True North Strategic Review launches new Advertisers program, releases updated Ethics and Standards rules

Well, it’s time for The Talk.

Eventually, we were going to come down this road, and eventually, we would have to address it. For a long time, I’ve tried my best to avoid the financials of TNSR, and for a long time, I’ve told myself to leave things be.

I never intended for TNSR to be anything more than a hobby — a place for me to just write my thoughts and feelings. It was better than Twitter for writing long threads.

That isn’t what it is now, though. What I envisioned for TNSR has long since passed into something far bigger. We’re about to hit 100,000 monthly viewers. I’ve been invited to speak publicly, to take part in books…

If you had asked me six months ago whether this would have been possible, I would have laughed in your face. It has been jarring and difficult to accept where I am, and how many people look to me for information.

I am happy to play that role, and I am eternally grateful to all of you for putting your faith and belief in me. I’m no academic. I never served. I am simply a person with passion, and that passion has been my fuel.

However, we are now at the crossroads of that transition — the point in the journey where I have to accept that this hobby has become something more, and treat it with the respect it deserves.

You have all been very clear: you want more content, more opinion pieces. You’re hungry for knowledge, like me, and I am the person you come to for it. I feel a responsibility to provide that. I want to do more.

That has become a major undertaking, though. On an average week, I can easily produce nearly 10,000 words or more. That includes a newsletter, AMAs, opinion pieces, and news coverage.

News requires tracking down. Opinions require research. For every hour of writing, I usually dedicate three or four hours to research. That doesn’t even include my general learning and reading on various topics.

My little hobby can take up 25 to 30 hours a week. That’s not counting the many people I talk to daily or the time spent interacting with all of you. It’s a major consumer of my free time, and for a long time, I’ve done it purely for the love of it.

I love writing. I love talking to people. I love doing this. It might be strange, but I see all of you as friends, and as my friends, I want to do right by you. Many of you who responded to our survey (which is still open!) have made it clear that I’m your only news source.

So, I do feel a mandate of responsibility to do the most I can for you. But as the demands grow, that becomes harder. I’ll be real — I make a bit of money from the kind subscriptions some of you have given.

I appreciate, from the bottom of my heart, all of you who have chosen to support me and believe in my growth. That amount, though, is still very small — under $300 a month.

That has been fine for a long time. I have other income sources and am financially secure. That’s the reason I’ve so rarely pushed paid subscriptions. I never had a big need for it, and I never wanted to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

And I still won’t. That’s not why we’re here. As my workload grows, though, I’ve had to make tough choices — sacrificing work to keep up here, especially recently. That hasn’t been a financial strain on me or my family, but it has been a sacrifice for passion.

I’ve been so passionate about this that I’ve even turned down advertisement offers out of a desire to stay fully independent. I didn’t want to carry that burden on my shoulders.

But now it’s not so simple. I have opportunities to make more money and dedicate more time and effort here. Yet that comes through allowing advertisements on my page and in my content.

I want to do more, but I remain stuck in the anxiety of perceptions. I don’t want anyone to think of my content as biased, paid for, or manipulated by outside forces.

You all know that I take this seriously. I have the utmost respect for my readers and for my own principles. If I’m wrong, you know I’ll admit it. You can call me out. You can talk to me. I’m an open book.

It’s part of what makes TNSR great. We’re a community. You can always reach me — through the AMA, through DMs. You always have access to me, my thoughts, my struggles. You know I admit my mistakes and weaknesses. In turn, I know you’ll hold me accountable and treat me as a friend.

That’s what makes this so difficult. While I know I have your faith, there will always be worries, lingering thoughts about how this will affect my writing and whether your trust can truly be placed in me to stay unbiased.

So let’s get to the point. Starting now, True North Strategic Review will open to advertisements. While our options are limited, Substack provides enough tools and space for me to host them.

Multiple companies have reached out to me — especially in the last month — about this. They’ve asked about availability and pricing. I get it. TNSR is now one of the largest defence spaces in Canada. Our audience is diverse and highly engaged.

This will, hopefully, allow me to continue expanding and creating more content without being intrusive to you, the reader. These ads will be designed not to interfere with the main content — no pop-ups, no distractions.

They will be minimally intrusive, selective, and controlled. I’ll make sure of that. In a perfect world, this balance would be the optimal setup. More revenue means more investment into TNSR, and more time I can dedicate.

However, I understand the concerns many of you will have. I understand that some may disagree with this choice, and I accept that. If it proves unpopular, I will reverse it — full stop. I’ll finish any active deals and that will be the end.

I also want to make clear that I have no intention of changing my content. What you get is me. I don’t need this money, and I don’t fear losing advertisers by being honest and speaking my mind.

I hope that my criticisms are seen as constructive — as fostering conversation. I believe there’s no better place than here to have those discussions. Our community is diverse, full of people from industry, government, the CAF, and the general public.

I don’t think any community with our mix of backgrounds is as prepared or open to having those constructive, sometimes provocative conversations. I hope many companies recognize that. I hope my bluntness and honesty are reasons to advertise with me, not against me.

I will accept no tampering with our content or with how I write. But I know my word alone isn’t enough. There needs to be more than my promise to ensure our standards are upheld.

That’s why we are also launching TNSR’s Rules and Ethics Policy. This policy has been built through consultation with other journalists, members of the media, and trusted advisors to ensure it covers as many bases as possible.

It is strict, expansive, and open for everyone to read. It sets standards not only for me but for everyone who interacts with TNSR. As many of you saw this week, we welcomed our first guest contributors.

This is another trial for me — opening TNSR to limited outside content from other creators. This policy ensures that everyone — from guest contributors to advertisers — follows the same set of standards.

The policy is also independent of me, with a separate review system, investigators, and decision-making process outside of my control. This part is still being built, but I hope it creates a framework separate from myself.

Everyone will now have a set of rules to look to if they have concerns about TNSR or its content. We will soon have a proper review system in place to handle complaints.

The value of this system is simple: it exists to protect you and to protect TNSR from itself. Growth brings responsibility, and responsibility demands structure. I’ve always said that trust is the most valuable thing I have, and this policy is how I safeguard it.

It means that no matter how large TNSR becomes, the principles that built it remain intact. Every story, every opinion, every contributor — all of it is held to the same transparent standard. This is codifying what we’ve always practiced: honesty, accountability, and independence.

There will be no shadow influence. If an article involves a subject connected to an advertiser or contributor, that connection will be clearly stated. Advertisers will never dictate content. Contributors will never publish unchecked. Every piece under the TNSR banner will pass through an established framework ensuring accuracy, fairness, and disclosure.

In the end, this is about building an institution that can stand on its own. TNSR started as a personal project, but it has grown into something communal — a space where readers, experts, and enthusiasts all have a stake. That means it’s no longer enough to rely solely on my word or personal ethics. We need a framework that surpasses me, that sustains TNSR’s credibility for the long term.

To those interested in learning more about our advertising policy, you can reach us at info@truenorthstrategicreview.ca

I understand this may be unpopular. I understand that this may be concerning. But you know you can always reach out to us — to me — if you have questions or concerns. My door is always open.