Eight Years of Holding Everyone Accountable

It’s honestly strange to say this out loud, but it’s been eight years since February 6, 2018. This started as Team World Supporter. Today it’s The Digital Free Press. The name changed. The mission didn’t.

If you told me back then what we’d actually end up doing — the reviews, the books, the podcasts, the people we’d interview — I would’ve said that sounds good on paper, but it’s probably not happening. And yet, here we are.

The last eight years proved something to me over and over again: when the goal is accountability and you don’t pick sides, you can do a lot more than people think. None of it happens without the people who read, listen, reply, disagree, and still stick around. That support is everything.

Reflecting on Our Journey

As I look back, I can’t help but feel grateful. The journey has been filled with ups and downs, but each moment has shaped us. We’ve grown, learned, and adapted. It’s a testament to what happens when you stay true to your mission.

What We Did This Past Year

On the podcast side, The Yossi Schmidt Show continued with real conversations. Not endorsements. Not scripts. Not “gotcha” clips. This year I interviewed Joshua Lisec, Sara Razi, Myles Morell, Mario Kranjac, Linda McMahon, Cash Loren, Ray Vahey, Julian Baron, John Matze, Jack Ciattarelli, and Adam Brandon. Different backgrounds. Different views. Same standard — talk honestly and let the audience decide.

On the written side, we published reviews and analysis the same way we always do it — directly. That included platform reviews of Threads, ChatGPT, Mastodon, and Clapper, looking at free speech claims, moderation, transparency, and whether these platforms actually live up to what they promise.

We also published book reviews and political analysis, including Unhumans, Bulletproof, Fool’s Gold, The Big Guy, and Spygate Exposed. No team loyalty. No protecting anyone. Just looking at the facts and calling things as they are.

We also published commentary like the Epstein Files piece, because accountability doesn’t stop when things get uncomfortable.

Real-Life Changes

This year also came with real-life changes. We moved offices. And we made the decision to step back from the nightly news roundups. That wasn’t giving up. That was refocusing. The WhatsApp status became the priority because it lets me talk directly to you. You can reply. You can ask questions. You can challenge me. And I can answer. That matters more than blasting links into the void.

Looking Ahead

As we head into year nine, I’m not interested in pretending this is something it’s not. The goal isn’t volume. It’s work that holds up. People keep asking about merch, so I’ll ask it plainly: do you actually want it? And if you do, what makes sense?

More important than that — what do you want more of from The Digital Free Press? More reviews? More podcast interviews? More written analysis? Something else?

Eight years in, I’m still doing this for the same reason I started: to hold everyone accountable. No endorsements. No pay-to-play. No worrying about who gets mad. The setup changed. The name changed. The mission didn’t.

And as long as you’re here, the work continues.

Join the Conversation

I want to hear from you. Your thoughts matter. Let’s keep this dialogue going. Whether it’s through our podcasts, articles, or direct messages, your input shapes our future.

So, what’s next? Let’s make it happen together.

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Yossi Schmidt

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

The Digital Free Press

Hold Everyone Accountable