I don't have a journalism degree. So why in the world am I building a news outlet?

This is a longer-than-usual email from us, but I promise, if you take just four minutes to read through it, you'll understand how and why Upward News came to be. We'll start from the beginning.

The 1990s

Three decades ago, the world witnessed the fall of Soviet Russia. Millions of refugees, deprived of freedom and yearning for it, escaped in any way they could. Anywhere would do, but there was no country like America. It was the last stand for liberty.

My parents were part of that group. They left their lives in the old country and made America home in 1991. While juggling multiple jobs, my mother learned English by watching "Seinfeld," and my father donned a patriotic fervor hard to find even among native-born Americans. I was born six years later, part of the first year of Gen Z.

Not long ago, the American dream was not a myth — it was alive and well, obtainable for anyone who wanted it and was willing to work for it. My family made it out of low-income housing and into the suburbs during the last remnants of America's golden age in the early 2000s. The country would become unrecognizable just two decades later.

The early 2000s

Change came. From the War on Terror to the financial meltdown, the long downward spiral is the only trajectory my generation remembers. Our childhood memories were speckled across a backdrop of lost jobs that never returned, prices that only rose, wars that had only started, and social changes that consistently uprooted the little about life we just barely managed to figure out.

America was slowly and radically being transformed, with its cultural, economic, and governmental traditions under assault. A new era of politics had arrived that, in retrospect, seemed to prioritize everything except the welfare of the people, regardless of the party in charge.

For many like myself, the country's direction and politics seemed immovable. I was apolitical because all I knew were the politics of the Obama era. Twelve years of public schooling had trained me to blindly accept it, which was easy to do when opposing politicians failed to offer substantive alternatives.

Then came the 2016 election. The forces rattling America had gone from subtle to obvious, and it became impossible to stay apolitical.

2016 and onward

I was in college studying computer science. Like most, I was naive, understanding little of the world but wanting to do good and make an impact. But universities subvert those instincts. Through politics and activism, students lacking purpose and meaning are given a path to fill the void.

I was on that path, proselytized to worship social justice and believe that our societal problems stemmed from the very economic and social foundations that led millions of desperate immigrants — including my family — to the land of the free.

And then it hit me. Universities were indoctrinating my generation leftward with the same ideologies my parents fled. These elements were already making their way through all institutions of the country. I had just never noticed it until I watched friends and colleagues ecstatically embrace them.

At the same time, the media was diagnosing America with a life-threatening condition — the Trump administration. But it didn't add up. Prices were going down, threats abroad were ending, and for the first time in my adult life, I had heard the term a "strong" economy. It didn't matter, though; the media's grasp on society was ironclad, and by the time of George Floyd's death, my generation was all in.

They flooded the streets and the algorithmic abyss of social media — emphatically spreading propaganda that would have earned praise from the worst communist leaders in history. The lethal malpractice of academia, the media, and our chosen politicians in both parties then ushered in unprecedented riots, lockdowns, censorship, and radicalism.

It became increasingly impossible to speak with those around us, share our perspectives without being demonized or censored, and most importantly, get accurate information. The press was pushing agendas rather than reporting the truth. They forgot the true purpose of journalism and, in turn, polarized America into confusion and conflict.

Creating Upward News

I had to do something about it. So, at 25, I left my tech job to build Upward News full-time, with one goal: to tell the real story. I never stood a chance of getting employed in the corporate media – I have no journalism degree. But I've got something else: a commitment to the truth, which the corporate media no longer values.

The solution was an independent but uncompromising news outlet covering important trends simply, quickly, and thoroughly, without influence from big corporations or any political parties. Our mission is to tell the truth, no matter where it leads us or which side of the aisle it implicates. That's the only way to bring America out of the darkness and confusion of false narratives.

We're now reaching over 400,000 followers across social media. Our journalism has been shared by former President Donald Trump and other high-profile figures and has caught the attention of outlets such as the Associated Press.

Our newsletter is read by key political players in Congress, campaigns, and commentators who weave public narratives. But most importantly, we're keeping our readers informed and ahead of the curve.

If you believe in this mission and value our work, we need your help to build it. Upward News can only continue to operate and expand our capabilities through reader support. You can become a member for less than the price of a beer during a night out. Plus, you'll get access to our member-only content, but more on that later.

Become a supporting member today.

We're not here to make money. We're here to save a country that we love, but we need your help to do it. In the next email in this series, I'll give you a behind-the-scenes tour of Upward News: our team, how we operate, and what's next. Till tomorrow,

Stay ahead, stay informed.