Being Hunted — Independent Investigative Reporters Fighting for Democracy Need Support
Fighting for truth in an information war, we need resources and protection that should be part of a New Deal
During the New Deal, Franklin Delano Roosevelt created agencies to help lift creatives out of poverty. Among them, the Federal Theater Project, a New Deal agency that created jobs in the theater. Playwright Arthur Miller’s writings were nurtured by the project, which he joined in 1938.
In addition, he created the Federal Writers' Project, which at is height employed 6,500 people around the country, who were paid a subsistence wage to write, among them, Ralph Ellison.
People like me who saw the demise of corporate news — its complicity in normalizing the fascist creep, its retreat from truth — were punished financially for choosing the pursuit of truth.
I am ashamed of my colleagues who wiped their social media profiles in order to get a job, obeying in advance while turning out meek copy or rah rah reporting on demagogues. That’s not journalism.
I am equally horrified at so-called reporters who actually carry water for the super villains — reputation washing US criminals who are actively trying to sabotage democracy. Their willingness to goose-step is a black mark on the weakened Fourth Estate.
It should surprise no one that corporate media bet on fascism and billionaire-owned publications benefit from the extremist party’s tax breaks. But as I’ve written about many times, fascism comes for everyone and it comes for big business, too. It’s as if they failed to read history books.
I’ve been an independent investigative reporter for 2,611 days — from the moment I pressed send on my first anti-Trump blog. I do my investigative work with independent teams, which are reader and viewer-funded.
It’s a grind, but a grind that I have chosen. It allows me to be of maximum service in a time when mainstream journalism has proven too limp for the job.
I work with the bravest among us — and we are hunted.
We endure death threats, constant disparagement, coordinated harassment campaigns from those who have no trouble doing sociopathic work, malinformation campaigns, and campaigns to harm us in real life. Some are childhood friends, who used the fact they knew us as their ‘in’ to work with teams of trauma merchants.
But we also have amazing support networks — people who understand the value of our work and help sustain us in or darkest hours.
And sometimes, I’ll admit, it does go dark. I am generally a joyful person who has gotten used to the protracted pain. Each time I press send on a valuable report, I ask the god of my own understanding to go first.
“You first,” I always say, and then I whisper a silent prayer that my words will be useful.
In our Byline Supplement news meeting on Wednesday, Ruth Ben-Ghiat said the most dangerous job in the world is to be an investigative reporter. I have written about those who came before and sacrificed everything to expose the corrupt and to champion truth.
And that is what media has forgotten — that truth should be our bias.
The outdated idea of journalistic impartiality is marching us straight into the arms of fascism. Asking liars and professional propagandists for comment gets us further from the truth and is unhelpful to those we are meant to serve.
I am grateful that Fred Guttenberg’s internet terrorist is safely in federal prison — no one should have to suffer like Fred did. First, from the tragic loss of his daughter in a violent massacre. Then, stalked by a radicalized man whose head was filled with ‘InfoWars’ lies, so much so, he felt emboldened to send evil, cruel, unspeakable emails. He’ll have a year to think about it, then he will be monitored — disallowed to ingest radicalization poison.
I do not like having to shut down comments, both on Twitter and at Bette Dangerous. I miss the interaction and it disenfranchises our community. I do not like having to screenshot incoming threats and update my FBI file. I do not like witnessing other brave journalists and activists I work with suffer the psychological battery that I suffer. It never should have come to this.
The cruelty is manufactured by Kremlin propagandists and US traitors, who then feed it like chum to a radicalized population. When we are divided amongst ourselves, we are weakened.
I write about monsters. I will continue to expose the criminals accelerating global fascism. It’s what I do.
But I need back up.
I need the Biden administration to see us. I need our government to acknowledge our relentless work on behalf of truth and democracy.
Why not initiate programs to fund independent investigative reporters working on behalf of democracy? We once were a country with Big Ideas that helped its people in times of need. This is bigger than even the Depression — tens of millions of minds are being poisoned, and they have no protection from the poison.
The vatniks are well funded — the pro-democracy truth activists rely on donations, subscriptions, and the kindness of strangers.
We are networked and we support each other.
Yesterday, Zarina Zabrisky who has been documenting the total annihilation of Kherson by the Russian invaders wrote:
“Kherson 23.53 A drone just flew by my window to a cacophony of siren, shooting, and explosions. It had a red light, like an eye of an ancient bird. A missile threat and more explosions.”
Zabrisky is being hunted, one of two journalists who remain in Kherson to document its destruction. The other is Paul Conroy, whose words I documented here:
When Zabrisky first shared with me that she was being hunted, it was in Ep69 of RadPod. Her photojournalist partner in Ukraine, Conroy, who was injured in Syria when his colleague Marie Colvin was killed, said that Colvin, too, was hunted — her truth so dangerous to the war criminals they were exposing.
Zabrisky was the first to explain that we, too, were being hunted, when she told RadPod:
“You guys are also being hunted… fighting there, which is equally important, because it’s information warfare and I know that all three of you spend endless nights sleepless nights fighting the same enemy… at times, I can tell you Heidi that it might be easier to confront something physical than the invisible enemy because here it’s very clear, the evil is easy to see… what you do is so hard, I’ve been in your shoes, the invisible enemy seeping into your thoughts, trying to twist every word, and in some ways it’s harder, and I thank you for doing that.”
There are no rear areas in an information war. We need resources and protection.
To fight the invisible enemy — exposing them to the world — requires resources. I am hoping my government hears this plea.
****
Bette Dangerous is a reader-funded magazine. Thank you to all monthly, annual, and founding members. Thank you as well to all those who support my work with your generous coffee tips and who buy my ebooks. Some of you prefer making subsidizing donations via venmo, and it’s always greatly appreciated.
Members access all content and receive invites to our weekly Happy Hour, and our Speakeasy guest events. Become a member today and join our Speakeasy tomorrow!
Founding Members who support me at the premium level will be invited to our monthly Founder’s Day events — please upgrade to Founding Member if you would like to join us for these special intimate occasions to meet global experts. Our most recent Founder’s Day with war photojournalist was magical. Here is a print recap:
Also, a private link to an annual membership discount for older adults, those on fixed incomes or drawing disability, as well as activists and members of the media is available upon request at bettedangerous@gmail.com. 🥹
More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
We just have to see that the battle for democracy is broader. It's deeper.—David Pepper
I need people to see they're on the frontline. Wherever you live, if you’re doing this work, you are the frontline.—David Pepper
The message should be a fair deal… fairness everywhere.—Martin Sheil
💘
“I say a silent prayer of thanksgiving as I walk upon the earth.”-Audrey Peterman.
“May the viral hope for truth and humanity wash away the chaos of these years.”-S.C., Bette community member
“Something Sacred never dies in almost all of us, who can hear the invitation of Truth…”-words from a Bette Dangerous community member
“Nothing but blue skies from now on…”-Irving Berlin
💘
