Popular Information

About Popular Information

Popular Information is a newsletter focused on accountability journalism covering democracy, politics, and power, founded by Judd Legum and launched on July 23, 2018. The newsletter was Substack's first politically focused publication . Legum, a journalist and lawyer who previously founded the progressive news website ThinkProgress and worked as research director for Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign, publishes the newsletter Monday through Thursday mornings. Popular Information focuses on investigative reporting that holds corporations and politicians accountable, with stories that have driven real-world impact including companies withdrawing campaign spending.

The newsletter reached 138,000 subscribers by January 2021 with around 5% to 10% paid subscriptions . By October 2021, Popular Information had over 150,000 signups and at least 7,500 paying subscribers . As of 2025, the newsletter has grown to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Popular Information operates without a traditional paywall, with Legum discovering that readers pay not for exclusive access but to support the reporting and maximize its reach and impact. The newsletter has expanded to include additional reporters and has become one of the most influential political newsletters in independent journalism.