New Media Must Stop Asking Permission to Be Heard

A few wealthy people have a stranglehold on media and culture. It’s time to unseat them.

Ben Werdmuller
Ethical Tech

Photo: Rita Morais on Unsplash

I remember reading about Tavi Gevinson when she was just starting out as a wunderkind blogger. Now her media company is winding down, but at least it’s winding down on her terms.

Her goodbye letter is beautiful:

In one way, this is not my decision, because digital media has become an increasingly difficult business, and Rookie in its current form is no longer financially sustainable. And in another way, it is my decision — to not do the things that might make it financially sustainable, like selling it to new owners, taking money from investors, or asking readers for donations or subscriptions. And in yet another way, it doesn’t feel like I’m deciding not to do all that, because I have explored all of these options, and am unable to proceed with any of them.

This was what I wanted to help solve. It was my job at Matter, a start-up accelerator for media entrepreneurs, but it went far further than that. I was up late at night while writers-turned-entrepreneurs cried on my shoulder; sometimes, I cried with them. I felt every setback and every problem, always wondering if there was more I could do. And I did this as just one part of a bigger…

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Published in Ethical Tech

Essays on tech, open culture, politics and beyond.

Written by Ben Werdmuller

Writer: of code, fiction, and strategy. Trying to work for social good.

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