Hello and welcome to your quarterly‑ish reader update! First, a quick thank you. This project exists because a small number of readers choose to underwrite it so it can remain free for anyone who needs it. Historically, just 2% of readers underwrite the other 98%. The average contribution is $5.89/month, which effectively unlocks access for ~39 readers. Said another way: your $5/month moves the needle.
A quick ask before we begin the update:
If WTFJHT helps you make the news make sense, please support the work by becoming a member:
Annual membership “top‑off” reminder. Many supporters prefer to chip in once or twice a year and just need a nudge. So if that sounds like you, consider this your reminder to top off your support of the only newsletter that matters.
Everything about the WTFJHT membership program can be found here.
And if you’re already a member, thank you. The only reason WTFJHT exists (and remains free for everyone) is because members like you choose to support it.
What I learned from the reader survey (and what I’m doing about it).
In July, I surveyed WTFJHT readers to better understand who’s reading and how I can build the thing you actually value. Here’s what I learned and what I’m doing:
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Offer a Podcast / Audio Version. Many of you prefer to listen. I used to offer an audio edition, but paused it in January because it wasn’t sustainable. Given your feedback, I’m working to bring it back by year‑end! Stay tuned.
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Add a Weekly Digest Option. One of the main reasons people unsubscribe is news anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by the daily shock‑and‑awe. Many of you want a version that comes less often or takes a longer perspective beyond the 24-hour window. I’m planning to test a Friday “This Week in Review” that bundles the week into one summary. This will go out to everyone; no separate subscription required.
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Improve the Mobile Experience. Most people read WTFJHT on their phone and that experience should be painless. While I don’t plan to offer a native mobile app, I have added a Progressive Web App. On your phone, visit the WTFJHT site and tap Share > Add to Home Screen (iOS) or the browser menu > Add to Home screen (Android). I’ve also made tweaks across the mobile experience to make it easier to read and navigate. In the same vein, I brought the RSS/Atom feeds to parity to make WTFJHT more usable for all.
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Clarify What Membership Supports. I thought I’d been clear about this, but many readers felt otherwise. I’ve overhauled the About, FAQ, and Membership pages to clarify how WTFJHT works. tl;dr: Membership pays for a fair living wage and the tools and systems necessary to keep publishing without interruption for everyone. I’m also working on the first WTFJHT Transparency Report to explain in detail what membership underwrites, where the money comes from, where it goes (and who takes a cut), and which levers matter most to sustainability.
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Expand 📍 The Pinboard. One of my favorite recent experiments is The Pinboard. While I don’t offer opinions on what people should think, I’ve found that occasionally sharing how something made me feel – and giving readers permission to vent into my inbox like it’s a confessional about how they’re feeling – can be a powerful experience. The call‑and‑response nature gives people a safe place to let it out and to feel seen as part of a community without turning this into some toxic social network about politics. I’m looking forward to expanding this in a more deliberate way.
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Add a Hopeful “Good News” Moment. I tend to reject the idea that cherry‑picking “good news” measurably moves the needle. But I recognize not everyone wants to get steamrolled by the daily shock‑and‑awe. A perspective shift can be good medicine. So I’ve been experimenting with a semi‑occasional “Well, That’s Fantastic” add‑on woven into the daily update. I’m medium on the execution so far and will keep iterating.
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Include Actionable Next Steps. There’s a tension between journalistic values and activism. Attempting to marry what happened with what to do about it is hard. I’m also not sure I’m the right person to tell people what to do. However, I can direct people to resources to make their own decisions. I’m hoping to build a resource hub for staying civically engaged in 2026.
What’s working.
Fewer errors and faster fixes. I’ve added backend automations and tools to proactively identify issues both big (site outages) and small (its vs. it’s). I’ve also invested behind the scenes in tools to support better listening to readers and addressing support issues in a more structured way. While I still live in inbox hell, it’s at least controlled chaos now.
Speaking and sharing. Between the pandemic and becoming a father, I stepped back from both public speaking and attending event for a few years. This year I got back out there: speaking at Stanford University, hosting a session at SRCCON, and speaking on a panel at ONA, and attending NPA, plus informal mentoring of journalists early in their careers about going solo via countless Zooms and Slacks. It takes work (for me and my partner!) to prep, travel, present, publish WTFJHT somewhere in there, and, oh yeah, parent, but it’s been rewarding. I’m already looking forward to 2026 events, which is not something this introvert ever expected to say.
Reader‑therapist conversations. I’ve now talked with about a dozen therapists (who are readers) about news anxiety and burnout. I’ve learned a lot and hope to share the most useful insights soon. I’m also excited to apply these learnings to WTFJHT itself so I’m publishing a product that supports people who want to stay informed and civically engaged without burning out. This area of inquiry traces itself all the way back to WTFJHT’s origins: to help people establish a better relationship with the news.
Farewell feedback. When readers step away from WTFJHT, the #1 reason I hear is that they’re overwhelmed by the news. This led directly to my reader‑therapist conversations. I occasionally share some anonymous examples of why people broke up with WTFJHT to show that we all struggle to balance staying informed with staying sane.
The Big Dumb Dashboard. After 3,162 days of WTFJHT and 1,913 posts, I (finally) managed to mess up the day counter. Following the Great Day‑Counter Debacle, I built what I consider to be the dumbest dashboard on the internet: a page that tallies Trump’s days in power, WTFJHT posts to date, days since launch, and the countdown to elections, and more. While I built it for myself, I’m making it available to everyone. Check it out here.
What’s keeping me up at night.
Time. Balancing family, health (physical and mental!), some semblance of a social life, chores, and a daily deadline is... hard. Every day feels like triage, and there isn’t much I can change as a one‑person operation. If nothing else, this is a great lesson in scarcity.
Economy. I’m deeply concerned about the economy. When people tighten their belts, optional memberships are first to go, which is fair and rational. It’s also a forcing function to ensure that I align the value I create with a free product worth paying for. It keeps me honest and incentivized to keep the main thing the main thing, which is more than some can say!
Why your membership matters.
There are no paywalls, no ads, no gimmicks here. Membership to WTFJHT funds my living wage, which unlocks access for everyone and allows me to keep the core promise of this project: publish one finite, accurate update about what happened today in U.S. politics so you can log off feeling informed.
If recurring support isn’t your thing, many readers prefer to drop a gift of $25–$100 in the tip jar once or twice a year. That pattern also helps WTFJHT stay solvent between these membership drives.
As always, I’m humbled and grateful for your attention and support. It’s a privilege to do this work, and I’m committed to doing it for as long as you’ll have me.
WTFJHT isn’t in the content business. It’s in the relationship business. I doomscroll so you don’t have to, compressing the chaos into a sane, once-a-day update that helps normal people make the news make sense.
Likewise, membership isn’t charity. It’s an investment in the continued production of WTF Just Happened Today? About 2% of readers fund access for the other 98%.
My goal isn’t to get rich or chase endless growth. It’s to find balance. I want WTFJHT to live at that point where the work, the readers, and the resources all sustain one another. That starts and ends with putting you, the readers, at the center and asking how I can make this more useful, more usable, and more human. Because in the end, WTFJHT is about people.
Thank you for reading and for considering support. I’m glad you’re here.
Become a member today:
$5/month • $10/month • $50/year • $100/year
Or contribute any amount one-time to the tip jar: PayPal or Venmo (@WTFJHT)
Everything about the WTFJHT membership can be found here.
If you ever have questions or just want to chat, hit reply. I read every email.
–MATT