A Sincere Note from Independent Journalism

By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News

New York, New York, USA
January 28, 2026

WPS News would like to pause, briefly and with great solemnity, to thank everyone for their overwhelming, generous, and deeply imaginary support during this recent surge of coverage prompted by Donald J. Trump’s renewed adventurism in Venezuela and his assorted trial balloons threatening global stability.

You really showed up.

Not physically.
Not financially.
But emotionally.
And honestly, that’s almost the same thing now, isn’t it?

A Golden Age of Vibes-Based Support

Let us first acknowledge the extraordinary level of vibe support we received.

The likes.
The bookmarks.
The thoughtful “interesting” replies.
The people who shared our reporting with the caption “👀” and then moved on with their lives.

This kind of engagement doesn’t pay reporters, of course, but it does provide a warm, fleeting sense of validation — the journalistic equivalent of being told “you’re doing great” while bleeding out on the floor.

We felt seen.
Briefly.
Between coffee runs.

The Coffee Was More Important — We Get It

We know. We truly do.

That morning coffee wasn’t optional. It was essential.
Grande.
Venti.
Quad-shot.
Oat milk.
Whatever the hell the ritual is now.

And who are we to stand between you and the caffeinated emotional support beverage that helps you survive capitalism while complaining about capitalism?

Sure, sustaining independent journalism might help prevent you from losing your mind in a world sliding steadily toward authoritarian spectacle — but let’s be realistic. Without that coffee, you’d be grumpy, and no one wants that.

Democracy can wait.
The barista line cannot.

The Donation You Absolutely Would Have Made

We know — truly, we know — that you meant to donate.

You thought about it.
You hovered over the page.
You nodded solemnly and said, “Independent journalism is important.”

And then something happened.

A meeting.
A notification.
A dog video.
Life.

So instead of an actual contribution, you sent us your intent. Your moral alignment. Your theoretical support for a world in which journalism is funded by someone else.

And that’s beautiful.
Imaginary money spends just as well as real money — in theory.

Starving Artists, Now with Better Analytics

Thanks to your continued non-support, we are proud to report that WPS News remains firmly aligned with the grand tradition of starving artists in exile.

We have analytics.
We have engagement charts.
We have reach.

What we do not have is stability, security, or the ability to stop doing math every time we buy groceries.

But the metrics are excellent.

And that’s what really matters in modern media.

Our Promise to You

Despite everything — despite the unpaid labor, the extra hours, the geopolitical chaos, the creeping sense that reality itself is being stress-tested for sport — we promise to keep going.

We will continue reporting.
We will continue explaining.
We will continue trying to make sense of a world that increasingly refuses to make sense.

All while knowing that you are with us — spiritually, emotionally, and very much not financially.

And for that, we say:

Thank you.
Sincerely.
Deeply.
With all the warmth that only sarcasm can convey.

For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com

APA-Style References

McChesney, R. W. (2013). Digital disconnect: How capitalism is turning the Internet against democracy. New Press.

Nichols, J., & McChesney, R. W. (2010). The death and life of American journalism. Nation Books.

Wikipedia. (2025). Political satire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_satire

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