Dear readers:
The past few years have seen an unprecedented collision of the political and digital worlds, from social movements like the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street; to the political battle surrounding the Komen Foundation; or the policy fight over the SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy bills. While we and other news sites have been doing our best to cover all these stories, what’s been missing is an authoritative resource to put these digital developments in context for professionals working in government, politics, non-profits, philanthropies, or other arenas that are all being transformed by technological forces.
So, starting tomorrow, after eight years of producing our annual Personal Democracy Forum conference and the award-winning techPresident.com news site, Personal Democracy Media is now launching its newest initiative – PERSONAL DEMOCRACY PLUS (PD+) – a new premium service offering important news, tools and resources for anyone working at the intersection of technology, politics, government, and advocacy.
Drawing on our talented team of editors and contributors, PD+ will offer exclusive access to:
-Some of our best feature and real-time reporting analyzing and reporting on how technology is being effectively used in politics, government and advocacy.
-On and off-line discussions, conference calls, webinars, and events with key players in this arena.
-A regular stream of case studies and “how-to” guides on popular digital tools, platforms, used in political, advocacy, or governmental endeavors.
-Reviews of top products and services being used in politics, government, advocacy, and online organizing.
-Our extensive archive of podcasts and transcripts featuring some of the top thinkers, practitioners, and innovators in the field.
-“First Post,” our popular morning round-up, which provides a concise snapshot of the most relevant “must-know news” in technology, politics, government and advocacy. PD+ subscribers will have the option of getting First Post via email.
What this means in practical terms for you as a reader is that some of our content is going behind a paywall. If you want to be able to access all of this great content, you need to become a PD+ subscriber. At launch and for a short period our introductory annual subscription rate will be $75 for individuals, $335 for a group-rate (5 licenses), and $280 for a non-profit group (5 licenses).
We’ve taken great pride over the past several years in producing a high-level of free and premium content following this critical intersection of technology and politics, and this new undertaking will ensure that we can continue to provide authoritative and invaluable coverage for years to come.
Sincerely,
Micah L. Sifry, Editorial Director
Andrew Rasiej, Publisher
March 22, 2012