Jordan Chariton: "Do it so we have more on-the-ground journalism
"Do it for Jenn. Do it for me...do it so we have more on-the-ground journalism...I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't want and feel a very important need for Jenn's outlet, Courage News."
Hi all!
Jenn Dize here! As the co-founder of Status Coup, I know a thing or two about good independent journalism. It’s time to expand–we need all the trustworthy, uncorrupted indie outlets we can get.
My former partner Jordan Chariton, CEO of Status Coup, had me on to talk about it.
"Do it for Jenn. Do it for me...do it so we have more on-the-ground journalism...I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't want and feel a very important need for Jenn's outlet, Courage News." Jordan Chariton implores Status Coup viewers, supporters of independent media to SUPPORT Courage News at any amount. | LINK TO SUPPORT: http://GoFundMe.com/CourageNews - http://CourageNews.com
Video and full transcript below!
Jordan Chariton (00:00)
Speaking of support, for those of you that don't know, I interviewed Jenn Dize a couple of weeks ago. Jenn obviously was the co-founder of Status Coup and she's now launching her own news outlet called Courage News.
Jordan Chariton (00:12)
So I interviewed her about a week or two ago about her new outlet, what she's trying to do with it, and also ways you can support because she does have a GoFundMe going.
Jordan Chariton (00:23)
So I'm going to play that interview because some of you might have not seen it because YouTube doesn't notify people of all our content. So I want to make sure people saw our interview. We'll also put the GoFundMe link for Jenn's new outlet in the description, in the SuperChat.
Jordan Chariton (00:36)
Pitch in any amount you can. Obviously, big amounts make a difference, but small amounts also make a difference because it's not easy without corporate funding–which she is not taking corporate funding–to fund a brand new news outlet.
Jordan Chariton (00:50)
If you haven't seen it, here's my interview with Jenn on her soon-to-be-launched news outlet.
Jordan Chariton (00:56)
Jordan Chariton of Status Coup, joined by Jenn Dize, the co-founder of Status Coup, and is now launching her own brave, intrepid news outlet.
Jordan Chariton (01:10)
Jenn, what is the name of the news outlet you are currently working to launch?
Jenn Dize, Courage News (01:17)
I'm so excited. It's called Courage News. And well, Jordan, you know, from when we started Status Coup, it took forever to find a name. And I've always said, like, you're the best at naming things. You're always the "naming things guy." And even then, it took us forever to land on Status Coup. And so in the search for this new name, I was shocked to come across CourageNews.com. The site's not set up yet, guys, but that it was available. I had to pay a premium price for it. But it was like, yes, this is what I want. Courage News.
Jordan Chariton (01:55)
And did this have anything to do with your obsession with Bobby Kennedy?
Jenn Dize, Courage News (01:59)
Bobby! Yeah, it did...it had to do...Well, Profiles In Courage–JFK, it absolutely did. You're...Good call, Jordan. You know my Kennedy obsession.
Jordan Chariton (02:15)
So the obvious question is, as you and I used to talk about with Status Coup, there's way too much content out there. We have big tech platforms suppressing all of us. It is hard to get attention unless you are basically doing conflict reactionary bullshit and nonsense. So it's pretty daunting to try...And I mean, it was daunting when we did it with Status Coup in 2018, but it's pretty daunting in the year 2022 without massive funding to launch your own thing. Why did you want to do this and what are you planning to do that's different from what is already out there?
Jenn Dize, Courage News (02:57)
Well, one thing that you and I have talked about a lot is the state of media and not just mainstream media, but also independent media. And because it is so hard out there, even a lot of so-called progressive, leftist independent media folks are turning to clickbait....not even journalism.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (03:17)
But yeah, let's call it clickbait journalism, where it's like, "oh, this person said this about this person and this drama is going on in this space and the BreadTube drama"... It's like a disgusting circle of nothing. Like, what are we accomplishing?
Jenn Dize, Courage News (03:33)
And so I think we need more outlets that are focused on the people. That are focused on these underreported stories. And you and I have a very similar vision of what news should be and which stories should be focused on. So that's what I think–we need more of THIS. More journalism that is for the people. So, the tagline that I'm using has to do with focusing on the 99% of people out there– exposing corruption.
Jordan Chariton (04:08)
Absolutely. And I want to show everyone, if you needed a quick refresher of everything Jenn has done at Status Coup, let's take a look.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (04:21)
[Jenn's reporting clip plays] Hey guys, Jenn here.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (04:23)
[To Rudy Giuliani] "I'm saying, what do you say to those who"...
Rudy Giliani (04:25)
[Rudy] "You're a very discourteous person!"
Jenn Dize, Courage News (04:25)
[Jenn] "I'm actually really nice."
Abby Martin (04:31)
[ Abby Martin] It's rare. And thank you. Thank you for your work, Jenn. Thank you so much.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (04:34)
Hi. What's your name? My name is Alan...and how we should have free health care, and...[crowd member] "Mr. Lethal Weapon!" [Danny Glover] "I know, right? This is your lethal weapon right here!"
Jenn Dize, Courage News (04:40)
[crowd] Whose house? Our house! [Cynthia Nixon] Because I love New York! [Chris Smalls] If Biden thinks he's going to give us lip service for four years? Hell no.
Chris Smalls (05:00)
I was fired [from Amazon] for speaking out about health and safety due to COVID-19.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (05:03)
it's been 115 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered.
Black Lives Matter Protester (05:07)
I'm out here marching for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, David McAtee, Mike Newbie. Anybody that's been affected by police injustice. I'm out here taking a stance. You stand for nothing. You'll fall for anything.
Jill Stein (05:17)
[People are] working two and three part-time, low-wage jobs!
Kensington, Philadelphia houseless residents (05:18)
We're getting locked up for being homeless? That's not right.
Residents evicted by corporation (05:19)
Despair.
Black Lives Matter Protesters (05:20)
Black Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter!
Portland, OR Houseless Advocate (05:34)
Really. How do you want to spend the remainder of whatever time we have left? How do you want to spend that time? And I want to spend it working for justice.
Proud Boys, Portland, OR (05:48)
And I'm proud of your boy!...Because I wanted to beat up some fucking commies!
Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys Chairman (05:52)
So you guys are the first ones to [see] it, but I'd like to say mission accomplished.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (05:55)
Put that down the memory hole.
NYC Mugger (05:57)
No, I'm talking to this guy here [attacks Jenn]
Jenn beaten by DC police during George Floyd Protests (05:58)
Oh, shit. [DC cop attacks Jenn while reporting]
Viewer (06:16)
Looking around all night trying to find you. I waited for it to clear out. And I see you, and I just wanted to meet you, really.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (06:22)
That's awesome.
Jordan Chariton (06:23)
So that, honestly, that is everything you did over several years here on a shoestring budget. We had no corporate funding. We basically did it through GoFundMe and small dollar membership. And honestly, as we always talked about, it takes a lot of sacrifice to do that kind of work. It's a lot of weekends. It's not nine to five. It's juggling four or five hats–playing reporter, researcher, producer, guest booker. You did a lot of the logistics. It is daunting. But I think you would also say doing that kind of work where you're out there with people not just reacting to other people's commentary, to other people's commentary. It is also liberating and in short supply.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (07:09)
Absolutely. And there's nothing else that I would want to do. Even watching my own clips back, it's like, yes, this is what I want to do. This is my purpose in life. And I've had kind of a renewed perspective, I guess, since I caught...Many of you may know that I caught COVID back in November of 2020 at the Rudy Giuliani facemelting press conference, and I ended up with long hauler COVID, which has really knocked me down flat.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (07:54)
I still suffer. And there was a point...And you'll remember this, Jordan, I would sob. [Thinking] I don't think I'll ever be able to return to journalism and this has ruined my life. So the fact that...I'm so grateful that I'm not more affected, I am able now to report again. And so it's given me a renewed perspective.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (08:15)
Like, yes, I have this mission to do good journalistic work, and it could have been taken from me. But there's a reason that it wasn't, that it hasn't. There's a reason that I'm driven to do this. And yeah, I'm so passionate about doing actual journalism, about talking about stories and breaking stories that matter.
Jordan Chariton (08:42)
And I also think it's important not just to have Status Coup...What you're launching, Courage News, but frankly, there's a whole lot of people that sit in a studio telling you the world and telling you this is the way politics works and telling you this is the way corruption works. And not that they're dumb people, but they're not on the ground with actual people.
Jordan Chariton (09:07)
They don't see the corruption up close. They don't see the injustice up close. Maybe they have a perspective. And some of them I like and I like their perspective, but they are just as disconnected in some cases as corporate media figures, even in our own independent media sandbox. So that's why it's so important.
Jordan Chariton (09:25)
And when I'm not on the ground, I mean, I haven't gone on the ground in recent weeks because of the COVID spike, and I didn't want to get it twice. You get disconnected. So that's why I believe it is extremely important that you're starting this for people to support it because we're in short supply of actually seeing, hearing, and feeling from actual everyday people on the ground.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (09:48)
100%. There's something that's so different about being out there talking to people from different walks of life who've gone through different things. It's something where you can't just sit in a studio and expect to have true perspective. And so that's something...you know, we share a passion for this.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (10:12)
You and I have traveled all over the country. Seen so many things. I think about the people all the time. The people in Flint...One of our friends from Flint just passed away, Tony, which is horrifying. And you think of the people in Kensington, in Philadelphia, where we reported on houselessness and the drug crisis there. The people in West Virginia and Kentucky who are being evicted or corporate overlords are taking over and kicking people out of their homes and the wildfires [on the west coast].
Jenn Dize, Courage News (10:56)
There's so much out there that you just can't get or understand in a studio. I also want to point out that it's really distressing to me that so many in independent media are...Let's just say it...They are selling out. Peter Thiel money is all over the place in indie media right now. And I feel a commitment to kind of rail against that because it's becoming a huge problem.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (11:28)
I'm sure you folks watching this have seen some of your faves change their tune. And you got to look at why that is. And that's something I will never do. And I know that's the same for you, Jordan. You'll never fall into that trap that some of these folks are.
Jordan Chariton (11:43)
Oh, it definitely hurts when I dare criticize Joe Rogan. We lose subscribers, things like that. So, yeah, I think myself and you definitely agree we'd rather actually sell out and go like work in corporate America or something than just play for clicks, which is actually not a good business model. It's a lot better to play for clicks.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (12:06)
Well, some of the problem is it is playing for clicks, but also it's leading people down a really dark, horrible path. Like taking people who are leftists and who followed some of these folks because of Bernie policies and wanting good progressive change. But they're leading these people down a Peter Thiel-laden Golden path. And he's not the only one. That's just the one that I'm like, furious about right now.
Jordan Chariton (12:36)
Yeah. No, it's a road to nowhere. It's a road to purity. But it's a road to really no actual effectiveness.
Jordan Chariton (12:43)
You're going to have to pay the bills. It is very hard to start a new outlet. It will not succeed if it's just you. You're going to need help. You have a GoFundMe going on right now. Let's put it up here so people could see. You've raised over $1,000 of your $25,000 goal, which is pretty impressive since you haven't been on many shows or anything like that.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (13:07)
I honestly haven't really promoted it that much yet. I was actually speaking to Abby Martin, like right before launching this. So we met for dinner and she convinced me she's like, slow down a bit, take some time. Because as you know, we never take time off. Never take time to breathe. So it's like this space where it's like, okay, take time to breathe. Because I found the name and I was like, let's go, go. And she was like, just relax a bit. It'll be there. So I actually haven't promoted it that much, so to already have this amount of support is great.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (13:53)
I am now ready to go full throttle...is that the word to use? Whatever. I'm going all in now. I'm going to start reporting. I have had people pitch me stories. So it's not just going to be me. I have a few women who will be reporting and I want to have really diverse voices as well. So I'm so excited. I'm going all in on this. I really think it's going to be good. And you guys know me at Status Coup. I'm not going down any dark path. I only will report the truth.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (14:35)
I will only report what matters. So your support means the whole world and it's really really needed. At this point I've funded everything to do with Courage News by myself and it's too hard. I can't do that anymore. So yeah, I do. I have a need to pay the bills and I've got two growing boys and a real passion for this, so I'm nervous. It's hard, as you know, Jordan, to launch your own thing. And it comes with a lot of stresses and a lot of wondering like how is this going to work?
Jenn Dize, Courage News (15:14)
But I believe in it and I know that it will and I know that it's needed. So yeah, any amount helps. You guys spreading the link around, following the social medias. There will be a Substack and eventually I'll get up a membership model and all that stuff. But I'm at this point needing funds to get launched. Truly.
Jordan Chariton (15:44)
Absolutely. And I will directly...Let me Zoom in so people can see it here...Directly ask people anything you could do. You got $30, $50, $25, $64. Just the last couple of donations that came in. But even 5, 10, I mean, anything you could do, every donation matters. When we were doing it for Status Coup, it really builds up. The goal is $25,000. Right now they've raised, Jenn's raised over $1,000. So hey, if every single person watching right now could pitch in $5 or $10 for those that have deeper pockets, it really, really makes a difference.
Jordan Chariton (16:20)
Because I got news for you. When it was Jenn and I starting Status Coup, we would not have been able to go to Flint. We would not have been able to go cover the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, repeated trips to Flint, Seattle, we went to Vancouver. We would not been able to do it without the support of people. So definitely type it in. I'll put it in the description too, the GoFundMe link. But any amount really makes a difference because it requires paying freelancers, equipment, data plans. I mean, you name it, people don't even know the half of it.
Jordan Chariton (17:00)
That's why most people sit in the studio and pontificate because it is a lot more expensive to do it this way. I know it's kind of still under construction, but we will put the GoFundMe definitely in the link. In the description. Is there a website yet? Is there an email list? Because there's other ways people could submit.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (17:19)
Yes. 1 second, let me go to my Twitter. So on Twitter you can follow at @Courage_News and on Insta it's at @CourageNewsNetwork. Facebook it's CourageNewsNetwork. Now I do have a website, but it's not launched yet. I have the domain name. It's just kind of a resting page right now. But that'll be up soon, guys. But if you go to tinyurl.com/JennsList and you can find that on my Twitter too, @JennElizabethJ. You can sign up for notifications. You can be the first to hear about the true launch and the stories that I'll be working on and that others are working on. Again, go to Twitter.com/courage_news and also tinyurl.com/JennsList you can get on for notifications.
Jordan Chariton (18:23)
And we'll put those in the description, too. So if people are kind of getting lost, they'll be in the description.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (18:29)
I know it's a lot of assignments, but the main thing, please help out with the GoFundMe if it's financially feasible for you.
Jordan Chariton (18:36)
Yes. And seriously, there it is. Let me Zoom out. So it has the video that we played and you could donate any amount. It really makes a big difference. Listen, frankly, there's a lot of people with passion, but no pun intended, not courage to actually step out of clickbaity commentary and actually get out there. There's actually not a lot of people with the actual work ethic and will to go out, cover protests, go travel, cover things, talk to people, deal with sources calling you at all times of the day and weekend. You've dealt with it. I've dealt with it. It's a labor of love.
Jordan Chariton (19:13)
So support Jenn if you can. And if it grows, it won't just be Jenn like she mentioned, other women journalists, hopefully people that have some talent but haven't had opportunities elsewhere. So support Jenn if you can, because I could tell you from experience, it ain't easy. So it takes a village. Definitely support her. Anything else you want to let everyone know?
Jenn Dize, Courage News (19:38)
No. Just, I love you all out there in the audience and I'm so excited about this. And I hope you'll come with me on this journey of launching Courage News. So you guys love Status Coup. I love Status Coup. And we need more of that. And so Courage News will be another leg in good, honest, independent journalism.
Jordan Chariton (20:04)
Awesome. Thank you, Jenn. I will definitely be monitoring to see how this goes.
Jenn Dize, Courage News (20:09)
Thanks, Jordan.
Jordan Chariton (20:30)
That was my interview with Jenn a couple of weeks ago. I want to update you because she has raised more money...If I could figure out how to do this. There we go. So her GoFundMe is now up to $2,240 out of the $25,000 goal. The last donations were a couple of days ago. I am asking all of you. We got almost 200 people watching. Obviously, if you can't donate, you can't donate. We totally understand. If you can...nearly 200 people watching. If every person watching right now gives $5, that's $1,000. If every person watching right now gives $10, that's $2,000. If some people could give more, you get the pattern.
Jordan Chariton (21:14)
I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't want and feel a very important need for Jenn's outlet, Courage News, to launch and to grow. If Status Coup did not have significant GoFundMe donations, we would not have been able to travel. If we were not able to travel, we would not have been able to cover important stories, and we would not be able to build a membership model, which obviously was important.
Jordan Chariton (21:47)
It was important to build a membership model to continue funding the on-the-ground reporting. But the most important thing is you need that money, that seed money in the beginning to fund on the ground stuff, even if it's more local. Jenn lives in Maryland. So even if it's going to DC, if she's going to pay other reporters, she mentioned some reporter that wants to sign on and to pay them. She's not independently wealthy with money growing out of her backyard trees. So if you could support her, I'd appreciate it. Obviously, she would appreciate it. Bottom line, we could shit on the corporate media all day. But if we're not willing ourselves...If we're not willing ourselves to help build more independent media, not people sitting in a studio, but people going out there and giving the microphone back to the people or whatever Courage News' tagline is going to be, then we're not putting our money where our mouth is. Of course, if you don't have additional funds to support Jenn, like she would say, she doesn't want to put you in a bad position. But if you do have $5, I think that's the minimum on GoFundMe $10, anything you could do.
Jordan Chariton (22:59)
Jenn was instrumental in building Status Coup. We would not be where we are without her. So I want to really implore you as if I was asking you to donate to me. Obviously I'm not, but with the same vigor. Please support her. Please donate. If you can't donate, you can share the link on your social medias and encourage other people too.
Jordan Chariton (23:20)
So Courage News GoFundMe is in the description and any amount, it makes a big difference. And thank you. She just got an anonymous donation for $25. So keep those coming, any amount. And the bottom line is, as I always said, with Status Coup, it's really not about me. And in the case of Courage News, it's not even about Jenn. I mean, you might love Jenn. You might not even be that familiar with Jenn's work. Maybe you're a new subscriber to Status Coup and you haven't seen her work. Forget Jenn in particular. Whether you love her, whether you don't know her, whatever the case may be, it's about having more people on the ground from protests, from other stories that she has covered on the ground, doing investigative reporting, as she's been talking about.
Jordan Chariton (24:13)
She herself is doing some separate investigative work on MPP, Movement for a People's Party, which Status Coup has done some reporting on. It's important because there are a lot of channels out there that are basically talking about the same shit over and over again, just from a studio. I love a lot of those channels. I watch a lot of those channels. I respect a lot of those channels. It's just a different thing when people go on the ground and actually talk to people and show you what's going on and you're able to break a lot more stories investigatively by going on the ground. Because when you go on the ground and you talk to people, you tend to start figuring out where the bodies are buried, where corruption is going on in local communities, in States, et cetera, et cetera. So I could just ask you from the bottom of my heart, support her, if you can any amount, let's get that...It's at $2,000. Let me show you again, it's at $2,265. I think it's doable this weekend to get that past $3,000. If everybody pitches in something. Again, if everybody pitches in $5, that's $1,000.
Jordan Chariton (25:18)
So please, if you can support it. Ron Placone is in the SuperChat. I'm sure he would suggest supporting Jenn's Courage News, and it makes a difference. And by the way. She mentioned it, but she's got two kids. So obviously Jenn has got some bills to pay. She's a working journalist. She's not a CNN anchor getting paid out the ass. So you're not only supporting Jenn, you're supporting her putting food on the table for her kids and all that.
Jordan Chariton (25:50)
And I definitely would not be telling you to support this if I did not expect great work from Jenn and whoever she's able to bring on as writers or whatever else. So pitch in. Any amount makes a big difference. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And she's in the SuperChat right now, so you can get information. I put in the description, the GoFundMe link, the email list. I'll also put the Twitter, the Instagram, all that good stuff, too. So thank you. Is this happy hour now? I avoided happy hour. There's a war going on, so I don't really want to be like drinking on camera and having fun as there's a war going on.
Jordan Chariton (26:31)
So we'll resume happy hour Friday, happy hours at a different time. So no, this is not happy hour. And I'll just read this real talk from Jenn. [Jenn says] I am struggling financially at the moment, which is hard to admit, but I believe in good journalism and the mission. So I always keep it real. She's keeping it real right now, and any help in getting started is very much appreciated.
Jordan Chariton (26:55)
So bottom line, if you value Status Coup, even though Jenn's not here anymore, know that Status Coup...she played a big role–a big, big role in getting us to where we are. So do it for Jenn. Do it for me. Most importantly, do it so we have more on-the-ground journalism.
Jordan Chariton (27:14)
Jenn is not far from DC, so she could be doing a lot more investigative stuff in DC. Look at where the bodies are buried there. And there's a lot of bodies buried in that swamp. In addition to other stuff she could do. So if you can–support.