Journalism via Substack
To all the people who still believe in humanity.
In this time of corrupted media and journalists, we don't have many sources for real and valuable news, especially political news. We have to stick with what we have. I hate that and I want it changed. Not for me, but for us.
Craving for a change
I know that there are a lot of young and experienced journalists out there craving for change. Because most of them are in this profession to do something meaningful, but they are not getting a chance due to corporate pressure and bias towards something or a government or a political party. I know we can't just tell them to stop doing it, it’s their job and they have to live. So they are pressured to do it without interest.
I’m observing a pattern in the Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z generations. One is easy to be manipulated and the other is craving for attention. And there is an in-between generation who are polarised or following a cult.
So my observations are from social media and news comment sections. They all want to spread the news first, without even reading it. These channels know that, so they use click baits which are most of the time either quoting out of context or completely lying. Some people hate others for no reason because they are constantly fed the cooked-up news they like to believe.
Can we change that? No is the straight answer, but we can try. Nothing is ever achieved without trying. One good example of my point is a plant in a closed room with a single point of sunlight that will grow toward the light.
So what I’m proposing is
Substack can do this. You can do this via Substack. This platform has the potential to be a game changer. If you want to help this world from monopolies and dictators, decentralization is the key. I’m not talking about blockchain-based decentralization. See, it’s an idea, a concept. Many people are talking about it. I stumbled upon this idea in 2017 and it is stuck since then.
Here, the platform is not selling ads like Google or Facebook do. But authors can, it’s their choice. But nothing is ever targeting you. See if a poster ad can change the political scenario upside down, think about the effects of advertisement-populated media.
Fascist forces will try to attack a company if there are people behind it. They will influence and control the platform. As the saying, who controls the narrative, controls the herd. This is the root cause of the problem I’m talking about.
We need independent journalists, not corporates. The upcoming generation of journalists should be independent and free from corporate or government influence. I know that money is an issue, but people will pay for quality journalism. There should also be a transparent union for journalists to protect their rights.
Independent journalists are essential for a free and democratic society.
They hold those in power accountable and provide the public with the information they need to make informed decisions.
At last, we have the right to choose a source from this pool. It’s not like we are entitled to some organization-controlled media. We can change whenever we want. So it’s quality over quantity any day.
Opportunities are endless
Now they are adding more features and keeping it simple for the reader, I can see a lot of potential here if used correctly. Some of my views are;
Create country-level, state-level, and district-level publications.
Use local body levels as the sections in the district publications.
Cover what you can.
Write for humans, by the humans.
Attract more publishers as your co-authors who can cover news from their places.
Built the publications on unique and mutually agreed upon terms that everyone needs to value. The entire concept needs to go vision oriented. The moment it tends to be person-oriented, that’s the start of centralization.
Sell digital and physical items with the help of Gumroad.
As you grow, start paid publications if you can't meet the end-to-end.
Be accountable for the news you are sharing, because that's one of the points of this movement.
Always use real data to back up everything you say.
Avoid conspiracy theories as much as possible.
Organize every related news
Use a board to visualize every impactful news.
Don't use AI to write, but use it wisely.
When you write something, differentiate it using headings and other things available.
Use images and videos to make more impact.
Follow up till it resolves.
Well, you can see how it goes, if you just start. Maybe you are thinking, why are you not starting? I might if I meet the right people on this road. I need to make sure that nothing can corrupt this concept or the people behind it. I don't want to create another problem in this chaotic world. That’s why I’m proposing this as an idea. An idea can be anything including dangerous and beautiful at the same time can disrupt the entire system. So I need to make sure. It can happen if it’s meant to happen.
Invite more people to read and write. The more the better. Because the whole concept is people for people. Anybody can engage with any news. Share their opinion. Maybe Substack will soon start a reputation score (only in the comment sections) like Artifact to keep the platform simple and sane. That means, if someone tries to discredit or talk offensively and harm in the comments section, they will be downvoted and may not be easily visible in the public. They have to change and build a reputation for themselves just like in the real world and yes, a credit score.
In the end it is you the public decides what to read and what not to read or which comment needs to be downvoted. The moderators will decide if something needs to be removed based on their rules, privacy, and terms.
It’s not complicated as it sounds now. I’m sure about that.
What do you think?
If to talk about it more, I have a lot. But we need action as soon as possible. As each day passes, we are going backward and it is getting more difficult to even try. We want society to think for itself. We need the freedom to choose to do that.
This video is from 13 June 2022
Watch this video and you will understand why. Source.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/12/india-twitter-jack-dorsey/