Top Independent Journalists to Follow in 2026

Legendary American investigative journalist whose career spans over five decades of breaking some of the most consequential stories in modern history. Hersh won the Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for exposing the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, and decades later broke the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal during the Iraq War. He has reported for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and London Review of Books on US covert operations, intelligence community misconduct, and foreign policy. Now well into his eighties, Hersh continues publishing original national security investigations independently on Substack.

Journalist and author specializing in psychology, social science research, and media criticism, with a particular focus on how flawed studies get laundered into mainstream narratives. Singal spent years as a staff writer at New York Magazine before moving to independent publishing on Substack with his newsletter The Experiment. He is best known for his long-form investigative reporting on gender medicine for minors, which drew both widespread attention and significant controversy. His work consistently emphasizes the gap between scientific evidence and popular media claims, and he has become a leading voice for rigor in science journalism.

Investigative journalist specializing in national security, intelligence agencies, and the US surveillance state. Klippenstein spent years at The Nation and The Intercept developing sources inside the intelligence community and government bureaucracy before going fully independent on Substack. He is known for publishing leaked documents and internal government communications that other outlets won't touch, including material on FBI operations and Pentagon activities. His Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) work has produced a steady stream of exclusive stories on the national security apparatus that rarely surface in mainstream coverage.

Investigative journalist at The Intercept and independent Substack author specializing in the intersection of money, lobbying, and political power. Fang has spent over a decade documenting how corporate interests shape legislation, regulatory agencies, and political campaigns — reporting that often goes unmatched in mainstream outlets. His investigations have covered pharmaceutical industry lobbying, fossil fuel dark money, think tank funding, and the revolving door between government and industry. He was among the first journalists to systematically map the financial networks behind American political movements, and his Substack extends that reporting with additional analysis and original documents.

Award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and author of two landmark books on American warfare: "Blackwater," exposing the rise of private military contractors in Iraq, and "Dirty Wars," documenting the expansion of US special operations and drone strikes globally. Scahill co-founded The Intercept in 2014 alongside Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras before going on to co-found Drop Site News in 2024. He has reported from conflict zones across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, and remains one of the most authoritative independent voices on the national security state and US foreign policy.

Investigative journalist and founder of The Lever, an independent reader-supported newsroom dedicated to exposing corporate power, political corruption, and economic inequality. Sirota previously served as a speechwriter and senior adviser on Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign before launching The Lever, which has broken major stories on private equity, pharmaceutical pricing, and the influence of donor money on Democratic Party politics. He has written for Jacobin, The Guardian, and Newsweek, and his reporting frequently reveals how corporate lobbying shapes policy decisions that directly affect working Americans.

Documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist whose work focuses on the homelessness crisis, drug policy, and housing failures in California and across the United States. Woodhouse has produced ground-level documentary reporting from tent cities, drug treatment facilities, and the neighborhoods most affected by urban policy failures — reporting that challenges both progressive and conservative orthodoxies about the root causes of homelessness. His Substack combines written journalism with video dispatches and has built a devoted readership among people frustrated by the gap between official narratives and street-level reality in American cities.

Lebanese war correspondent and video journalist who gained international attention for his ground-level documentation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and their impact on civilian populations. Hoteit reports from active conflict zones, often capturing footage and witness accounts that Western media outlets do not have access to, and distributes his reporting directly on X to a large and rapidly growing audience. His work provides firsthand visual documentation of airstrikes, displacement, and casualties that challenges official narratives from all sides of the conflict. He represents a growing class of independent field journalists whose distribution model bypasses traditional media gatekeepers entirely.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist best known for breaking the NSA mass surveillance story alongside Edward Snowden in 2013, one of the most significant national security leaks in US history. A former constitutional and civil rights attorney, Greenwald co-founded The Intercept before departing in 2020 to publish independently. His work focuses on civil liberties, government overreach, media criticism, and US foreign policy. He hosts the daily video program System Update on Rumble and publishes written analysis on Substack, making him one of the most prominent independent journalists working today.

Investigative journalist and author known for two decades of sharp, fearless reporting on Wall Street, political corruption, and media failures. His 2010 Rolling Stone piece calling Goldman Sachs a 'great vampire squid' became one of the most-quoted pieces of financial journalism of the era. Taibbi later broke major stories on the Twitter Files — internal documents revealing content moderation decisions at Twitter — published through his Racket News Substack. He has authored several books on American politics and finance, and remains one of the most widely read independent journalists on Substack.

Former Fox News prime-time anchor who became the most-watched cable news host in American television history before departing the network in 2023. Carlson went on to launch Tucker Carlson Network as a fully independent media operation, distributing his program directly on YouTube and X without corporate backing. His coverage spans US domestic politics, foreign policy skepticism, immigration, and cultural issues from a populist right-of-center perspective. His interviews with world leaders — including Vladimir Putin — have drawn massive audiences and intense debate, cementing his status as one of the most influential independent voices in political media.

Investigative journalist and co-founder of Drop Site News, an independent outlet launched in 2024 to pursue accountability journalism outside corporate media structures. Grim previously served as DC bureau chief at both The Intercept and HuffPost, building a reputation for scoops on congressional dynamics, progressive movement politics, and US foreign policy. He has broken major stories on Israel-Palestine lobbying, progressive caucus infighting, and the influence of donor money on Democratic Party politics. His YouTube channel and podcast extend his written reporting to a large video audience.

British-American journalist and broadcaster who founded Zeteo in 2024 as an independent media platform after departing MSNBC, where he hosted a prime-time show until his contract was not renewed. Hasan built his reputation through a combative, evidence-driven interview style that frequently put politicians and pundits on the defensive, and he remains one of the most prominent progressive voices in English-language media. His reporting and commentary cover US politics, the Israel-Palestine conflict, Islamophobia, and the failures of mainstream media coverage. Zeteo operates as a reader-supported outlet committed to independent journalism.

Journalist, author, and founder of Public, a Substack-based investigative outlet covering homelessness, energy policy, crime, and media accountability. Once named a TIME Magazine "Hero of the Environment" for his work promoting nuclear power, Shellenberger has become a prominent critic of what he calls progressive policy failures in California and nationally. He has testified before Congress, authored multiple books including "San Fransicko" on the homelessness crisis, and built a large independent readership. His reporting often challenges consensus positions on climate, housing, and drug policy from an empirical standpoint.

Writer, podcaster, and musician whose work challenges prevailing orthodoxies on race, identity, and culture from a classically liberal perspective. Hughes wrote for City Journal and The Atlantic before publishing his 2024 book "The End of Race Politics," which argues against race-conscious policy in favor of universalist approaches. He hosts the Conversations with Coleman podcast on YouTube and Substack, featuring in-depth dialogues with philosophers, scientists, and public intellectuals. Hughes has testified before Congress on race-related policy and is widely regarded as one of the most thoughtful young voices engaging with questions of identity and equality.

Independent journalist and media entrepreneur who got his start as a citizen journalist covering the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. Pool went on to build Timcast into one of YouTube's largest political commentary operations, with multiple channels and a daily live show called Timcast IRL that regularly draws hundreds of thousands of viewers. He has reported from conflict zones and political flashpoints around the world and covers domestic news, elections, and culture war issues from a populist, broadly right-leaning perspective. His willingness to go independent early makes him one of the pioneering figures in digital political media.

Political writer, blogger, and founder of The Weekly Dish newsletter on Substack, widely credited as one of the pioneers of political blogging in the early 2000s. Sullivan served as editor of The New Republic from 1991 to 1996 and later wrote The Daily Dish, one of the most-read political blogs of the pre-social-media era. A British-American Catholic and self-described conservative who supported both Barack Obama and same-sex marriage, Sullivan is known for heterodox, intellectually independent takes that defy easy partisan categorization. His Substack covers American politics, culture, philosophy, and current events with a long essayistic tradition.

Brown University economics professor and one of America's foremost scholars on race, inequality, and social policy. Loury was the first tenured Black economics professor at Harvard and has spent decades pushing back against what he sees as evasive thinking about racial disparities in America. He hosts The Glenn Show podcast and Substack, which feature long-form conversations with scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals — often his longtime interlocutor John McWhorter. Loury's views have evolved significantly over his career, making him a genuinely independent thinker who resists capture by either political camp.

Political writer and co-founder of Vox who left to launch Slow Boring, an independent Substack newsletter focused on policy analysis and pragmatic center-left politics. Yglesias has been writing about American politics since the early blogging era and is known for contrarian, empirically grounded takes that often put him at odds with progressive orthodoxy. His most consistent themes include housing supply and zoning reform, immigration, economic growth policy, and the electoral strategy of the Democratic Party. Slow Boring has become one of the most influential policy-focused newsletters on Substack, widely read by wonks, journalists, and political operatives.

Co-host of Breaking Points, an independent political news program she launched with Saagar Enjeti after leaving The Hill in 2021. Ball is a former Democratic congressional candidate and former MSNBC host who has built a reputation for populist commentary that crosses partisan lines — criticizing both Democratic and Republican establishments when she believes they're serving donor interests over voters. Breaking Points operates entirely independently of corporate media, funded by subscribers, and has grown into one of the most-watched political programs on YouTube. Ball consistently focuses on economic inequality, media accountability, and working-class political representation.

Co-host of Breaking Points, covering American politics from a right-wing populist perspective that emphasizes skepticism of both establishment Republican and Democratic politics. Enjeti previously served as a White House correspondent and hosted Rising at The Hill before co-founding Breaking Points as an independent, subscription-supported program with Krystal Ball. He is known for his critiques of the national security state, corporate influence on government, and what he describes as the bipartisan consensus that serves elites at the expense of ordinary Americans. His commentary draws on a traditionalist conservative framework that often diverges sharply from mainstream Republican messaging.

Journalist, comedian, and host of the Useful Idiots podcast, which she co-hosted with Matt Taibbi before launching her own independent program. Halper has built her career at the intersection of political journalism and satirical commentary, covering US foreign policy, media criticism, and progressive politics from a left perspective that frequently challenges the Democratic Party establishment. She has reported on and interviewed figures across the left political spectrum and is known for platforming voices that mainstream media ignores. Her Substack and YouTube channel extend her journalism and commentary to a growing independent audience.

Stand-up comedian and host of Part of the Problem, a podcast and YouTube program covering foreign policy, government overreach, and individual liberty from an anti-war libertarian perspective. Smith is one of the most prominent libertarian voices in independent media, known for his critiques of US military intervention abroad, the war on drugs, government surveillance, and both major political parties. He ran for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination in 2020 and has appeared on Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, and other major platforms. His podcast blends political philosophy with comedy in a format that has built a loyal audience across libertarian and anti-war communities.

Founder and host of The Young Turks (TYT), one of the longest-running and most-watched progressive news programs on YouTube, launched in 2002 — years before YouTube even existed. Uygur built TYT into a multi-channel media network covering American politics, corporate power, economic inequality, and social justice from a progressive populist perspective. He briefly ran for Congress in California in 2020 and has been a consistent advocate for progressive policy, campaign finance reform, and an alternative to corporate media. TYT has published billions of views across its channels and helped pioneer the model of independent digital political journalism.

Co-host of The Young Turks and author of the Unaligned newsletter on Substack, where she writes about politics, civil liberties, and media from an increasingly independent perspective. Kasparian has been a fixture of progressive media for over a decade through her role at TYT, but her Substack reflects a political evolution that now frequently challenges progressive orthodoxy, particularly on issues of free speech, crime policy, and partisan loyalty. She is one of the few progressive media figures openly grappling with questions about ideological conformity and the limits of partisan identity, which has broadened her readership considerably.

British comedian, actor, and author who pivoted from mainstream entertainment to independent political commentary, building one of the largest audiences on Rumble. Brand is known for his counter-establishment perspective on media, government, corporate power, and spirituality — often combining political analysis with philosophical and religious themes. He left mainstream platforms after facing controversy in 2023, and has since built a substantial following on Rumble among viewers skeptical of legacy media and mainstream political narratives. His content covers a wide range: from pharmaceutical industry criticism and government overreach to consciousness, addiction, and political philosophy.

Capitol Hill correspondent for Drop Site News, focusing on the financial relationships between corporate interests, lobbyists, and members of Congress. Andreone's reporting tracks campaign contributions, revolving-door hiring, and the legislative consequences of donor influence across both parties. He has previously been bylined in The Washington Post and ProPublica, establishing his credibility as a reporter before joining Drop Site's team of independent investigative journalists. His work is part of Drop Site's broader mission to produce the kind of accountability journalism on money and power that large corporate-owned outlets are often reluctant to pursue.

Antitrust researcher, policy advocate, and author of "Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy," a sweeping history of corporate concentration in America. Stoller is a fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project and writes BIG, one of Substack's most-read economics newsletters, which documents how monopoly power shapes prices, innovation, and political influence across industries from agriculture to pharmaceuticals to media. His work has influenced the revival of antitrust enforcement under the Biden administration and he is widely regarded as one of the most important voices on corporate power and market structure in American policy debate.

Economist, Bloomberg Opinion columnist, and author of Noahpinion, one of Substack's most widely read economics and policy newsletters. Smith writes with unusual breadth, covering topics from industrial policy and US-China competition to technology, housing, immigration, and the future of capitalism. He is known for his empirical approach, his willingness to update his views when evidence changes, and an optimistic perspective on human progress that sets him apart from doom-focused commentators. His writing is accessible to general readers while remaining rigorous enough to be taken seriously by professional economists and policy researchers.

Brown University economist and author who applies rigorous data analysis to everyday decisions around parenting, pregnancy, pediatric health, and education. Oster has written three popular books — including 'Expecting Better' and 'Cribsheet' — that challenge conventional parenting advice with statistical evidence, often overturning widely repeated claims that lack strong empirical support. Her ParentData newsletter on Substack extends that work with ongoing analysis of research studies, public health guidance, and policy affecting families. She became particularly prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic for her data-driven analysis of school reopening and child transmission risks.

Tech journalist and founder of Platformer, one of the most authoritative independent newsletters covering Silicon Valley and the social media industry. Newton spent years at The Verge developing deep sourcing inside major technology companies before launching Platformer as a fully independent publication in 2022. His reporting focuses on how platforms like Meta, X, TikTok, and Google make decisions about content moderation, algorithmic design, and political speech — questions that sit at the intersection of technology and democracy. Platformer is widely read inside the tech industry itself, and Newton is frequently cited as one of the most reliable reporters on platform policy.

AI researcher and host of the Lex Fridman Podcast, one of the most-watched long-form interview programs in the world with tens of millions of subscribers across platforms. Fridman is a research scientist affiliated with MIT whose academic work focuses on machine learning, autonomous vehicles, and human-robot interaction. His podcast features multi-hour conversations with some of the most influential scientists, technologists, philosophers, athletes, and political leaders alive today — including Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin, and dozens of Nobel laureates. The show is known for its depth, intellectual seriousness, and Fridman's calm, curious interviewing style.

Science fiction author, journalist, and digital rights activist who writes Pluralistic, a daily blog covering technology policy, monopoly power, surveillance capitalism, and internet freedom. Doctorow coined the term 'enshittification' to describe the lifecycle of tech platforms — a concept that spread globally as shorthand for how platforms degrade user experience once they achieve dominance. He is a fellow at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and has been one of the most consistent advocates for open internet standards, right-to-repair legislation, and antitrust action against Big Tech. His prolific output spans fiction, non-fiction books, journalism, and daily blogging.

Writer, academic, and one of the most contrarian voices on the American left, known for criticizing progressive media, identity politics, and what he views as the abandonment of working-class interests by liberal institutions. DeBoer has a PhD in rhetoric and writing and previously worked in higher education before building his audience through his Substack, which mixes personal essays, political criticism, and deeply reported pieces on education policy and inequality. His willingness to criticize his own political camp — often forcefully — has made him a respected, if polarizing, figure among readers across the political spectrum.

Host of The Joe Rogan Experience, the most-downloaded podcast in the world with over 300 million monthly downloads across platforms. Rogan's long-form interview format — typically running two to three hours — has featured scientists, comedians, politicians, athletes, and controversial thinkers that mainstream media rarely platforms. He signed an exclusive deal with Spotify in 2020 worth a reported $100 million before expanding back to YouTube in 2024. His episodes consistently drive major news cycles, and his willingness to engage guests across the full political spectrum has made him a defining figure in independent media.

Stand-up comedian and host of The Tim Dillon Show, a podcast and YouTube program known for its unfiltered, darkly satirical take on American politics, celebrity culture, corporate media, and the absurdities of modern life. Dillon built his following outside the mainstream comedy industry by publishing long-form commentary that blends genuine political critique with deliberately offensive humor. He is particularly sharp on media hypocrisy, the failures of both political parties, and the hollow rituals of American public life. The Tim Dillon Show has grown into one of the top comedy podcasts in the country, available on YouTube and Spotify.