The Status of Status

Hello Status community—We’re breaking from our regular format to share some exciting news on the home front with you. You may have seen it this morning in The Wall Street Journal, but today marks an important milestone for Status as we continue to grow and build something meaningful in the media world.

First, we’re thrilled to announce that Jon Passantino is joining Status as executive editor. Jon comes to us from CNN, where I worked alongside him on Reliable Sources and where he served as media editor. Trust me when I say, he is an exceptional editor. His sharp editorial instincts will help strengthen our coverage and help take Status to the next level. There is no one I trust more than Jon to help us in this effort.

We’re also closing in on some major milestones: Since launching just six months ago, we have grown to nearly 75,000 subscribers and are on track to hit $1 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2025. That is all thanks to you, the reader. Status is not backed by a giant corporation or billionaire. Instead, you empower our independent voice and allow us to deliver hard-hitting reporting and sharp-edged analysis into inboxes each evening. So thank you.

But while these numbers are exciting, they’re not our end goal. We want to keep pushing forward, hiring more talented journalists, reinvesting in the business, and building Status into an even more essential source for understanding the media world and its profound impacts on society.

We’re doing this at a pivotal time. As seismic change unfolds across the media industry, it is more important than ever to cast a watchful eye on the players and institutions that steer this powerful ecosystem. Without having an understanding of the companies that shape America's information environment, it is impossible to understand where we currently are and where we are going.

Disinformation saturates the information ecosystem, and Donald Trump’s weaponization of government and continued attacks on the free press pose a direct threat to the media industry and democracy itself. We are watching in real-time how those entrusted with holding power to account fall short due to business pressure, political pressure, or both. Now, more than ever, we need strong, independent coverage to hold powerful figures and institutions accountable. At Status, we’re committed to doing precisely that, telling the story of how information moves, who controls it, and what’s really going on behind the scenes.

Next month, we’re planning to launch the Status podcast, a new way to bring our stories to life. Hosted by Jon and me, the show will take you deeper into the biggest stories in media each week and offer our trademark no-holds-barred analysis. Additionally, Jon will pen a Saturday newsletter, meaning that Status will now hit your inbox six days a week.

Finally, you may notice that Status looks a bit different today. We’ve refreshed the design of the newsletter and will soon be giving our website a facelift as part of our ongoing commitment to making Status a first-class destination for media coverage.

We can’t say it enough: We are grateful to our paid subscribers for fueling our journalism, helping us grow, and allowing us to shine a light on the powerful forces shaping the media landscape. At Status, we believe that power deserves scrutiny, and our only allegiance is to you—the reader—because we’re backed by your support, not outside interests.

If you’re still in the free tier as a reader, now’s the perfect time to join our growing community by upgrading to a paid subscription. Your support means more independent reporting, more exclusive storytelling, and more sharp-edged analysis that takes you behind the scenes and into the power corridors of media. Together, we’re building something bold and ambitious—and we’d love for you to join us in the effort.

Now, onward to the future. Let’s keep building.