My articles will remain freely accessible. To allow me to continue researching and writing them, exclusive articles will now carry a price. I trust that those who use my work and can afford to pay for it will do their part.
Dear readers,
Today, I want to speak openly about the future of this website. I want to continue writing, researching, checking sources, and revealing connections. But with my current income, I cannot finance this work indefinitely. Unless that situation changes significantly, I will most likely have to shut down this website before the end of the year.
That is why I am changing the way my work is funded as of October 2026:
My exclusive articles will carry a clearly stated price. At the same time, I am launching a monthly edition called “der HOLLISTER.” For US $5 per month, you can cover every priced article published during that month, across all sections of the website.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who already supports my work financially. Your contributions have helped keep this website alive. This appeal is directed primarily at those who read my work regularly, can afford to contribute, but have not yet participated in funding it.
Freely Accessible on an Honor System
I could place my articles behind a paywall. For now, I want to take a different path because it matters to me that as many people as possible have access to the information and analysis I provide. I also know that some readers would gladly pay but simply cannot afford to do so.
Anyone who cannot afford the contribution may and should continue reading. You do not have to explain yourself or ask for an exception.
However, if you read my exclusive articles and are financially able to pay, I ask you to pay the stated price. The articles will remain freely accessible, but my work requires reliable financial support. I will not monitor who has read which article, nor will I ask readers about their financial circumstances. This model is based on trust.
I do the work before asking for payment. Behind every finished article lie research, source verification, analysis, and revision. I strive to present the evidence transparently, distinguish documented facts from my own analysis, and remain beholden to no political side. The conclusions you draw are entirely your own. My work is intended to provide you with the foundation to form your own opinion.
In return, I ask the same honesty from those who use this work and can afford to pay for it: Please send me the stated amount for the articles you read. The fact that I trust you and choose not to impose a paywall does not mean that this work can continue without income.
Individual Articles or the Entire Month
Directly below the featured image, you will find the price graphic on the right. Exclusive articles are priced at $1 or $2. Articles that are also published by other magazines will remain free of charge and will be labeled accordingly.
You can pay for the articles you read individually or choose the US $5 monthly option. This covers every priced article published during that month, regardless of whether you read an in-depth analysis, a briefing, a conflict update, or other content. No additional individual payments are required.
If you already support my work regularly with at least US $5 per month, the monthly option is already covered. You should, of course, not have to pay twice.
US $5 per month is approximately $1.25 per week. I believe the research and information you receive here are worth that amount. You do not have to read every article for the monthly option to make sense: Even if you read only five or six priced articles during the month, the monthly amount will already be at or below their combined individual prices.
If you wish, keep a simple record of which articles you read. At the end of the month, add up their individual prices and compare the amount and value of the work you actually used. You can then pay that total or choose the monthly option. You may, of course, also pay the monthly amount at the beginning of the month or at any point during it.
Anyone who chooses to contribute more will also help keep this work accessible to those who cannot afford to pay.
The Monthly Magazine “der HOLLISTER”
To give you a clear overview of everything published during the month, I am introducing “der HOLLISTER.” This is my monthly magazine, with its own issue page, cover image, and table of contents that will grow throughout the month.
New articles will be added by category, with their titles and direct links to the respective article. You will continue reading the texts on the usual article pages. The monthly edition brings them together and makes it clear what your monthly contribution covers.
Each issue will be updated continuously. At the end of the month, it will be complete and remain available for future reference. A new issue will begin the following month.
This will allow you to follow particular subjects, revisit earlier analyses, and see for yourself how extensive the publication becomes over the course of an entire month.
Other Independent Media Also Depend on Their Readers
My articles reach a five-figure readership every month. The newsletter is read extensively, new subscribers continue to join, and cancellations are extremely rare. The interest is there. Financial participation, however, is still insufficient to sustain the work over the long term.
I am not alone in facing this problem. Other independent media outlets have also stated publicly that their current funding is no longer sufficient.
On September 18, 2026, my colleague Janine Beicht explained at Haintz.media that she would have to reduce her work substantially or stop altogether without stronger support.
She wrote: “Without tangible, direct support from readers, my job will simply cease to exist.”
Christian Müller, publisher of GlobalBridge, also made his situation public on September 3, 2026. He personally covers more than half of the publication’s costs and pays approximately CHF 2,000 from his savings every month. This money helps finance writers’ fees, technical expenses, and the subscriptions required for research.
Anyone who sees such appeals and assumes that they can simply move on to the next outlet when one disappears should remember that the people working there also need to make a living and cover the costs of their publications. If funding continues to fall short, articles will become less frequent, editorial teams will shrink, or publications will disappear entirely. When that happens, the investigations, subjects, and perspectives they once provided disappear with them.
Journalism costs money. That is true for major magazines and small independent publications alike. I have no advertising revenue. The work on this website is funded by the readers who choose to support it financially. The number of people who open an article does not change that reality: Reach alone does not pay for research.
Please Do Your Part
I deliberately chose a low price of $1 or $2 per article and US $5 for the entire month. I want contributing to remain possible for as many readers as possible. But that requires enough people to actually make the contribution.
If this honor-based model does not generate sufficient support, I will have to introduce a fixed paywall or discontinue my work on this website. Even a paywall would help only if enough readers were willing to pay for the publication. I therefore want to make a sincere attempt now to secure the future of this work together with you while keeping the articles openly accessible.
If you read my work and can afford the contribution, please pay for the articles you read or choose the monthly option. You will find the relevant payment buttons alongside the articles and on the monthly edition page.
I want to continue researching and writing for you. I also want to continue reaching those who cannot afford to pay. To make that possible, I need reliable participation from the readers who can contribute.
Thank you to everyone who supports this path.
Yours
Michael Hollister
