Truthdig is an Americanalternative news website that provides a mix of long-form articles, blog items, curated links, interviews, arts criticism, and commentary on current events that is delivered from a politicallyprogressive,left-leaning point of view.[1] The site focuses on major "digs" that purport to look beneath headlines to reveal facts overlooked or not reported bymainstream media. Truthdig was co-founded in 2005 by Zuade Kaufman andRobert Scheer, who served as editor-in-chief.[1] As of 2014, the Truthdig site drew more than 400,000 visitors per month.[1]
Kaufman began her journalism career atKCET in Los Angeles, initially working on documentaries before transitioning to print journalism. She collaborated with Scheer on hyperlocal editions at theLos Angeles Times ,Westside,Weekly, andOur Times, starting as a researcher and then as a staff reporter. After the newspaper changed ownership and eliminated these local editions, Kaufman pursued a master's degree in journalism at theUSC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.[2][3] She began developing Truthdig while at USC, and it launched immediately after Scheer was fired from theLos Angeles Times.[4]
On March 11, 2020, nine employees of Truthdig signed a statement announcing a work stoppage to protest what they described as "unfair labor conditions and the effort by the publisher, Zuade Kaufman, to remove the site's founding Editor-in-Chief and co-owner Robert Scheer".[5][6] On March 27, 2020 Kaufman responded in an open letter that attributed the matter to "negotiations to end the business partnership" between her and Scheer.[7] On March 25, 2020 Truthdig employees received emails they characterized as "Truthdig LLC was being dissolved and that our positions at the publication had been terminated". According to the full statement, 15 employees would be affected.[5] The "Truthdig" website concomitantly posted an announcement that "Truthdig" was "going on a hiatus".[8]
On November 1, 2022, the website was relaunched[9] without Scheer's involvement.[citation needed]
In October 2006, Truthdig published an essay entitled, "After Pat's Birthday", about the death of the NFL player and American soldierPat Tillman that was written by his brother Kevin.[10] The essay was widely distributed and was cited inThe New York Times[11] and theAssociated Press.[1]
^Roderick, Kevin (December 12, 2005)."The woman behind Truthdig".LA Observed.Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. RetrievedOctober 11, 2017.
^Kaufman, Zuade (May 2013)."Zuade Kaufman, publisher of Truthdig".Live Encounters (Interview). Interviewed by Mark Ulyseas.Archived(PDF) from the original on June 24, 2022. RetrievedOctober 5, 2017.
