It's a 'Beautiful Day' for independent media

He has millions of fans that throw money at him and adore his work. He is immensely influential in his field and his efforts have impacted American government and society. No, we’re not talking about Bono (or any other socially conscious musician turned activist). We’re talking about Josh Marshall, the Polk-Award winning journalist whose efforts as an independent journalist have not only gained a large fan base, but incited the dismissal of a US Attorney General.

Independent journalists are fast becoming the rock stars of the media world – they are the ones with the all-access passes, the ones with millions of fans, the one with a support base so strong they are willing to pay them personally to produce their works. Josh Marshall is leading the pack of indy media moguls who embrace their fan base to produce socially significant work that is making an incredible impact. Marshall’s collaboration with his readers allows him to get to the bottom of stories by utilizing the most valuable resource a journalist has – their sources. He is able to produce high quality, in depth reporting in a way that the mainstream journalists can’t (or in many cases, simply won’t.) In fact, his in depth reporting on Talking Points Memo’s Muckracker website has put many a mainstream journalist to shame.

Like Bono would not insult his fans with a rap album or all of a sudden embrace country music, Marshall gives his audience what they want. Unlike many mainstream outlets, Marshall caters to his fans, his readership – he doesn’t try to be all things to all people. In exchange for catering to their needs and addressing the issues they find important, Marshall’s fans are willing to finance his work. It is this community involvement that enables independent media outlets to address the “creative destruction” of traditional media.

Like many rock stars, Josh Marshall’s work may gradually decline in popularity. But for now, this award-winning journalist is leading the way for indy media moguls everywhere, and is truly a journalistic Bono in a sea of Journey coverbands.