New Liberal Media Startup “Discussion” Launches
A new liberal media outlet called “Discussion” made its debut on Monday, positioning itself as a contemporary platform for liberal ideas, backed by both technology and philanthropic support.
Founded by former Atlantic writer Jerusalem Demsas, the outlet aims to present a positive, data-informed case for liberalism while also fostering a community of contributors for prominent writers. In their words, “Please join us.”
Demsas has noted that the venture has successfully raised approximately $4 million, with a valuation of around $20 million. Support came from notable backers like Arnold Ventures, Open Philanthropy, Patrick Collison, Susan Mandel, Gaurav Kapadia, Rachel Pretzker, Simone Cox, and John Walsis. She has transitioned from her role at the Atlantic to become the editor-in-chief and CEO of Discussion.
“To transition from this current liberal and populist moment to a brighter future—one emphasizing equal rights, material prosperity, and human advancement—it’s vital that our government, culture, politics, and people promote free values,” Demsas expressed in an interview.
Demsas emphasizes that the goal of the initiative is to advocate for solutions rather than merely critique. “We’re not simply diagnosing problems; we’re here to persuade you. Our aim is to fight for solutions,” she stated in the launch video.
Among the team members are Kelsey Piper from Vox and former Semafor Politics Editor Jordan Weissmann, with election analyst Lakshya Jain handling internal voting processes.
One of the initial topics tackled in their discussions focuses on Universal Basic Income (UBI), a concept that’s been a hot topic in Silicon Valley. Piper noted that while research on UBI is still ongoing, early results seem clear. She mentioned that UBI recipients are working “a little less,” but the financial support hasn’t shown significant impacts on health, stress levels, child outcomes, or sustained employment benefits.
Piper’s insights align with findings from a major experiment in the U.S., which spanned three years and involved 1,000 low-income individuals receiving $1,000 monthly. Conducted by OpenResearch and shared through the National Bureau of Economic Research, it found a 3.9 percentage point drop in workforce participation among recipients, with only minor shifts in employment quality.
An individual named Paulos linked to a post discussing Piper’s article, remarking, “Research shows that UBI essentially fails.”
The editorial stance of Discussion appears to delve into what liberalism can truly achieve—focusing on economic development through education, housing, and welfare. Even if some proposed progressive policies yield disappointing results, they’re still evaluated based on data. This week, the challenge was to convey to UBI advocates that the evidence hasn’t been favorable.
