The Newsground turns to coffee to fund investigative journalism

The Newsground launched in March as an investigative news outlet funded by coffee subscriptions, aiming to revive longform journalism. The publication is free to read, with an ad-free membership costing $5 per month, and an additional $25 per shipment for those who also wish to receive coffee. Founder Scott Stedman stated his goal was to combine the in-depth, adversarial investigative journalism characteristic of past Sunday papers with the tangible experience of coffee. Stedman handles reporting and writing, collaborating with freelance editors for multimedia content. The Newsground's initial investigations have covered a Jeffrey Epstein associate with ties to the Russian government, Trump Tower developers involved in online gambling in Georgia, a Russian model linked to Epstein, and the El Salvador government's use of spyware. Prior to The Newsground, Stedman founded Forensic News in 2019, which focused on national security and espionage before closing in 2023 following a defamation lawsuit settlement.