Independent journalism is racist? ‘Top earner’ complains white people do ‘way better’ on Substack platform

17 Nov, 2020 16:44

As Substack, the platform that allows journalists to build paid followings from newsletters, moves into the mainstream, woke critics are suggesting the site is biased towards white writers.

“I am a white person and I am a top earner on Substack and it’s very weird to me that some people don’t wanna admit that white people do way way way better on Substack,” journalist Emily Atkin tweeted on Monday, adding that maybe people should “figure out how to make it not that way.” 

Atkin also said that “pure raw talent” is not behind the success of many who have moved onto the platform.

Substack has become increasingly popular recently, as journalists such as Glenn Greenwald have fled to the platform in search of an independent site to release content.

Atkin’s assertion has not earned much support, as many have blasted the journalist for “humblebragging” and virtue signaling unnecessarily. 

“You can criticize consumer preferences, but they’re difficult to change,” user Steven Walk wrote.

“The woke war on Substack begins,” another added

Substack has become a target for many liberals, as the platform has become a popular destination for writers seeking to escape mainstream censorship. 

Leading journalists such as Greenwald, Rolling Stone editor Matt Taibbi, and Vox co-founder Matt Yglesias have brought attention to the site with their moves. 

Also on rt.com Vox co-founder Yglesias becomes latest prominent journalist to flee media job for opportunity to report & speak independently

“The best grift in media today is telling your hundreds of thousands of followers that you’re suppressed with nowhere to take your voice, and that they should pay a lot of money annually to support you,” New York Times tech reporter Mike Isaac recently tweeted about the site. 

“Corporate journalists despise independence,” tweeted Greenwald, who recently left the Intercept after accusing it of suppressing stories, in response.

“This is the same reason they hate @JoeRogan. They think it’s a grave injustice that millions want to listen to him – [and] are willing to pay – but not to them, and that he’s free to say what he wants and they’re not,” he added. “The more free discourse emerges, the more they’ll malign it.”

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