Media newsletters cover the news business itself: who is hiring and firing, which business models work, how platforms shape attention and where journalism is going. Many are written by veteran reporters and editors who know the inside story.
For analysis of coverage rather than the business, see media criticism and journalism.
50 newsletters below, ranked by editorial quality and how recently they published.
First Floor is a weekly-ish newsletter covering electronic music and the culture and industry around it, including artist recommendations and features on dance music scenes. It also includes essays on the business of independent music writing and media.
Ted Gioia's newsletter offers essays on music, books, arts, media and culture, including recommended YouTube videos, critiques of pop music trends, and commentary on the entertainment industry's business side. Readers get informed, opinionated analysis and curated recommendations aimed at culture-minded listeners.
Vittles publishes food and culture writing from the UK and India, mixing long-form essays, panel discussions, criticism and commentary on the food industry. Readers get original reporting and opinion on topics such as farm labour, AI in food media and pub culture, plus calls for pitches and magazine news.
Essays by Nicholas Carr on technology, media, perception and culture, mixing close cultural criticism with historical argument. Readers get long-form, reflective takes on digital media, enchantment, and the history of communication technologies.
Essays on technology, media, culture and religion, drawing on scripture and history to examine Web 3, crypto, privacy and online advertising. Readers get an opinionated, well-read perspective from a writer-technologist with insider experience in ad tech and startups.
Tangle summarizes the leading arguments from across the political spectrum on major U.S. and world news, alongside quick hits and its own editors' takes. Readers get a balanced overview of the day's political stories plus occasional columns, such as Isaac Saul's new 'A Grain of Saul'.
Ed West's Substack newsletter offers long-form essays on culture, politics and history from a British conservative-leaning perspective, with pointed commentary on contemporary media and debates. Recent issues cover a pause in publication, a critique of 'Russian interference' conspiracism in British politics, and a history of Singapore's multiculturalism.
The Free Press is an opinion-driven news and commentary newsletter featuring columns on American politics, Middle East affairs, and culture from a range of writers. Readers get critical analysis of current events such as Texas Senate politics, New York's mayor, and settler violence in the West Bank.
A daily digest from New York Magazine highlighting its latest features, culture coverage, Strategist shopping pieces and serialized fiction. Readers get witty, opinionated commentary and interview snippets pointing to the magazine's reporting.
A reader-supported newsletter covering transgender-related news and political analysis, with reporting on a Texas mailer campaign impersonating a trans student group and commentary on a Washington ballot measure restricting girls' school sports. Its writing is opinionated and sourced, with attention to who pays, who is behind claims, and what voters will actually read.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's personal newsletter pairing written pieces with video transcripts on media, technology, creativity, and cautious optimism. Recent issues cover AI liability and regulation, human creativity versus AI, and his work as a UN advocate for human-centric digital governance.
Webworm is a long-running independent newsletter by New Zealand journalist David Farrier, covering investigative reporting on billionaires, corporate power, and strange or overlooked stories. Recent issues mix long-form investigations with candid updates about the newsletter's finances and future.
Parker Molloy's newsletter covers media, culture, and politics with sharp commentary on campaign claims, press coverage, and media accountability. Readers get analysis of recent political controversies and how news outlets report them.
Sammy Roth, a veteran climate journalist, covers climate solutions through the lens of pop culture, media, sports and politics, along with clean energy, Western water and public lands. Issues combine original reporting, interviews and frank commentary, such as Chevron's campaign donations in the L.A. mayoral race and the solar industry's courting of Republicans.
Matt Taibbi's Racket News delivers opinionated commentary and investigative reporting, with recent issues covering media personalities, election night plans, and a debate over whether art can be apolitical. Readers get a distinctive, combative voice that mixes personal anecdote with political argument.
James Fallows, a veteran reporter, posts dated dispatches on Donald Trump administration events, mostly political and civic controversies around the midterms and DC. The writing is personal and pointed, with timelines and first-hand local perspective, though its strong opinions are openly partisan.
MUSIC x is a long-running newsletter from a writer collective led by Maarten Walraven, covering the future of music, media and technology through strategic essays. Recent issues look back at a decade of predictions, examine how viral trends and nostalgia shape streaming, and analyse how music and sound design work in film and television.
A weekly curated roundup of the best reading from around the internet, with short commentary on culture, politics, media and technology. Readers get excerpts, links and wry framing from journalist Helen Lewis, plus a monthly reading diary.
A comedian and TV host shares personal essays on pop culture, race and politics alongside posts promoting his interview podcast. Readers get commentary on current entertainment news and background on his podcast guests, written in a personal, humorous voice.
Interviews and reported features with people working in and around video games, including developers and AI researchers. Recent issues cover the ARC-AGI-3 puzzle-game benchmark, Factorio's creator on AI coding tools, and the author's launch of a premium print magazine.
RocaNews is a news newsletter aimed at Gen Z that pairs short explainers on business, politics and tech with on-the-ground reporting and video mini-docs. Issues cover items like the Netflix restructuring, the France riots with reader interviews, and billionaire share giveaways.
Public Notice is a daily-ish independent newsletter offering sharp, opinionated coverage of US politics and media, with a strong anti-Trump editorial stance. Readers get pointed commentary on executive power, foreign policy toward Ukraine and Europe, and the personnel and conduct of the Trump administration.
Pirate Wires is a tech, politics, and culture newsletter with a provocative, sardonic take on current events, covering media criticism, Silicon Valley figures, and controversial topics like COVID origins. Readers get opinionated commentary and daily takes on the intersection of technology, politics, and culture.
Tina Brown's personal diary-style Substack mixes sharp political commentary on Trump, media figures and current events with podcast notes and bold, gossipy asides. Readers get a witty, opinionated take on American politics and international news from a veteran media editor.
An archive of libertarian journalist Nick Gillespie's essays, podcasts, and video interviews from Reason, covering politics, economics, and culture. Readers get commentary on current events, roundtable discussions, and long-form interviews with figures like Mark Cuban.
Huddle Up is a daily newsletter that explains the business and money behind sports, with reporting-style essays on topics like contracts, league finances and broadcasting. Recent issues cover an NFL player's injury and possible legal fallout, the economics of college football's expanded playoff, and sourced reporting on a network broadcast partnership.
Selvaggia Lucarelli's Italian newsletter pairs long-form commentary on celebrity culture, influencers and media gossip with podcast episodes and interviews. Readers get her sharp, opinionated takes on the stories behind the headlines, often told from a second angle.
Public is a subscriber-funded newsletter led by Michael Shellenberger that publishes investigations, commentary and interviews on politics, free speech and censorship. Recent issues cover the French riots and Australia's proposed online censorship bill from a strongly right-leaning, opinionated perspective.
Popbitch is a long-running weekly UK gossip and media newsletter mixing celebrity scandal, trivia and insider stories with sharp, witty asides on politics and sport. Readers get quick-hit gossip items plus deeper digging pieces, with a paywalled extra tier for subscribers.
Media War & Peace is a media-industry commentary newsletter by a media analyst who tracks streaming, creators, and corporate media consolidation. Readers get pointed opinions on Netflix's strategy shifts, interactive media maps, and conference-driven insights on the consumer-centric future of television.
Will Leitch's weekly newsletter pairs a personal essay with links to his other writing. The sample issues cover a movie scene, turning 51, and a 1996 college newspaper anecdote, written in a warm, chatty voice.
An investigative Substack examining the connections between big tech, political power and elections, built around document research and named-source reporting. Issues cover election-related disinformation, Ellison media consolidation, Elon Musk and Neuralink, and a federal government web platform.
Anand Giridharadas writes about American politics, culture, money and power, with recent issues drawn from his book tour. Readers get podcast conversations with other authors and commentators, event announcements, and personal reflections on the Trump era and the culture around it.
A weekly digest on media, marketing, consumer behavior and technology trends that are capturing public attention. Each issue features a data-driven 'Stat of the Week' with commentary, plus a quick roundup of notable news items.
Profluence Sports is a newsletter analysing business, technology and consumer trends across sports, media and entertainment, with a focus on investment and industry shifts. Its issues mix opinion pieces on how the sports economy is changing with deeper dives into specific companies and products.
A personal newsletter by a Sikh scholar and media host that blends reflections on Sikh life, race and religion in America, and behind-the-scenes notes on the documentary series Undivided. Readers get commentary on current events, book recommendations with author interviews, and first-person updates.
A podcast about culture in the age of platforms, hosted by Emilie Friedlander and Andrea Domanick, mixing interviews with writers, technologists and artists. Recent episodes cover progressive approaches to AI regulation, a memoir about rural Midwestern America, and experimental speculative audio fiction.
Erick Erickson offers commentary on American politics, news and faith, mixing written essays with show notes from his daily radio program. Issues cover midterm Senate races, Republican internal debates and culture-war news stories.
NEW ECONOMIES is a newsletter covering technology startups, media and founder governance through podcast-linked interviews and digests of weekly tech news. Its issues pair in-depth conversations with executives and authors with roundups of AI and funding stories.
Dutch podcast-newsletter from Alexander Klöpping and Ernst-Jan Pfauth covering media, culture and entrepreneurship, with weekly tips, tools and gadgets. Issues mix personal anecdotes, commentary on Dutch television and AI, and promotional links for sponsors and book pre-orders.
TBPN is a daily live tech and business show, and its newsletter mostly promotes the stream with lineups, sponsor thanks and a daily 'current thing' blurb. The longer pieces offer some original commentary and reporting, such as a detailed account of a trading card theft and a take on the Theranos story.
A historian with professional political and Hollywood experience comments on current affairs, placing events like NATO-Russia tensions and US election politics in historical context. The issues are openly partisan, mixing news roundup with sharp opinion and quoting others at length.
A personal, humorous newsletter by an author covering motherhood, influencer culture, media and publishing, mixed with book and TV recommendations and shopping finds. Readers get gossipy commentary on public figures, interviews, and day-to-day life updates.
A weekly-ish newsletter by Kyle covering online culture, business, politics and trends, mixing news roundups with personal commentary and NYC diary entries. Readers get opinionated takes on Gen Z protests, consumer and brand trends, and cultural curiosities framed through the author's own experience.
A New York journalist and writer shares rejected op-eds, personal musings and reporting on Epstein-related investigations, media and politics. Recent issues mix updates on Epstein files and Ukraine coverage with a deeper dive into Epstein's Florida Science Foundation.
A daily political news digest from the Daily Beast covering US politics with a strongly anti-Trump slant. Each issue previews the day's top stories on the White House, Republicans, midterm elections and the courts.
A daily-style political news roundup focused on Trump administration actions, Ukraine, Russia policy, Elon Musk, and the 2026 midterm elections, written from a strongly anti-Trump perspective. Each issue pairs short updates with a call for paid subscriptions and promised investigations.
One short email a week with hand-picked newsletters from the index. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
