This week, Status marked its second birthday—and while we didn’t get a chance to pause and reflect on the milestone on the exact day we celebrated another successful trip around the sun, I wanted to take the time to do so now.

In August 2024, when I informed my then-bosses at CNN that I had decided not to renew my contract with the network and instead to try my hand at building an independent media company, I think it’s fair to say they were surprised. Certainly, when I announced the plans publicly, without any investors or backers, some naysayers questioned whether a standalone outlet covering the media industry would last a few months, let alone two years.

They were wrong.

Not only has Status survived, but I am happy to report that we have thrived. Last year, to mark our one-year anniversary, we offered you—our readers—an inside look at the state of our business. And so, after another year of growth, I wanted to do the same.

Two years into Status, with still not a penny of outside investment, we have grown into a full-fledged company. We have four full-time editorial staffers, including myself. In addition to Jon Passantino, our team includes media correspondent Natalie Korach and deputy editor Brett LoGiurato—and we plan to keep growing. We are proud to say that we are not only paying competitive salaries, but also covering health care costs and recently launched a company 401(k) plan, with Status contributing 3% of each person’s salary.

On the business front, Stacey Farish continues to serve as our head of sales and partnerships. And as I’m sure you have noticed, we have made enormous strides selling advertising to brands interested in reaching our audience—though I should also note that we’ve decided against selling spots to Big Oil companies and those in the prediction-market space. We want to grow as a business, but we want to do so ethically.

Over the last year, we have continued to break consequential news, delivering readers hundreds of scoops about the industry’s dominant players. That work has fueled our growth. Our email list—which includes both free and paid subscribers—has grown to more than 130,000 readers. While we do not have data on our competitors (they are not as transparent as we are!), that number means we are unquestionably one of the largest newsletters covering the media business. We are also the only media newsletter hitting inboxes seven days a week.

But it’s no longer just our newsletter that’s growing. Last summer, we launched Power Lines—a weekly program where Jon and I candidly discuss the biggest stories moving the needle across the industry. We started from scratch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Unlike other podcasts that launch with the support of a big network behind them, such as iHeartRadio or SiriusXM, we commenced our march up the mountain in solitude. A year later, I am pleased to report that we are gaining real traction. On Apple Podcasts, we are inching closer and closer to the top 50 shows in the News Commentary category, arguably one of the most competitive categories to crack. And on YouTube, we currently boast 109,000+ subscribers—making Power Lines the biggest media-focused show on the platform.

Most recently, as you’ve surely seen, we have made a real push into live events. The inaugural Status Summit is scheduled for next month in New York City at the Times Center. It will be a one-day event—stretching from breakfast to morning and afternoon sessions and concluding with an evening cocktail reception. Featured speakers include New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien; The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson; veteran broadcaster Brian Williams; MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace; CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins; CNBC host and DealBook author Andrew Ross Sorkin; former CBS News and Stations chief Wendy McMahon; The New Yorker editor David Remnick; renowned technology journalist Kara Swisher; Lemon Media Network founder Don Lemon; Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan; and Associated Press Executive Editor Julie Pace. If you haven’t already reserved your spot, make sure to do so before it’s too late.

As we’ve expanded Status beyond a newsletter, we’ve made sure that we have done so with our guiding values in mind. Status was founded to be a trusted source for media news, a place that not only breaks big stories, but wraps them in important—but sometimes uncomfortable—context often left out of stories from competing outlets. From day one, we have aimed to deliver hard-hitting journalism and uncompromising analysis. While others often purport to embrace these values, we believe our product shows we actually do.

Thank you for helping us make Year Two such a success. Here’s to all that Year Three will bring.

With gratitude,

Oliver Darcy
Founder, Status