UAW Strike Good News/Bad News (READ FULL EMAIL)
We've been ON-THE-GROUND for all eight days of the UAW strike—which just expanded to 38 plants across 20 states. We'd like to stay out for as long as it takes...but need more funding.
Hey folks, it’s Jordan. I’ll try to make this short and sweet.
We’re on Day 8 of our ON-THE-GROUND reporting of the UAW strike—which just this afternoon expanded to 38 additional plants across 20 states. Tina-Desiree Berg was just live for nearly two hours talking to workers from a striking Stellantis plant in Center Line Michigan. We remain one of the only independent outlet ON-THE-GROUND countering the corporate media propaganda.
There’s no telling how long this strike will last but, unfortunately, as an independent outlet, we don’t have unlimited funding to stay out on the road. Between flights for myself, Tina, and cameraman Jon Farina, paying them, hotels, rent-a-car, and food, we’re already at around at least $4K in expenses for 8 days ON-THE-GROUND. With our other monthly expenses, we can’t cover the strike in person for that much longer unless we get a significant number of viewers to sign up as paid members for $5-10 bucks a month (our core model and keeps us free & independent). If we get 50-100 new members at $5 a month, we’ll be in great shape to stay out and continue covering this strike longer.
I can’t tell you how many UAW workers have come up to Tina and I telling us we are the ONLY outlet covering this well and thanking us for amplifying their voices while the corporate media often demonizes them. Here’s just one example.
I think this is one of the biggest, and most important stories in recent years with huge implication for the battered and bruised working class. I sincerely thank all those who have already signed up as members and donated to help fund this trip—and viewers who sign up now!
Jordan
Thanks for covering this historic strike! If I'm already a status coup member, is there a way to just make a donation?
I'll have to check my finances. In August I shelled out a rather large chunk of savings to Greens as part of our Annual National Meeting fundraiser alongside the Wests (Drs. Cornel and Annahita Mahdavi-West) and others. It was a good faith effort and I hope it directly helps the party. I then signed up for monthly payments as well during Lee Camp's fundraiser to offer support for others to give as a sign of goodwill. (I'm disabled and unemployed with my SSI currently fucked up—again.)
That said, I've supported your work in the past and will continue to do so in what capacity — I'd encourage readers to do likewise in what capacity they can.
Jordan, et. al., are doing what we should rightly expect of regular "news" outlets, but don't see.
It really does say how bizarre the world has gotten when a former Fox News intern/etc., ends up becoming a leading on the ground independent reporter. That was rather amusing. Just as was the case in 2020—the more donations that Status Coup gets, the more reporters they can save from corporate rentier evil media and give opportunities to do legit journalism that can help shine a light on the clusterfuckery of civilization.
Do you duty (as you are able) and help journalism. Please, I implore you! 🙏🏾 Just remember that it was Status Coup and a small number of other independent outlets that had their footage quasi stolen (or paid for, but without source credit!) by major outlets to show what was going on on the ground in 2020 and 2021.
Remember the Abandoned Cellphone incident in DC where viewers sat horrified to know if (as I recall) Jenn was safe because she was attacked by policing forces and lost her phone that was still recording/streaming without picture.
That kind of reporting is important, but this is most especially the kind of stuff that can help rally people and rebuild morale. Reminding us that "we are not alone in this" and "we have power together". To troll the 2016 Clinton campaign slogan, we *are* "stronger together", just not *that* kind of unity (where we sell out or surrender to corporate rentier finance capitalist power).
Thanks to the crew of Status Coup, the members, the other reporters, past members and participants of the outlet, Jordan's wife and family (and the families of those involved, who out their safety in the line every day while in the field), and to him for this tireless efforts to help folks across the continent from Standing Rock where I imagine he more than once got nailed with freezing high pressure water while reporting, the 2016 and 2020 Conventions, covering the Green Party's 2016 convention, every other coverage, to the mass BLM protests, to Flint, to East Palestine, and more.
Please, do what you can to help!
/EndRant