My latest project + a big move!

 

 
This is a bit of a “mini-update” that will be shorter than previous emails. But I promise plenty to read because….
 
I've launched three things since we’ve last spoke!
 
Thing #1 - The Discourse. Regular readers will know I write here often about how media, tech, and politics intertwine and mess with our democratic norms. So, I decide to spin all that off into a separate email newsletter. It’s called The Discourse, it already has 300-plus subscribers and I’m sending it every other Thursday. The first issue was published last week and contains an essay about the critical flaw in algorithms and 10 links with lots of analysis to help you connect the dots of what’s going on in our crazy media ecosystem (read it here). 
 
Into it? The next issue drops on 12/14 and if you like the wonkier media/politics stuff I write about, you should subscribe.
 
Thing #2 - The Malcontents Podcast. If you think a lot about editorial, content, or publishing you’ll dig my first-ever podcast. Hosted with my friend Tom Critchlow, we sum up the week’s publishing news with lots of analysis, debate, and cheeky banter for 30-ish minutes on a weekly-ish basis. We hope it feels like discussing content and editorial at a bar with your friends. Which... is totally a thing my friends and I do. Subscribe now on iTunes. 
 
Thing #3 - I moved to Philadelphia! NYC was very good to me and I’ll miss it dearly. But I’m excited to return to Philadelphia. If you live here, reach out! I’d love to grab a coffee. (And I'll be back in NYC often — the cities are an easy 80-minute train ride apart).
 
Bonus yet-to-be-launched Thing #4 – I’m putting together a thing about long-term travel. Have you ever taken a long-term sabbatical from working to recharge, work on a side project, or travel? Reply to this email, I’d love to speak with you.
 
Official newsletter flag (for now)

Fiji! How do you start a new chapter while still paying homage to the old? The Melanesian archipelago of Fiji gained independence in 1970, yet still wanted to give a nod to its past as a British colony. After a competition, it settled on what you see above: the country's coat of arms with the Union Jack set against the pale blue to represent the sea. In 2013, Fiji flirted with changing from the Union Jack edition but ultimately decided to stick with its current design. Sometimes, it’s hard to come to a consensus about how we should handle the past.
 
I’d always stick with you, dear reader. Thanks for making space in your crowded inbox.
-Sean