Veteran Columnist Jennifer Rubin Launches Pro-Democracy Publication ‘The Contrarian’

NEW YORK — Veteran opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin and former White House ethics czar Norm Eisen are launching a new media venture called The Contrarian, a startup publication aimed at combating what they describe as an existential threat to American democracy.

The publication, which debuts Monday, positions itself as “Not owned by anybody,” a direct jab at billionaire media moguls like Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. Rubin, a 14-year veteran of the Post’s opinion section, resigned from the newspaper, citing its failure to uphold journalistic independence in the face of political pressures.

“Our goal is to combat, with every fiber of our being, the authoritarian threat that we face,” Rubin told CNN in an interview. The Contrarian will feature a diverse roster of contributors, including voices who played key roles in debunking 2020 election denialism and investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Eisen, who is departing his role as a CNN legal analyst to serve as publisher, emphasized the importance of an “unshackled media” in addressing the current political climate. “The voices we’ll be featuring are diverse across parties and generations,” he said, “connected by the shared belief that we need an unshackled media to meet this moment.”

The Contrarian will operate on the Substack platform, offering free content alongside a $7 monthly subscription for full access to columns, podcasts, and videos. The publication joins a growing list of independent media ventures, such as The Bulwark and Zeteo, that have emerged in response to perceived failures in mainstream journalism.

Rubin’s departure from The Washington Post followed a series of controversies, including the editorial board’s planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and the removal of a satirical cartoon by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes. Telnaes resigned in protest, and Rubin cited these incidents as emblematic of the Post’s declining independence.

David Shipley, the Post’s opinion editor, defended the decision to pull the cartoon, calling it a “sound editorial decision” in an internal memo. However, Rubin and others have expressed concerns about the newspaper’s editorial direction, leading to a wave of departures that have sapped morale within the organization.

The Contrarian’s founders aim to differentiate their publication by offering a mix of political commentary and cultural coverage. Humorist Andy Borowitz, formerly of The New Yorker, will contribute, reflecting Eisen’s belief in the power of satire and culture to challenge autocracy. “Laughing may actually end up being more important than political and legal analysis!” Eisen said.

Despite the challenges facing digital startups, Rubin remains optimistic. The Post’s recent subscription losses—over 250,000 customers following the non-endorsement scandal—provide a potential audience for The Contrarian. For Rubin, these disenchanted readers represent a starting point for building a new subscription-based media venture.