I won't beat around the bush – this is a post asking you to support The American Prospect by making a tax-deductible donation or purchasing a subscription this holiday season, either for yourself or as a gift.
I came to TAP in July 2007 as a writing fellow. Though I had gone through the daily newspaper rigmarole in college, and worked after college at a progressive think tank, I hadn't yet found a place where I could grow as both a reporter and an analytical writer; a place where I could deepen my policy expertise in preparation for a career in journalism. I found all that at TAP. When my fellowship ended, I chose to stay on as a staff writer not because I didn’t have other options, but because in a rapidly changing media landscape, TAP is one of just a tiny handful of publications that give young writers the latitude to grow and develop intellectually.
What's more important, though, isn't what TAP has done for me, but what it provides to you, our readers. Check out my profile of Janet Napolitano, for example. To date, it is the only feature length profile of Napolitano, our future Homeland Security secretary, published by any national magazine. I’m also proud of the coverage I produced from this year’s Iowa caucus and the two national party conventions. I can tell you that I was one of the only reporters in the convention press stands there to write about policy, not to obsess over personalities.
I can also tell you that this kind of coverage doesn't come cheap. From travel expenses to upgrading the features on our Web site, we need your help to produce and improve upon our work. So if you enjoy TAP, either online or in print (and hopefully both!), please support us in 2009 with a gift today.
--Dana Goldstein
