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Tim Ward's avatar

Some people may be refraining as they are not US citizens.

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Terry McIntyre's avatar

Well I AM a US citizen. Wish I had extra $ to spend on subscriptions like this, because I know how important independent media is, but I don’t. I gave up mainstream media after the election, so independent news is the only news I’ll follow.

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Linda C Johnson's avatar

Same for me.

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Jenny Daly's avatar

Hi, I'm a Canadian living in Canada and I finally subscribed yesterday. What happens in the US affects us too. I'm 75 and a pensioner, plus in Canada the sub is $15 because our dollar is weak compared to the USD. BUT ... I usually spend at least $15 a month on drive through coffees ... so I figure I can support democracy for my neighbours to the south and skip a few coffees! It's that important for my grandchildren's futures.

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Susan McWilliams's avatar

Thank you Jenny. We’re in this together. ❤️🇨🇦🇱🇷

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Flygirl61's avatar

Thank you♥️

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🇨🇦Michele Kennedy🇨🇦's avatar

Same for me in every way except l am 73.

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James G. Hermsen's avatar

You do not have to be a US citizen to join, contribute, or support Meidas Network and its contributors who touch the everyday lives of the word communi

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Noly Garland's avatar

For some reason I’m unable to join, wondered if it was because I’m Canadian. But saw a response from a 🇨🇦, they had joined.

So I’ll have to find a way to do it.

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Jenny Daly's avatar

Hi Noly, I hope you found the link. I'm in Canada too (northern BC) and on my e-mails it was on the top a small "subscribe" link, then again in a larger box marked "upgrade to paid". Good luck.

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Noly Garland's avatar

Thank you! 🇨🇦🇨🇦

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James G. Hermsen's avatar

You should find a box that links you to membership at the top of the Meidas page that says something like Follow, or upgrade .... or Membership.. It should be at the end of the Meidas banner on the right.

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Noly Garland's avatar

Thank you!

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

I’m a senior US citizen and on a very tight budget. For Meidas Touch to be “pro-democracy” and not consider a discount for verified low-income readers is hypocritical (e.g. We’re fighting for your social security but you’ll have to get your news elsewhere?). I’m already a paid subscriber on YouTube, so I suppose I’ll cancel that to afford SubStack. But frankly, I can get excellent free news elsewhere while the Meidas Touch “Corporation” continues to beg their readers to build a multi-billion dollar news conglomerate for them.

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Donna Rerecich's avatar

It doesn't sound like you're fully convinced of what Meidas does or stands for. This isn't a corporation nor is it a group that gives one sided information. I'm glad there's a group out here that presents things that aren't maga full time, all the time, 24/7/ 365. I definitely don't miss all the whining, diversion & blaming other people.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

BTW…the Meidas Touch “news agency” is a company that files it's tax returns under the status of a non-profit corporation.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Please read my comment to “Gary” 👆

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Donna Rerecich's avatar

Can't find Gary's comment. I'm sure the lawyers who started this know what they're doing.

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Flygirl61's avatar

I’m interested in where you can get “excellent free news elsewhere”. Please enlighten me.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Read my reply to “Gary” for further clarification 👆And the “free news”? I’m a follower of David Packman (even he’s offered a huge discount this week for those of us who can’t budget in another $7 a month), the Bulwark, Jesse Dollemore, Hal Sparks, Occupy Democrats, Brian Tyler Cohen, NowThis Impact, and others. Every one of these channels offers the same current political news every day. The difference? The creator’s individual “take” on the issues. My beef with MTN is that so much of their SubStack content is “censored” to those of us who can’t afford the privilege of reading it.

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Donna Rerecich's avatar

Then don't read MTN.

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Gary Sufrin's avatar

Go get your "excellent free news" elsewhere. It takes money to run anything. You dont get groceries or gas for free. There are costs associated with these things. At least Meidas is giving you the truth for your participation. At least you still have freedom to choose things. Without folks like Meidas those choices of free press may dwindle down to nothing but MAGA or Trump news. This is a grass roots operation that came about and has grown organically. Support them or not, that's OK. But take your complaints about a subscription elsewhere. Freedom isn't free. It takes sacrifice. At least tell some friends who can afford it to join...for all of our sakes. Good luck with the "free" sane washing main/lamestream media. They will make you feel good about Trump.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Hey, Gary (and the other quick-to-judge naysayers) here’s a reminder that I’m entitled to my opinions and that the sky isn’t going to fall because I criticize MTN. Perhaps you should reevaluate my statement because you’d discover that I wasn’t asking for anything free from MTN. You’d also discover that I’m a dedicated follower AND subscriber to their YT channel. Moreover, I clearly stated that, as a low-income senior follower of MTN news, I’d appreciate a DISCOUNT to access a great deal of their SubStack content that’s inaccessible to readers like me. MTN claims to be a champion for marginalized American citizens, and yet, every day I receive notifications for SubStack content I don't deserve to read because I’m a marginalized low-income citizen. It's a bad look for a news agency that claims to be a leader of democracy.

BTW, I do know how businesses work, unlike you who can’t imagine the revenue that’s left on the table because MTN doesn't consider the thousands of low-income readers who would gladly pay a few dollars a month to keep up with the facts and opinions posted by Ron Filipkowski, etc whose SubStack content has seemingly (overnight) become accessible to “subscribers only.”

In closing, I’ve been a follower of MTN long enough to fondly recall Ben’s simple and genuine request for the “Meidas Mighty” to keep building our pro-democracy community. Now, there are so many commercial sponsors paying for MTN “space” that I’ve lost count…and a major message for the Meidas Mighty has become a show and tell about how MTN viewership is beating out bigger corporations (e.g.. Disney, Fox, etc). My generation (the children of staunch Kennedy Democrats) remembers when a mission statement represented the cause that was being fought for. So if every member of the Meidas Mighty doesn't have the same rights…then none of us do.

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Linda Rey's avatar

If I may and I don't want to impose, but since you brought up joining here vs. youtube and just as an FYI, YouTube takes a 30% commission and substack only 10%...your money will go farther with them by subscribing here. just a thought.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Thanks for your kind response. In my answer to mad-as-hell “Gary” (and the rest) I will elaborate further on why MTN is doing an injustice to their dedicated low-income readers. Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! 🎉

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Linda Rey's avatar

I didn't even see his response until now. Ouchie. Yes, it's less than gracious. On one hand, as a business owner, it is hard to run a business without revenue. So I get that. But I also know that not everyone is a target client. However, there are ways to work with someone when they express an interest but have limited resources.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

I’ve noticed the same issue for low-income news channel followers for many years. It used to be just “I’d love to support the channel creator’s good work, but I can't afford to”…now the creators have additional platforms where they publish their work and charge another fee for it. The Meiselas brothers are no strangers to the 70% of Americans facing financial struggles, so out of their 3.5M followers perhaps an estimated 2.45M are struggling. In essence, there’s a substantial number of their audience who would benefit from a discount…or how about an affordable bundle price to access all of their content?

So how does MTN expect its news agency (a super PAC nonprofit corporation) to grow without the 2.45M low-income followers chipping in? (they claim to not rely on “investors”). IMO, between the multitude of paying commercial sponsors and wealthy donors - the Meiselas brothers are doing quite well without worrying about the poor folk.

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Donna Rerecich's avatar

I'm reading this as a free subscriber. Others can too. By the way: Couldn't find Gary's comment.

Good night.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Gary Sufrin is the person who left the nasty comment. You’ll find it in this thread from January 3rd.

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Joanna Byrd's avatar

I might consider subscribing if Meidas became less "National Enquirer" and more facts-based. I usually pass on the sensationalized headlines of how great the Meidas Mighty are. Pass along real news & lose the drama.

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Jessica Reynolds's avatar

I think sensationalized headlines are the only way to counter the right wing headlines. It's why left leaning news doesn't get in front of voters, and hasn't for years. This is clearly working.

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MrsCQ's avatar

This is what I truly don't understand. Don't trust MeidasTouch? Find them to sensationalize headlines? Find them hypocritical? You know what you can do? Unsubscribe. It saves you the time of scrolling away but that works as well. .

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Wow. I guess the First Amendment only counts when you agree. 🤔

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Flygirl61's avatar

Or, you can just scroll away

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S Brown's avatar

Yes, that's what I do. Leave the hyperbole to the traitors

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Donna Rerecich's avatar

Wow, more fact based? Where would you go for more fact based news?

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

1) The Bulwark is excellent. Many of their pundits have worked with the GOP and MAGA. 2) Brian Tyler Cohen. 3) David Pakman. 4) Jesse Dollemore. 5) Glenn Kirschner. 6) Occupy Democrats. 7) Hal Sparks. He’s a comedian who’s also well informed about politics.

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Lynn Arthur's avatar

Hi Joanna. You replied negatively to my comment about MTN’s censorship of their Substack content for low-income followers, and yet you criticized them for being not fact-based and more similar to the National Enquirer 🤔 Perhaps read my reply to mad-as-hell “Gary” for clarification. Or not.

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Donna Rerecich's avatar

Can't see Gary.

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