Judd Legum

Judd Legum is an American journalist, lawyer, and political staffer, born on December 8, 1978, in Annapolis, Maryland. He is best known as the founder and author of the political newsletter Popular Information, which focuses on independent accountability journalism. Prior to this, he was the founder and editor of the progressive website ThinkProgress.

Education and Early Career

Legum earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Analysis from Pomona College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. After law school, he became a member of the Maryland State Bar Association. His early career included a stint as research director for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2008 and a brief period practicing law in Maryland.

ThinkProgress

Legum founded ThinkProgress in 2005, where he served as editor until 2007. He returned to the site in 2011 and became its editor-in-chief in May 2012. Under his leadership, ThinkProgress expanded significantly, reaching about 10 million unique visitors per month.

Popular Information

In 2018, Legum launched Popular Information on Substack, marking it as the first politically focused publication on the platform. The newsletter aims to provide in-depth reporting on political issues often overlooked by mainstream media. It has gained substantial traction, with over 387,000 subscribers as of late 2021.13

Legum's work through Popular Information has been recognized for its impact on corporate accountability and misinformation in politics. Notably, his investigative reporting has led to significant changes in policies at companies like Darden Restaurants and Kroger.24 The newsletter won the Online Journalism Award for Excellence in Newsletters in 2020 for its contributions to journalism.2

Personal Insights

Judd Legum identifies as a progressive and uses his platform to advocate for transparency and accountability in politics. He emphasizes the importance of delivering news free from advertisements or external influence, aiming to empower readers with factual information necessary for informed citizenship.34