Writing through the apocalypse with The Handbasket’s Marisa Kabas
As independent journalism faces mounting threats, one writer builds a platform for uncompromising reporting.
After graduating from George Washington University's journalism program in 2009 amid the financial crisis, Marisa Kabas’ path to journalism took several detours through PR and political work. But writing kept calling her back. Following stints at NBC News, The Daily Dot, and Fusion, Kabas launched The Handbasket in 2022 as traditional media outlets continued to contract, determined to maintain her voice regardless of audience size.
What began as a newsletter has evolved into what Kabas describes as "a small but mighty independent news platform with a strong point of view and trusted voice." Her 2023 investigative piece on women's experiences at Rolling Stone under Jann Wenner's leadership demonstrated The Handbasket’s commitment to serious journalism that refuses to pull punches.
In this edition of Depth Perception, we speak with the Brooklyn-based writer about building an independent platform, journalism’s role in defending democracy, and finding hope in honest conversations about the industry’s future. Speaking from the front lines of journalism’s fight for survival, Kabas offers insights into potential press crackdowns and readers’ willingness to support independent voices. —Parker Molloy
How did The Handbasket come into existence?
I launched The Handbasket in 2022 as I struggled to secure bylines in other publications and as media outlets continued to dwindle. I wanted to make sure that no matter what, I always had a place to publish my writing — even if it meant only a handful of people would see it.
What have you learned about your audience since starting The Handbasket and how has that shaped your approach to storytelling?
I’ve learned that my readers are really adaptable and respond well to a variety of formats. It’s great because I don’t feel bound to a certain formula, so if I want to do something new or a bit unorthodox, I’m not afraid of pissing them off. To the contrary, they often like it when I switch it up. I remember last year doing a post about my process of figuring out why Nicole Kidman and John Boehner were in a photo together and readers weirdly loved it.
I think older media brands underestimate their audience and think they can't handle new things. I came up against that a lot in the past when pitching other outlets and trying to conform to a narrow expectation of what readers want. From my experience, they like to be kept on their toes.
You’ve mentioned facing layoffs and career challenges, particularly in the media industry’s tumultuous landscape. How have those experiences influenced the way you approach your work now?
The best part of being an independent journalist is that I can say with 100 percent certainty that I won’t wake up and get fired tomorrow. That stress of “this could all be yanked away” often doesn't make for the best journalism, and gives incentives for the wrong kind of work.
My modest success at this point has been achieved entirely at my own pace and with my own rules, which makes it easy to stand by my work. I’ve had moments where I’ve been hard on myself and pressured myself to produce more, but I realized that if I wasn’t going to use this opportunity to do things my way, what was the point? The only people I answer to are me and my readers, and that has created a kind of journalistic freedom I never imagined possible.
Recognizing in-depth journalism’s power to make a difference
Long Lead is proud to announce that “The Catch” and “Home of the Brave” won Anthem Awards in every category they were nominated for.
“The Catch” won a Gold Anthem Award for Best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awareness in the News & Journalism category. In the feature, science and outdoors reporter Emily Sohn tells the story of pioneering adventure journalist Virginia Kraft, who over a 26-year career at Sports Illustrated chiseled early cracks into publishing’s male-dominated world before being lost to history.
“Home of the Brave” won three Silver Anthem Awards: Best Humanitarian Action & Services Awareness in the News & Journalism category and Best Human & Civil Rights Awareness in both the News & Journalism and Special Projects categories. The 7-part multimedia feature chronicles a decades-long fight by homeless veterans in Los Angeles for housing on the West Los Angeles VA campus.
The Anthem Awards honor purpose and mission-driven work worldwide, and these wins demonstrate the power of in-depth journalism to make a difference. We are grateful to the judges for their recognition of Long Lead’s impact.
Newsletters often foster close-knit communities of readers. Have you found that The Handbasket serves as a community for its readers? If so, how do you nurture that connection?
Bluesky has been an amazing vector for connecting readers of The Handbasket and rallying around my work. That’s as close to a community resource as I’ve got right now, but it’s proven invaluable in terms of growing my audience. I directly reply as often as I can to people who share my stories because I think it reminds them I’m a real person and reinforces that this isn’t the kind of hierarchical, man-behind-the-curtain-type relationship that some news consumers may feel with the people they read. I’m conscious of injecting just enough of myself in each piece so that the community feels like they’re getting more than just straight facts. I think to a small but mighty cohort, I’ve become a trusted source. And I take that responsibility really seriously.
As of this interview, it's been about a week and a half since Trump was elected to a second term. I know that my output since November 5 has been pretty limited, and I saw your “Soon I’ll find the words” post, which I found relatable. What’s your post-election process been like?
My post-election process has been all over the place. I go from panic to despair to righteous indignation, rinse and repeat. It’s also been weighing heavily on me that journalists are likely to be directly in the crosshairs in the new Trump administration. Going to jail for reporting is not something I ever thought I’d have to consider as an American.
What are some things you plan to/look forward to reporting on as Trump returns to office?
I hope to hold Democrats and people who claim to respect our democracy to account. Already we’re seeing remarkably powerful so-called allies model acquiescence in the face of certain fascism, and if we’re to have any hope of making it through the next four years and beyond, people-powered movements need government officials to risk their necks for our collective safety. So I look forward to naming and shaming the feckless.
“The best part of being an independent journalist is that I can say with 100 percent certainty that I won’t wake up and get fired tomorrow.... The only people I answer to are me and my readers, and that has created a kind of journalistic freedom I never imagined possible.” —Marisa Kabas
What does the future of journalism look like to you? Are you worried about a crackdown brought on by the new administration? I see the Trump team is already trying to silence adversarial coverage.
I’m not sure I can say with any certainty what the future of journalism looks like, but I can tell what it is not: cable news hosts cozying up with Trump at his pool club or ones who feign ignorance about the political motivations of Nazis. I am worried about crackdowns by the new administration, but I’m also heartened by the independent spirit taking hold in journalism. In some ways, having a generation of journalists with little to lose has created the perfect conditions for calling bullshit on the wealthy and powerful.
In your work, you’ve written about heavy and discouraging topics. What keeps you motivated, and where do you find hope in the work you do?
Hope is definitely in short supply these days, and since the election I’ve really struggled with finding it. I’m mostly trying not to predict the future with any certainty, just keep doing what I’m doing, and hope there doesn't come a day when journalism is deemed illegal. I’m just going to keep sharing my unbridled thoughts and disseminating good information for as long as I possibly can.
Is there anything in particular that gives you hope for the future of journalism?
I’m hopeful because I think for the first time in a long time we’re having an honest conversation about how bad things have gotten. Only when you strip things down to the bare bones and agree it’s time to build something new can progress be made. That, and the fact that people are actually willing to pay me for my journalism. That’s pretty cool.
Further reading from Marisa Kabas
“Schmear campaign: A bagel crawl across George Santos’ district” (The Handbasket, Jan. 27, 2023)
“A conversation with the newspaper owner raided by cops” (The Handbasket, Aug. 12, 2023)
“Women staffers of Jann Wenner’s Rolling Stone get their turn to speak” (The Handbasket, Oct. 24, 2023)
“Who’s a good Jew?” (The Handbasket, March 21, 2024)
“Billionaires are not journalists” (The Handbasket, Oct. 29, 2024)