Preston’s Press

PRESTON’S PRESS: Add one more local news site to your bookmarks list: Former Democratic Socialist Supervisor Dean Preston has started PUML(opens in new tab), pronounced “pummel” and standing for Punch Up Media Lab, which seeks to amplify “working-class perspectives that corporate media ignores.” 

“The goal is to counter the rise of corporate disinformation and improve the city for everyday people,” Dean wrote in a text to Power Play. “We work with dozens of Bay Area-based creators who contribute ideas and content.”

The site has published half a dozen articles so far. The most recent,  “The Honeymoon is over: Lurie scandals are mounting and finally getting attention,” lists 10 of the mayor’s perceived stumbles — like Beya-gate and receiving praise from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “A year in, and no matter how much he spends on PR, the mayor’s scandals and unforced errors are becoming too big for the media to ignore,” the article states. 

Other articles discuss the city’s budget, rent control, overdose deaths, and President Donald Trump’s stance on homelessness and how it apparently dovetails with the approaches of Lurie and Newsom.

The articles don’t have bylines, and Preston didn’t say who was writing them. “Our content has been very collaborative. It’s given us a lot of hope through these dark times,” he said, adding that he worked with independent journalists and content creators for months to launch the site. 

PUML is also trying to make some money: You can pay $60 a year to be a “supporter,” $120 for the title of “amplifier,” and $240 for the esteemed “narrative shifter.” Preston did not say how many subscribers he’d pummeled into submission so far.  — Gabe Greschler