Hello Ankler Family, From Janice Min
Hello Ankler Family, From Janice Min
A few details today about what's to come and what we are about
Hi! First, thank you for being part of The Ankler community. Today, Richard is generously letting me borrow his space to tell you what to expect out of The Ankler in coming months.
You may have read the news in the New York Times that I’ve joined Richard, fearless and beloved writer of The Ankler, as part of a new company we’re calling Ankler Media. We’re a tiny entity, with plans to build on the community convened here. What that means: new voices in new newsletters to help you work and play better, podcasts, events (Omicron willing) and more regular and frequent commentary and news from The Ankler. We’ll lean further into the ongoing mashup of technology and traditional Hollywood, its ensuing power plays, deals and shifts in hierarchy, and the people and personalities behind it all. While we believe that Hollywood is still the historic town square of entertainment, it’s now surrounded by sprawl, the highways and arteries of other businesses, creators and economies pouring in. That tension is currently reflected in Richard’s wicked and uncensored first installment of his year-end series, 2021: The Exit Interviews, in which high-level people you know deliver the state of the industry in their own words. In order to speak freely, they are anonymous. But rest assured, they didn’t hesitate to name names during their conversations.
To be certain, we intend to make Ankler Media smart, but also fun. I sense we all miss and long for a sense of deliciousness in our content. To that end, we will mix business and pleasure, delivering information you both need and want to consume. Expect things to also become more visual (after all, this is the entertainment business) — maybe you’ll even catch a glimpse of yourself glammed up in a photo on The Ankler or its sibling extensions. And for people in all corners of the industry, we may ask you time to time for interviews, to send us your interesting pictures, or even your recommendations. Of course, always your news.
Again, we are yet a speck in the vast sea of media, but big in ambition. Last month we were admitted into Y Combinator, Silicon Valley’s leading seed accelerator for early stage startups. We are proud to be one of the few media entities to ever be accepted into the program, which has birthed Airbnb, DoorDash, Dropbox, The Athletic and Reddit among others. It also was the birthplace of this platform on which we publish, Substack, whose co-founders, Hamish McKenzie and Chris Best, have been incredible supporters of our adventure. So has our launch partner, Amazon Studios. Gratitude to them all.
One of the things that makes The Ankler such a treasure is its fierce sense of independence. Richard is ruthlessly honest, telling truths no one else dares to say out loud. He can be laugh out loud funny. Almost every single person who subscribes to this newsletter opens it, reads it, and forwards it along to so many. To that end, through careful curation, we promise not to pollute your inbox, or waste your time. Which sounds like a good place for me to stop.
Please reach out at janice@anklermedia.com with questions or comments, or follow us on Twitter @TheAnkler. We appreciate your support. Invite your friends and colleagues into this community. And have a happy, wonderful and safe holiday.
- Janice
A holiday idea ready for its green light! Give the mogul or mogul-to-be in your life round-the-year access to what the New York Times called “a hit Hollywood newsletter”!
Can’t afford The Ankler right now? If you’re an assistant, student, or getting your foot in the door of this industry, and want help navigating the craziness of this business but don’t have the money to spare right now, drop me a line at richard@theankler.com and we’ll work it out. No mogul or mogul-to-be left behind here at The Ankler.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING The Ankler looks to you to help us be the eyes and ears of this great industry! Got a crazy email from your boss? See a major poobah have a meltdown in the commissary (or forget to tip)? Just had the worst story notes meeting of your career? Heard a rumor that the Big Guy is packing his office? Did they change the name of a conference room on your hall? As in all detective work, no tip is too small. Help The Ankler tell the world. Send your tips to richard@theankler.com or, with end-to-end encryption on whatsapp and Signal (msg me for the number). And of course, ping me on gchat at richardrushfield anytime day or night. Confidentiality guaranteed on pain of death.
EDITORIAL POLICY: If you have been the subject of a piece on the Ankler and you would like to respond, The Ankler will be delighted to print your reply in full. Please send your response to richard@theankler.com.
If you are interested in advertising on The Ankler: Write Kymber Allen at kymber@anklermedia.com for rates and info.
The Ankler is Hollywood’s favorite secret newsletter, an independent voice holding the industry’s feet to the fire. If you’re a subscriber, feel free to share this edition with a friend but just a couple, please. The Ankler depends on its paid subscribers to keep publishing.
If you’ve been passed along this issue, welcome aboard and please subscribe!