Why I Started a Digital Platform for Young Conservatives to Take on the Left
Bradley Haley /
In the back seat of a Toyota Sienna headed north through the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I rapidly bought an internet domain name and a WordPress subscription. I then furiously began constructing a website on my iPhone 12 Mini—a task not for the faint of heart.
On this vacation with my family on the North Carolina coast in June 2023, I had the idea to start a publication for young conservatives. I wanted to build a digital platform where my generation could counter the philosophy, theology, and anthropology of the Left.
Perhaps publishing articles is not the best way to get clicks and eyeballs in the age of scrolling and tapping, yet I wanted to create an outlet where young conservatives could hone their skills as writers and editors.
In starting this project, I wanted to find out if there are other young conservatives who share my vision of cultural renewal and commitment to the written word.
I found out that there are.
In the 13 months since I cobbled together a website in the backseat of that Toyota minivan, nearly 30 young conservatives from 15 colleges across the nation have turned my idea into reality.
New Guard Press, launched last October, now publishes multiple articles a week on cultural and political topics ranging from C.S. Lewis’ fiction to the border crisis to conservative education reforms.
Our goal is not to go viral, nor is it to “own the libs.” We don’t want to react to the day-to-day news cycle or simply complain about the latest instance of cultural insanity.
Our goal is to offer a positive vision for the future of conservative culture. We strive for patient reflection, thoughtful deliberation, and beautiful writing.
The name New Guard Press stems from the idea that my generation, Gen Z, is the “new guard” of the traditions that gave rise to the American Founding. We are the latest inheritors of the intellectual, religious, and cultural traditions that flow through Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and Philadelphia.
As inheritors, we must decide what we will do with our inheritance.
New Guard Press is a hub for thoughtful young conservatives who cherish those traditions and believe them to be the key to restoring a healthy, flourishing, and well-ordered society.
Young conservatives interested in getting involved may visit the New Guard Press website, learn about the submission process, and sign up for our newsletter.
I believe that New Guard Press will draw attention as a much-needed voice of calm confidence in the traditions that gave rise to the American experiment.
But as we attempt to expand our readership and look toward adding such elements as podcasting and video, our aim is not to anxiously fight tooth and nail for every last click, like, and eyeball.
Rather, our goal is to stand confidently on what we have received from our forefathers and use it to articulate a path forward.