About

Our Story

In today’s information age, it is easy for monolithic media companies to manipulate facts and words to fit their narrative. 71 Republic hopes to shift the course of journalism towards a more objective and transparent method of reporting. We produce objective news updates as well as informed and refreshing editorials on current events from an unconventional perspective. Our bias is not tied to any singular party or ideology; rather, we harbor a host of contributors with widely varying backgrounds and political dispositions. Our work has been shared and cited in all corners of today’s current media and political climate.

Our Mission

71 Republic tells the stories of injustice in our world. We recognize that the average person lacks a voice for change, and seek to make them heard.

We believe in giving a megaphone to the marginalized. We wish to reinvigorate the foundational purpose of journalism by using straight-edge reporting to expose the misdeeds of governments, corporations, and those in other positions of authority. As two political machines receive nearly exclusive coverage, 71 Republic intends to reach beyond the status quo and bring light to the issues and perspectives not typically touched upon. We are the revolution in media. We are 71 Republic.

Our Team

Chief Executive Officer

Matthew Geiger

Matthew Geiger studies economics and political science at Ohio University and has taken up numerous ventures in politics, assisting campaigns, candidates, and organizations across the country.

Matthew was also one of the 100 individuals selected to the American Legion Boys Nation program in the summer of 2018, being chosen out of a pool of roughly 22,000 boys. Matthew is also a columnist at The Post, the most premier non-daily student newspaper in the United States.

Chief Operations Officer

Mason Mohon

Mason Mohon is the Chief Operations Officer and Director of Content of 71 Republic. Mason hails from Austin, Texas and is currently attending Hillsdale College. He has interviewed various figures including Cody Wilson, Scott Horton, and Max Borders.

He enjoys researching and writing about topics ranging from economics, psychedelics, and cryptocurrency to libertarianism, postmodernism, and technology.

Editor-in-Chief

James Sweet

James Sweet is the Editor-in-Chief of 71 Republic. He has been a part of 71 Republic since 2017. A supporter of advocacy journalism, he believes in using the truth to change the status quo for the better. He also supports action both inside and outside the electoral system to achieve his goals. James has also held the titles of Contributor, Associate Editor, and Managing Editor throughout his two-year tenure at 71 Republic.

James is also an enthusiast of the world of business. He has competed in DECA, the marketing-oriented student organization, on a state and international level, earning third at state and being recognized at internationals for his scores.

Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Zirkle

Andrew Zirkle is the Chief Financial Officer and a reporter for 71 Republic. He has lived in North Carolina and Colorado, and he currently resides in Maryland. He is a believer in responsible journalism and wants to alter the destructive status quo in the current media climate.

Andrew supports policy-based solutions derived from statistical analysis and enjoys using statistics to make insights into our economic system and our electoral climate. Andrew is currently a freshman studying economics and journalism at the University of Maryland.

Chief Technological Officer

Blake Johnson

Blake Johnson is the Chief Technological Officer at 71 Republic. Hailing from a background of hacking, tech, and cryptocurrency, Blake’s passions lie in exploring ways to circumvent the iron grip of government overreach from a technological approach.

As a college sophomore majoring in information technology, Blake’s deep knowledge of computer science and the internet has enabled him to create important technological systems for 71 Republic. Blake’s work has led to 71 Republic self-hosting nearly all of its services, from website to email. Blake also helped to establish 71 Republic’s very own whistleblowing service: leaks.71republic.com.

Managing Editor

Ryan Lau

Ryan Lau is the former Editor-in-Chief and current Managing Editor of 71 Republic. He currently attends Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, majoring in philosophy and minoring in formal organizations. He has worked with 71 Republic since its inception in 2017. He avidly believes in subversive innovation as a means to reduce or eliminate the power governments have over individual lives.

Ryan is also an avid downhill skier and distance runner; he has run three marathons so far, placing third in his division at the Hartford Marathon in 2018. In the future, he plans to continue writing both fiction and non-fiction.