Dr. Jen Ashton's independent platform Ajenda generated seven figures in its first year and doubled revenue in its second. That figure, reported by TVNewser, is the clearest signal yet that former network journalists can build viable media businesses on their own.

Ashton, formerly ABC News chief medical correspondent, is one of three high-profile names who left broadcast and launched independent outfits. Terry Moran, let go from ABC News in June 2025, started Real Patriotism, a publication focused on current political discourse. Vinita Nair, a former anchor at ABC News, NBC News and CBS News, founded Vinitia Speaks, a coaching and communication-training business.

All three publish through Beehiiv, a digital publishing platform launched in 2021 that gives creators tools to publish, grow and monetize audiences via newsletters, websites, podcasts and memberships (recurring paid subscriber programs).

How big are these operations?

Ajenda is the benchmark. Ashton built it from a one-person operation into a business of nearly 20 people, with two newsletters and a membership program. A podcast and live events are planned next.

Nair's scale is measured in audience rather than headcount. Her @vinitaspeaks TikTok account counts more than 240,000 followers, and she runs a newsletter alongside the training business.

Moran's Real Patriotism applies his political reporting background to paid and free political analysis.

What does independence cost and deliver?

The trade-off is control against workload. Moran told TVNewser: "It's the best and hardest job I've ever had." He now handles production, business strategy, tech issues and customer support himself.

Ashton said 18 years in broadcast never gave her a choice in topic selection. Independence lets her be "more intentional and contemplative in the topics." She does not miss the early wake-up calls or heavy hair and makeup; Nair does not miss long hours and unpredictable travel.

Moran went further in his critique of newsrooms, saying civic spirit there is "a rhetorical ornament, put up for show, rather than a democratic necessity and journalistic obligation." All three said they miss their former colleagues.

Nair saw a market gap rather than an escape: "I was seeing how a digital, AI-centered world was affecting human connection, yet no one was reporting on it," she said.

How do independents establish credibility?

Without a newsroom, credibility is self-made. Nair applies old standards to new channels: "I use the same reporting standards and editorial judgment I developed in network news. Before I publish anything, I ask myself whether it is accurate, useful, and responsible."

Ashton argued the network badge itself no longer does the work. "Being a good communicator with good credentials does," she said, not having your name attached to a news organization. Moran frames credibility as getting it right and telling the truth about what it means.

What is the audience-building lesson?

All three reject passive distribution. "You have to go to them. You need to find them, and they need to choose you as your source," Ashton said. She emphasized patience and focus; audiences will not simply arrive.

Nair advised using honed reporting skills, particularly investigative experience, to "understand what people need." Moran said the test of connection is audience response: "You'll know you're connecting by their authentic responses to the work." His closing instruction to would-be independents: "Don't fake outrage if you don't feel it. Don't run from a hard subject. Do follow your heart."

For marketing leaders, the pattern is straightforward: named journalists with built-in trust can convert that trust into direct-revenue media businesses, and Beehiiv's 2021-vintage tooling has become the default stack for the move.