The conservative news publisher The Dispatch, which first launched on Substack in 2019, is staffing up and expanding its advertising business amid a nationwide shift in political sentiment.
The 27-person outlet generated between $5 million and $10 million in revenue last year, nearly 80% of which came from its roughly 45,000 paying subscribers.
Of the remaining 20% of its revenue, about 16% comes from commercial partnerships—and 5% from licensing—but this year the publisher is looking to grow its advertising business through a combination of key hires and new ventures.
In January, it named media entrepreneur Michael Rothman as its first president. In addition to helping fine-tune its subscription funnel, Rothman will be tasked with finding ways to expand the surface area available to interested sponsors without disturbing its subscription model.
“If you look at Edelman trust data, you see that there is pressure from shareholders for companies to diversify and be more balanced,” Rothman said. “So The Dispatch, on one level, solves that for marketers by providing a brand-safe environment that reaches a center-right audience.”
The expansion efforts coincide with a broader political shift reshaping the U.S., which has seen a rightward swing in both local and national elections. The Dispatch, alongside other independent conservative outlets like The Free Press and The Daily Wire, could stand to benefit from the trend by positioning itself as a key figure as the news ecosystem adapts, according to vice president of partnership at Mather Economics David Clinch.
The Dispatch is capitalizing on the moment by broadcasting its reporting as a sane, sober alternative to its rightwing peers. Started by the center-right media figures Jonah Goldberg, Stephen F. Hayes, and Toby Stock, the outlet has hinged its strategy on the notion that there is a broad, largely underserved market for centrists with an openness to a wide range of political thought.
New hires and new business
After amassing roughly 600,000 free email readers, the publisher is now exploring how it can serve their attention to advertisers without undermining the largely ad-free experience its readers have come to expect.
Rothman, who previously cofounded Thrillist and Fatherly, will play a large role in that effort. The publisher is also hiring a commercial partnerships director and chief of staff, among other open positions, to build out its business development capacities. It has also brought in the former president of The Daily Beast, on a contract basis, to make key introductions.
The Dispatch wants to integrate brands into its suite of newsletters and podcasts, as well as across a slate of events it plans to grow. It currently monetizes some of its podcasts, including the flagship Advisory Opinions product, with programmatic advertising, but plans to shift that strategy to emphasize brand partnerships, according to Rothman.
The publisher introduced events to its audience in 2024, unveiling a flagship franchise called the Dispatch Summit and a regional product called the Dispatch Town Halls. This year, it plans to grow that slate, host more virtual events, and integrate sponsors into the ticketed gatherings.
In a similar vein, the publisher is looking to work with brands to sponsor entire editorial products. For example, an energy company could underwrite the launch of a conservation vertical, according to Rothman.
This approach is additive to the reader experience, while still allowing aligned brands the chance to reach The Dispatch audience. According to Rothman, the publication appeals to two broad demographics: executive decision-makers across the country—lawyers in Des Moines, for instance—and political hounds along the Acela corridor.
On a psychographic level, what unites Dispatch readers more than political credo is a hunger for independent inquiry. Its readers are more persuadable as a result, according to Rothman, making them a desirable target for advertisers.
The growth of this psychographic group is aligned with the broader political shift, according to Clinch. While polls and votes have swung rightward, the underlying catalyst for that shift is a dissatisfaction with the status quo and a distrust of institutions. If The Dispatch can tap into that angst, it could land itself an even larger audience than one defined along party lines.
“This political moment could probably be better described as a social moment—it’s about not knowing where to look for the truth anymore,” Clinch said. “These disgruntled news seekers don’t trust traditional media, and they want to ask their own questions. That makes The Dispatch pitch a powerful marketing ploy to build an audience.”
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