I began my career in the midst of the pivot to video and, in addition to being evaluated for the amount of pageviews I generated as a reporter, I was tasked with publishing a certain amount of videos per week. (It was either one or two videos, I cannot remember. It was 10 years ago, please.) I remember feeling like the idea of judging a journalist mostly off metrics was very silly. So, I was incredibly amused when a colleague of mine posted a video of a balloon aimlessly floating through a downtown street and it became the top story/video on the site. (Ugh. Iconic. I hope they’re doing well.)
Unsurprisingly, the powerbrokers of the news industry have pivoted their editorial priorities several times since then and I’m assuming they will continue to do so without any truly meaningful reflection on what it means for employees or audiences.
You might assume that in moments such as this one, I’d stand on my soapbox and preach about the importance of reporters having their own brand and being able to survive as freelancers. But, I think that would be just as silly as the pivot to video initiatives. I do not believe the solution to fixing journalism is pushing reporters to go freelance and forcing people who are uninterested in doing so to fund their own health insurance, sick leave, paternal leave, retirement, etc. While I love freelancing, I’m also passionate about people having the option to be staff reporters in legacy newsrooms without the fear that they’ll be laid off en masse. We need a diverse, robust news ecosystem that supports freelancers and staff reporters, traditional and nontraditional media publications. We should not be reliant on the whims of billionaire media owners, but it’s just as silly to think the gig economy can hold all of us.
When my own words fail me, I can always count on Craig Jenkins to offer a timely, impassioned reflection on the state of things. He did just that this week with his article “We Owe Pitchfork” for Vulture. He helped me lean into hope at a time when it’s so easy to fall into hopelessness.
But declaring the whole of music journalism to be dead amid the uncertainty of Pitchfork (and the many alt weeklies and indie stalwarts we’ve lost) is premature. You don’t memorialize the whole local nightlife scene because a club got shut down. You follow your favorite staff to the next venture. As long as culture can live — [election-year shudder] — so, too, will florid fights around it. This isn’t a story of a website floundering because readers quit on it. It’s disrespectful to the many writers still fighting the good fight, and to the relentlessness of a crafty generation that turned LiveJournal, Tumblr, and Twitter posts into respectable jobs, to declare a lost cause here.
Craig is right, as usual. No matter the capacity – whether it’s full time or a side hustle as some of us seek out more stable ground – we write, because it’s what we are compelled to do. As long as someone is reading, there is an opportunity to inform.
I do want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who subscribes to this newsletter. It’s taken many iterations over the years (and I’m currently working on re-launch for later this year) but you all have consistently opened and engaged with the issues that have landed in your inbox. That is so incredibly appreciated. As always, I continue to be open to hearing from y’all about what type of content you want to see in this space! Please let me know via the comments or a private email!
Current Favs.
Home Influencers Will Not Rest Until Everything Has Been Put in a Clear Plastic Storage Bin by Amanda Mull for The Atlantic
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know how much I love to rant about this very topic. I am both fascinated and floored by the language and branding pushing everyday people to treat their homes like retail spaces and their possessions like products on display.
Bill would expand RICO law to include littering, other misdemeanors by Kristal Dixon for Axios Atlanta
I’m going to withhold my opinion on this as someone interested in continuing to cover Georgia’s RICO statute.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (Simon & Schuster)
If we’ve learned anything from reflecting on Britney Spears’ career, it’s that pop stars do not owe us their personal stories. I believe this wholeheartedly, even if I also feel the lack of depth and introspection in this book makes for a dull read.
TA Thomas - Where I’m At
This is such a breezy, accessible R&B song that I initially misjudged it when I first heard it months ago. Its groove has a sneaky, lasting infectiousness.
YSL Corner
The YSL trial returned this week for two days before taking an unexpected and unexplained pause for the remainder of the week. Read my brief recap of the continued testimony of the admitted YSL co-founder here.