside experts with area knowledge to contribute to our reporting, and provide a platform for commentary and reader engagement.
Our long-term mission is to produce fearless, adversarial journalism across a wide range of issues. The editorial independence of our journalists will be guaranteed. They will be encouraged to pursue their passions, cultivate a unique voice, and publish stories without regard to whom they might anger or alienate. We believe the prime value of journalism is its power to impose transparency, and thus accountability, on the most powerful governmental and corporate bodies, and our journalists will be provided the full resources and support required to do this.
While our initial focus will be the critical work surrounding the NSA story, we are excited by the opportunity to grow with our readers into the broader and more comprehensive news outlet that the The Intercept will become.

[santafe2]

Re: Taibbi Done at RS - Off to First Look Media

If one would like to better understand why Taibbi left RS, watching Jeremy Scahill's "Dirty Wars", might be a good place to start. It can be streamed on Netflix. If the film is accurate, finance may be the least of our problems.