The Bulwark's Pivot: From Anti-Trump Non-Profit to YouTube Powerhouse
The Bulwarks's Sarah Longwell on Why Republicans Won the Attention War
More from Channels with Peter Kafka
How Dhar Mann Turned Constraints Into Scalable Systems
Dhar Mann built a billion-view empire not by chasing virality, but by starting small, failing fast, and letting audience feedback--not Hollywood gatekeepers--drive growth. His system turns moral simplicity into scalable storytelling, proving constraints can become compounding advantages.
View Episode Notes →
Dow Jones's "Boring" B2P Model Fuels Media's Future
Media's future lies in hyper-focused, high-value B2P offerings that solve critical problems for professionals, not in chasing mass appeal.
View Episode Notes →
Versant's Strategy: Reinvesting Beyond Cable for Media Powerhouse
Versant pivots from declining cable by reinvesting in new revenue streams, revealing a competitive advantage beyond linear TV's slow death.
View Episode Notes →Resources
Resources & Recommendations
Books
- "The Bulwark" - A mission-driven, for-profit site that initially relied on donations and is now powered by Substack revenue, with a significant presence on YouTube and social media.
Videos & Documentaries
- The Apprentice - Mentioned as a reason why some voters initially supported Donald Trump.
Research & Studies
- National Review cover story "Never Trump" - An issue featuring essays from prominent conservatives explaining why Donald Trump was dangerous, with many of the authors now being pro-Trump.
Tools & Software
- Substack - A platform that has made it easy for creators to implement subscription models.
Articles & Papers
- "The Bulwark's" Interview with Semaphore - Where Sarah Longwell discussed the site's revenue goals for 2024.
People Mentioned
- Emily Sunberg - Founder of a "buzzy" Substack, mentioned as an example of a media company owner.
- Mark Thompson - CEO of CNN, mentioned as an example of a media company owner.
- Bill Kristol - Founder and former editor of The Weekly Standard, who asked Sarah Longwell to help find jobs for his staff when the magazine shut down.
- JVL - Co-host of The Bulwark's "Secret Podcast" and writer of a daily newsletter.
- Barry - A producer/video guy at The Bulwark who encouraged the team to start using YouTube.
- Kamala Harris - Mentioned for her "play it safe" strategy and its detrimental effect on media presence.
- Gavin Newsom - Mentioned for his performance art as a parody of Trump's communication style.
- Tim Miller - Mentioned in reference to conversations happening in "the green room" (a metaphor for informal discussions).
- J.D. Vance - Cited as an example of someone with a "shitposting" communication style on the internet who engages with people and discusses his life openly.
- Pete Buttigieg - Mentioned as a politician who communicates well.
- Madam Donnie - Mentioned as a politician who communicates well.
- AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) - Mentioned as a politician who communicates well.
- Bernie Sanders - Cited as an example of someone who is good on social media because he knows what he believes.
- Hillary Clinton - Mentioned as a reason some voters initially supported Donald Trump.
Organizations & Institutions
- The Bulwark - An anti-Trump, mission-driven, for-profit media site.
- Vox Media Podcast Network - The network producing the podcast "Channels with Peter Kafka."
- Business Insider - Peter Kafka's affiliation.
- The Weekly Standard - A seminal conservative magazine that shut down.
- National Review - A conservative publication that published a "Never Trump" issue.
- Fox News - Mentioned as part of the right-wing media ecosystem.
- One America News Network - Mentioned as part of the right-wing media ecosystem.
- MSNBC - Mentioned as a potential news source for Democrats.
- ABC, CBS, NBC - Traditional broadcast networks mentioned as potential news sources for Democrats.
Courses & Educational Resources
- "The Bulwark Podcast" - The flagship podcast of The Bulwark.
- "The Secret Podcast" - A niche podcast hosted by Sarah Longwell and JVL, where they wrestle with ideas.
- JVL's Triad - A daily newsletter written by JVL.
- "The Focus Group Podcast" - A show dedicated to discussions about focus group work.
Websites & Online Resources
- Substack - A platform used by The Bulwark for subscriptions and newsletters.
- YouTube - A platform where The Bulwark has a significant presence with video content.
- Apple Podcasts - A platform where The Bulwark's podcast can be subscribed to.
Other Resources
- Focus Groups - A research method used by Sarah Longwell to understand voters' motivations and reasoning.
- Polling Data - A traditional method of gathering political sentiment, contrasted with focus groups.