Basics:
OpEdNews.com is a tough progressive website, supporting values that are really dead center American, like fairness, democracy, justice, protection of our national resources and commons, and preferring to support humans and America before corporations and religions.
Rob Kall founded OpEdNews Feb 28, 2003, and is the editor and publisher.
Amanda Lang is the news editor .aggregator
OpEdNews.com is a hybrid publisher of
1) original news and opinion articles, with about 240 published last month, like the progressive print media sans paper, but, like blogs, we enable comments on all articles
2) a blog with about a dozen bloggers,
3) a news and opinion link aggregator""a drudge report for progressives, the site is designed to let volunteer news link "editors" add links with comments, so we have a great mix of links
4) a zine that is emailed to subscribers a few times a week,
5) a action enabler, like moveon.org, working for change and other sites that provide tools that make it easy to send emails to congressmen senators, and in our case, local newspapers on specific issues.
6) a collection of resources covering topics like left and right wing Think Tanks/policy promotion organizations; Progressive and conservative, like the neocon bastion PNAC; Project for a New American Century, Computerized Voting Election Issues, t he DLC-- Fighting the Right Wing Division of the Democratic Party, Classic Writings of Progressive Liberal Thinking, Progressive Radio Links, Times, Live, Archives, Religion and politics, Theocracy, Religious Right, Progressive Funding Sources and more that can be found at our sitemap.
OpEdNews.com has some unique features no other progressive sites have. Trusted authors, who we've gotten to know can post directly to the site without an editor in the loop. They submit an article and after they preview it and make sure it looks right, they press the publish button and it is up on the web. Our site is one of the 4500 approved by google news, so all articles are spidered by google news. We have recently partnered with THE PEN so that now, our trusted authors can, using the auto-submit program, include action pages custom designed for their op-ed articles. This is a unique innovation that I am certain no other website on the planet has.
It gets even better, the articles will, soon also automatically include a link that lets you see the messages that readers are sending to their legislators and local papers.
We are always happy to hear from new article contributors-- both experienced and novice.
OpEdNews. sees between 100,000 and 275,000 visitors a month.
Our google rankings for Keywords liberal news, liberal Op-eds, progressive Opeds are in the top three. And for progressive news, we are 8th.
We offer a number of information resources, which you can find using our site map
OpEdNews.com was started Friday, February 28, 2003 at 6:10 PM EST. This update of the about page is dated July 17, 2005, about 29 months after it was founded.
I'm leaving the original copy in black and new copy in dark blue, so you can see... any updates and changes.
This page will first tell you about the overall vision and mission of the website, and then give an orientation to some of it's emerging features. We love feedback. Please tell us what you think if you have even whiff of a notion of how to make this site better... please send it in.
After reading this page, make sure you check out our Main News Page, and bookmark it for regular visits each day.
The goal is to create a useful, informative, entertaining, cutting edge source of News and opinion with a tough, left-of-center edge-- that talks the truth and cuts through the bull-- a combination of
a) left counterpart / alternative to the right wing Drudge Report and
b) Op-Ed opinion, like www.Commondreams.org .
c) a bit of the best newspapers and magazines, WIRED, OMNI, People, Newsweek, Time, Utne Reader, Mother Jones, New Yorker, New Scientists, Science News, Body and Soul (formerly New Age) magazines and whatever else develops.
The site is non-partisan but left-leaning. It is left biased and readers should expect to read the site as a left wing site with a left wing perspective. That does not mean it supports only one party.
Our experience is that most left of center websites tend to be all serious, all politics and activism oriented. But we know that liberals, progressives, people who don't like George Bush and his cronies also love the arts, entertainment, travel, that they have busy lives, families, hearts, minds and spirits that can benefit from information and inspiration too.
The goal is also to be holistic, to cover the arts (movies, books, music, theater, etc.,) sciences, health, media, business, technology, even sports, travel, self help, people news and strange and unusual stuff. To our knowledge, there is no left of center web publication that covers those bases, maybe not even a print publication, radio or TV .
Another plan for the website is to use the thousands of sources outside of the mainstream, neutered, impotent US media. Expect to find links to publications outside the US, where the truth still sees the light of day. .
Tough Liberalism: The goal is to be tough on right wing lies, corruption, corporatism, cronyism and stupid white man BS like neo-redneckism, racism, hate, fear-mongering and greed. Read the Opinion piece on Tough Liberals
We have big goals and we'll need a lot of help. Volunteers
Our Copyright policy is to only put articles on our website if we have permission. We do NOT copy editorial or news material from major news websites. We provide links to many other websites, and we have articles that we host on our site. One writer friend let us know how offensive it is to have your writing posted on a website without permission. Since most writers are not wealthy, we chose to respect their ownership of their words and ideas. (I think there are at least two sites that seem to have blackballed my writing because of those lines. Call me paranoid, but they used to publish my articles before I wrote this.)
Our links policy is to include links to sites we like. We usually ask any site we link to for a reciprocal link. But we don't base our links on reciprocity. It is disappointing that many progressive websites, particularly print publishers, do not even have links pages. We need to stick together and support each other.
A confession. We do have one bias as we enter the news business. Founder editor Rob Kall (more about Rob) has a 30 year background in biofeedback and self regulation and over 15 years in what he has called positivity and what the American Psychological Association calls Positive Psychology.
The self regulation and biofeedback background inclines Rob to believe that self reliance and self-responsibility are value character assets-- resources that are being threatened by managed health care and permissive attitudes. So you'll see more than the average coverage on positive ways to empower people to take greater self responsibility for their health, lives, relationships, etc.
The Positivity background has inclined Rob to try to see opportunities and ways to make people and things better rather than diagnosing problems and treating symptoms. The idea is to aim for optimal functioning-- mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, economically. So you'll see coverage of these themes. We'll also aim to include
"OpEdNews is one of the best progressive sites on the web. It's a great source of news and smart, tough Op-Eds. I use it all the time to keep up to date for my show." Thom Hartmann, Air America Radio
"Something Like the Drudge Report, But Designed For People Who Think"
Mike Malloy, talk show host, Air America America Radio
".... it looks like you're becoming the center of centers. .... you're doing really great stuff. I'm very impressed with it." Greg Palast, Author Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Great stuff. Duly bookmarked ... and thank you for doing this
Antonia Zerbisias
""I love the OpEdNews.Com website. OpEdNews plays a central role in how I prepare for my syndicated radio program. It also plays a central role in the way I am trying to educate people. Finally a site that supports the real truth." " Tony Trupiano www.thetonyshow.com
OpEd News.com is an excellent source for breaking stories that the Corporate Media would never touch. We use it on a daily basis to help prepare for our Democratic Talk Radio programs and our Democratic Voices newspaper column. I recommend visiting http://www.OpEdNews.com as often as possible. OpEd News.com is one of the best sources of political news and opinion on the Internet.
Stephen Crockett co-host, Democratic Talk Radio
http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com
Rob Kall was an excellent guest on Democratic Talk Radio. He was hard-hitting and relentless in his criticism of the Bush Regime. As editor of the famous Internet site http://www.OpEdNews.com OpEd News.com, Rob Kall plays a key role in the emergence of an alternative media based on the Internet that is already changing modern American politics. On our program, Kall was as uncomprisingly critic of Bush Republicanism and Corporate power grabbing at the national level. Some of his strongest comments were against the Corporate Media that beat Clinton up for minor failings and now constantly give Bush a pass on all manner of outrages-- including issues of life and death.
Stephen Crockett, ieamericaradio,
co-host, Democratic Talk Radio,
I really like the OpEdNews.com site. I've book marked it for my media favorites list.
Steve Brown, Desert Post Weekly
Your website is spectacular. Thanks A Lot
Eduardo Rocatti, M.D., Argentina
We need voices like yours to help give folks a more balanced view of what's really going on out there. I think you have a good idea going.
Sandra Ferrell
We're proud that Ed Weiner of the Philadelphia Daily News listed Opednews.com and Rush Limbaugh together, under a heading, Both Sides Now, commenting:
"Homegrown (Newtown, Pa.) OpEdNews runs news stories and sharply smart anti-war/anti-Bush opinion pieces.... Limbaugh's site is for people who think out loud and to the right. Very pro-Bush, very bitchily anti the antis."
We're not in the same league size-wise as Limbaugh, but we're working on it. We want to energize the left just as he has done so effectively for the right. But we want to do it without resorting to rousing hate.
I think your news site is fantastic. It is a voice of reason in a wilderness of mindlessly insane corporate media schlock. I am sending emails to my friends letting them know about you. I found you, believe it or not, by looking up "liberal news" on Google. You were just what I was looking for. At this moment I am listening to ieamerica on my computer, which I found through you. I read every article posted on your site. Please keep up the great work.
This
is the only place that I can find current HONEST reporting. The
American media is either fearful or, as we know, owned by
corporations/the Bush administration.
Thank you!
Cheryl Tyler
New York, New York
An orientation to some of our special features.
Reviews Archives Quotations Links Contact Feedback PNACWatch Rob's Blog
Before you click on them we'll tell you about them.
First, Resources provides links to some of our speciat topics projects. These include:
AntiWar articles, OpEds and info on anti war efforts.
Knowing The Opposition Articles, observations, links to the opposition. As the saying goes, "know thine enemy." This section covers right wing think tanks, right wing radio,
It Can't Happen Here? is the title of a 1936 book by Sinclair Lewis. it envisions the take-over of the US by a southern oaf. They begin restricting freedoms, corrupting the constitution and it gets worse and worse.... This page includes news items that remind the editors of the idea of the book. Your suggestions for items to be included, or your editorial or news contributions are invited.
PNAC Watch Project for a New American Century the Bush Policy Rosetta Stone info on PNAC and other neocon think tanks-- their people, strategies, policies.
Progressive Funding Sources info on foundations and people that/who fund progressive and liberal projects.
Think Tanks; Progressive and conservative The future of America depends upon the progressive left developing the strategic tools the neoconservatives have developed over the past ten years to influence policy-- legislatively, judicially, in the public opinion, and even among religious groups. This page puts together info that will help you understand where we are, and give you info to help us all plan where we need to go.
Reviews Ocassionally we and our contributors will review books, movies, products, etc.
Archives We move the news and OpEd articles from the front page to the archives section after enough ne material accumulates on the site, so the front page loads faster. A lot of the material is still really worth reading. We expect that for some sources, as the links are moved off the front page they will no longer be viable, as some news sources charge for older articles.
Quotations Opednews.com publisher Rob Kall is a quotations addict. So, you'll find loads of quotes-- some fresh from the day's news, some classic.
Links Sites we feel are worth visiting and supporting.
Contact How to get in touch, give us feedback, submit original articles or suggestions for articles to link to.
Jokes: stuff that, after ten years on line, we're seeing for the first time.
