Quillette Podcast Jesse Brown’s Rude Awakening
10 snips
Nov 21, 2025 
Jesse Brown, founder and editor of Canadaland, shares his tumultuous journey navigating the rise of antisemitism in Canada. He reveals how his stance sparked backlash from his own progressive audience, leading to subscriber cancellations and advertiser pressure. The conversation dives into the complexities of modern antisemitism, the blurred lines between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and the challenges of maintaining editorial independence. Brown reflects on personal ideologies and the shifting dynamics within his own community.
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Subscriber Backlash Nearly Sank Canadaland
- Jesse Brown recounts a campaign where hundreds to over a thousand subscribers cancelled after he spoke about rising antisemitism.
- He says advertisers were pressured and staff were personally asked how they could support a "Zionist," threatening the business's revenue base.
Audience Capture Can Emerge Suddenly
- Jesse Brown found his audience largely left-leaning but initially resisted the idea of "audience capture."
- He says the episode revealed a genuine audience-capture crisis when supporters pressured him to reverse course on Israel-related coverage.
Trucker Convoy Episode Preceded Current Fallout
- Jesse describes an earlier controversy over the trucker convoy where his predictions of violence proved wrong and cost him some supporters.
- He uses that episode to show he has a history of revising views publicly and facing backlash from parts of his audience.
