Write Hard, Die Free

Why would you want to read Write Hard, Die Free?



Well, would you be interested in any of this?
• Battlefield & barroom tales of the Alaska newspaper war
• Our battles against corruption, Big Oil and bad journalism
• A look at the historical events that created the Alaska of Sarah Palin
• An insider’s account of the strategies and maneuvers that won the war
• Lessons & blueprints about journalism transformation
• A look at some engaging personalities & newspaper adventures

They’re all included to one degree or another. I’ve tried to recollect both our noble quests and ignoble adventures. A lot of what defined the experience and motivated us to fight so hard for so long was simply this: It was a hell of a lot of fun. I’ve tried to reflect that.

As the books near completion I also paused to consider what lessons our experience might offer in today’s maelstrom of media transformation. Quite a lot, as it happens.

I also hope this website will mature and evolve to become a digital hub not simply for my story, but for the many important issues that arose in that era in Alaska: the role of global oil in a small frontier society; resource development and taxation issues; the rights and roles of Alaska’s sovereign Native peoples; land use questions and environmental protection; and the handling the billions of dollars that came to Alaskans as a windfall.