The American Independent

The American Independent, formerly known as Blue Nation Review or Shareblue Media, is an American liberal[2] news website owned by the journalist and political activist David Brock. The American Independent is within a consortium of political groups in Democratic strategist David Brock's network.[3][4] The American Independent's monthly reach is reported to be 140 million across platforms.[5]

Shareblue Media
Type of site
Politics, news and opinion
Available inEnglish
OwnerTrue Blue Media, LLC[1]
CEOAllison Girvin
URLamericanindependent.com
CommercialYes
Launched2014 (2014) (originally Blue Nation Review)
Current statusActive

In December 2017, The American Independent, then Shareblue, announced a partnership with SiriusXM Progress.[5] In November 2019, Shareblue Media became The American Independent.[6]

History and activities

Under its original name Blue Nation Review,[7] the site published a report on the spending habits of former U.S. Representative Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), playing a role in his eventual resignation.[8][9]

In November 2015 the site was sold by Moko Social Media Limited, a multi-media platform developer, to Media Matters for America founder David Brock.[10] Brock terminated almost all of the previous staff and hired Peter Daou – a former Clinton Senate-staffer who worked for her 2008 Presidential campaign as a digital media strategist – to head True Blue Media, LLC and to write for the website. The website relaunched as Shareblue in September 2016.[11]

Brock said that the main goal of the website was to get presidential candidate Hillary Clinton elected.[11] During the primaries, the website endorsed Hillary Clinton and was critical of Bernie Sanders, posting stories like "With Bernie Sanders As Their Nominee, Democrats Can Kiss The Presidency Goodbye" and "Why does Bernie Sanders keep denigrating Hillary’s supporters?" Tad Devine, a Sanders campaign consultant, called it “the pond scum of American politics.”[9] Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Clinton, viewed Shareblue more as a necessary voice in a world teeming with conservative radio, television and internet outlets that fire up the Republican base.[12]

After Clinton won the primary, Shareblue focused its attention on Donald Trump "exposing what it considers to be news coverage stacked against" Clinton. The group's major message was "that a shameful false equivalence was causing the media to soft-pedal Mr. Trump's many transgressions and overplay the few it could find on Mrs. Clinton."[11]

In November 2019, Shareblue Media changed its name to The American Independent, stating that it would "go forward with an increased focus on investigative journalism in preparation for 2020 coverage."[6]

Ownership

Brock formed a Delaware-based corporation, True Blue Media, LLC, to manage his ownership stake in the website. True Blue Media owns 80% of Blue Nation Review, with Moko Social Media retaining a 20% ownership stake.[10] Brock tapped journalist David Sirota to lead the company, which Brock intends to be "an answer to Breitbart on the left",[13] but Sirota later rescinded his acceptance citing doubts about the project's purpose.[14] Allison Girvin is the current CEO of The American Independent.[15]

References
  1. "True Blue Media, LLC: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Bloomberg.
  2. Leach, Katie. "Reporter tackled to the ground and arrested while covering Ed Gillespie campaign event: WATCH". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  3. Debenedetti, Gabriel (2017-01-21). "Brock groups set $40 million budget to fight Trump". Politico. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
  4. Weigel, David (January 21, 2017). "Democratic donors plot the future — out-thinking the right". Washington Post. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  5. Inc., Sirius XM Holdings. "SiriusXM Progress Announces a New Programming Collaboration with David Brock's Shareblue Media". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  6. "The American Independent". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  7. "Blue Nation Review & True Blue Media, LLC Transaction".
  8. "Inside Hillary Clinton's Big Money Cavalry". Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  9. "Hillary Clinton's Hit Men Target Bernie Sanders at Blue Nation Review". The Daily Beast.
  10. "Sale Of Blue Nation Review Gives Hillary Clinton Camp Its Very Own Media Outlet".
  11. Horowitz, Jason (2016-09-22). "Inside Hillary Clinton's Outrage Machine, Allies Push the Buttons". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  12. Horowitz, Jason (2016-09-22). "Inside Hillary Clinton's Outrage Machine, Allies Push the Buttons". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
  13. Kludt, Tom (20 January 2017). "Clinton ally taps Clinton critic to lead 'Breitbart of the left'". CNNMoney.
  14. "Incoming CEO of David Brock's progressive media venture backs out".
  15. "Company - Shareblue Media". shareblue.com. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
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