LAST CHANCE FOR HOLIDAY DISCOUNT

The one advantage of dark times is that the discourse can be interesting. Consider supporting that discourse for the low low prices that are available until Dec. 31!

Dear Subscribers,

Thank you for being part of Ask Questions Later, and please rest assured this is the last solicitation for the year. I wanted to make sure no one misses the chance to sign up at a discount that basically means you are supporting independent journalism and commentary for the price per month of a cup of coffee. You’d be enabling the growth of a platform that stands for rational humanism, decency, culture and a global perspective. This, in an era when extremes are getting far too much of the attention. At a time when vulgarity is viewed by many as an advantage, and provincialism a virtue.

Even if you cannot, I hope you consider sharing this offer with others.

Journalism is at a crossroads (check out last week’s essay on our site by me and the veteran journalism professor Shawn McIntosh - along with the rest of our wide-ranging global coverage of recent days, as you can see below). There are those who will argue that everyone’s a journalist, and that there is no qualitative difference between an award-winning investigation on slave labor and the ravings of a teenage Youtuber. They may not put it that way, but that’s the implication. We say no: There is an immense difference, to be sure.

But realistically, high-quality writing and meaningful analysis can’t be free. Certainly not if it’s independent. Free content is often subsidized by ads, sponsors or those with agendas. That’s not inherently bad, but it can compromise integrity.

Even as the legacy media contracts (the AP, which I helped lead for decades, is downsizing by 8%), Ask Questions Later, like other Substack publications, has grown. We’re expanding coverage, delving deeper and bringing on new (paid) contributors to provide more diverse perspectives. Indeed, check out our retrospective on distinctive coverage of recent months here. But growth comes with costs and independent journalism needs investment — and that’s why I’m asking you to consider becoming a paid subscriber.

There are perks that come with the paid subscription. You can access the whole archive (articles over two weeks old) and get past the paywalls that appear even on many new articles. You can comment on all of them, and there will be content for paid users only. But the main perk, I think, is the satisfaction that comes from doing the right thing. From taking a stand for free thought, rigorous analysis, and a space free from undue influence.

We’re all deluged with content these days, and it’s easy to convince yourself that what’s already out there is enough. But the reality is that much of it is surface-level, driven by clicks, or beholden to external agendas. Or, indeed, much worse. So this holiday season, treat yourself to the joy of supporting independent journalism and commentary, and consider making Ask Questions Later a perhaps somewhat odd but also highly compelling gift.

Wishing our readers great things in 2025. I caution that it is, by the Chinese calendar soon to flip, the Year of the Snake. We will need to be alert!

Dan Perry

Ask Questions Later