If
you’ve
been
following
the
financial
and
legal
woes
of
SCOTUSblog
co-founder
Tom
Goldstein,
you
probably
assumed
that
legal
media
institution’s
independence
wasn’t
long
for
this
world.
Earlier
today,
Ben
Mullin
of
the
New
York
Times
reported
that
the
right-wing,
subscription-based
publication
The
Dispatch
purchased
SCOTUSblog.
Along
with
the
domain
saved
in
every
attorney’s
favorites
list,
The
Dispatch
also
acquired
the
talents
of
Amy
Howe,
the
other
SCOTUSblog
co-founder
(and
still
spouse
to
Goldstein).
As
Steve
Hayes,
CEO
and
editor
of
The
Dispatch,
notes,
“As
part
of
the
acquisition, The
Dispatch will
invest
in
Amy,
her
team,
and
additional
staff
to
ensure
that
SCOTUSblog
remains
the
go-to
authority
on
the
Supreme
Court.”
With
SCOTUSblog’s
acquisition
by
the
conservative
blogosphere,
many
worry
that
the
neutral,
fact-driven
reporting
at
the
blog
will
be
eroded
under
new
ownership.
But
that
isn’t
the
only
expansion
touted
by
The
Dispatch
today.
Former
ATL
colleague
David
Lat
also
inked
a
deal
with
the
conservative
publication.
In
the
coming
weeks,
we’ll
announce
additional
talent—including
a
partnership
with Original
Jurisdiction
founder
and
legal
commentator
David
Lat—to
help
us
grow
SCOTUSblog’s
capabilities,
and
these
expanded
offerings
will
be
reserved
for Dispatch members.
It’s
clear
The
Dispatch
is
looking
to
grow
its
influence
both
among
lawyers
and
beyond
to
the
general
public.
And
those
looking
for
ahem,
a
different
perspective
than
the
one
The
Dispatch
monetizes
will
have
to
look
elsewhere.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].