Writing on the Web

By ROB PATTERSON

The Internet has wreaked havoc on the field of journalism, maybe nowhere more than in the realm where I began writing professionally: popular music journalism. From my first published works in 1976 well into the 2000s, I was able to make a substantial part of my income as a freelancer from that pursuit. But the rise of music blogs and other digital factors decimated the rock, pop and country music magazine industry – as the Internet did with other publications where I wrote about a range of topics – forever changing the landscape of writing for publications, especially fiscally. There are now far less outlets to write for and it pays significantly less.

Fortunately for me, my range of skills has enabled me to still make (most of) a freelance living by editing books for independent authors and penning marketing communications materials. And there are still publications, like this one, that stubbornly remain in print. But that hasn’t replaced my desire to cover and opine on music and other topics.

With the loss of opportunities to earn as a periodicals writer due to the digital communications revolution, new opportunities have opened up. For both me as a writer and reader and other wordsmiths, new opportunities have also arisen thanks to the Internet. Those who follow journalism can also benefit from them.

One is the website Medium, where anyone can write and post articles. Democratizing journalism is a positive trend even if it also has its ill effects. Medium claimed to have had some 60 million visitors a month back in 2016. It also has an unknown number of subscribers who, as I do, pay either $5 a month or $50 annually. For readers, there’s a dizzying amount and diversity of articles to dive into. Some are behind a paywall and accessible only to “members” (subscribers), but the vast majority are not. When a member reads a story, writers can earn a small fee per member view. For successful Medium contributors, that can add up to a living wage,

I’ve published some stories on Medium and recently began posting somewhat revised versions of this column there. At this point I’ve only earned a sum in the low two-figures from all I’ve published, but that’s as much my fault as anything, as my other commitments take up time when I could be promoting my stories on social media. No matter.

Medium has also been a place where politicians and celebrities have posted statements and open letters. The site enables those who post to layout their copy and add art to create a professional quality post not unlike that on a digital publication.

Substack is a service that journalists can use to send out regular articles and columns with art to subscribers. The writer can either make a subscription free or charge a fee, which for those I subscribe to is $6 (or a somewhat discounted annual fee), The first Substack I subscribed to was from Lucian K. Truscott IV, who I recently wrote about in this space. I’m also a subscriber to Press Run by media critic Eric Boehlert, which does an excellent job of highlighting gaffes, shortcomings and other issues of the American press. I also just signed up to actor Nick Offerman’s for a test run.

I also subscribe to free subscriptions to newsletters by two peers/friends. “Overserved” by Michael Corcoran is a near-daily mailout in which he is writing a comprehensive history of the Austin, Texas, music scene that he intends to become a book. Former Newsday music critic Wayne Robins pens the other.

The value of Substack was underscored when Russia recently invaded Ukraine. From the first hours of the attack, Truscott – a West Point grad and third generation Army member – reported on and analyzed the situation from an informed military perspective. He has masterfully given assessments of the situation from the boots-on-the-ground viewpoint. As the Russian invasion continues to falter, Truscott advances what may appear later as mainstream media news well ahead of the curve.

As newspapers and magazines continue to fall by the wayside, Medium and Substack are developing the initial new media modalities. It will be fascinating to see what follows.

Populist Picks

TV Series: “Law & Order” – The original show in what has become the Dick Wolf TV juggernaut has returned, with previous stars Sam Waterston (as the Manhattan DA) and Anthony Anderson (as a detective). Cancellation by NBC prevented the show becoming the longest-running series in TV history. I hope this new run will set a record for this deservedly seminal show.

Documentary Film: “The Port of Last Resort: Zuflucht in Shanghai” – This 1998 film tells how some 20,000 European Jews were able to escape the WWII Nazi holocaust by getting to China in an intriguing historical footnote I wasn’t aware of before.

Rob Patterson is a music and entertainment writer in Austin, Texas. Email orca@prismnet.com.

From The Progressive Populist, April 15, 2022

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