To be honest, doing what I did over the last week, which was produce the five-part series called “Give It Away,” took a lot out of me, and not just as a writer.
Reliving such an intense piece of my history was deflating.
Several people have asked me why I chose that name, beyond the fact that the Chili Peppers song with that title happened to be playing when I first arrived at the HotWired office.
There are a number of reasons.
The main difference between the stories we published at HotWired and all of those I’d published up until that time was that at HotWired we didn’t charge for them — we just gave them away.
From a consumer point-of-view, this was great. Now you would be able to read whatever you wished and not have to pay for it.
But from a journalist’s perspective, this was a nightmare. How would we ever be able to make a living going forward?
I didn’t know the answer but I was determined to find it if there was one. Accordingly I spent the next quarter century inside various companies trying to discover a business model that could sustain my profession in a time of profound change.
For a while I thought the the market valuations of our new media companies might yield enough money that it would trickle down to those of us were worker bees as opposed to those who always seem to profit — the people at the top, the owners and investors.
But that didn’t happen. Rather, some of us who tried to cash in on the stock markets lost much more than we gained. Some even lost their life savings or their houses when they chose the “exercise and hold” option. That, BTW, that one of the worst ideas on the planet.
Paywalls appeared for a while to be a solution and most media companies still use them, but those simply frustrate people who can’t (or don’t want) to pay and so they ultimately drive people away. Most sites cannot build a large enough audience by charging for their content to sustain a business anyway. That is why they frequently offer you special deals — like 99 cents for 6 months or the like.
The bottom line is that none of these models actually work for the great majority of companies striving to provide actual journalism to their communities.
So why does this matter, you might ask. Many industries have been disrupted in the digital age — what’s so special about media organizations?
Nothing, I suppose, except that they may be our last best hope to preserve any real form of democracy. Without strong reporting to keep our government and private institutions accountable, mischief and danger will inevitably take root in the shadows.
Without sunlight there is only darkness and in 2022 America it’s already late in the day.
Our nation is awash in conspiracy theories, disinformation, and outright lies like the Big One about the 2020 election being stolen and these lies are systematically undermining what I hold most precious about our society.
It’s a little like a mixture of the fable of the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “Plato’s Cave.” The shadow of the wolf is at the door but there aren’t enough journalists left to convince people to even look outside.
And I’m not sure they would believe us anyway. Because journalists have lost our credibility with too many of our fellow citizens.
To be blunt, I am afraid that we’ve all but given away our best defense against an authoritarian future.
That is why I called my series what I did.
And by telling these stories, I’m still hoping we won’t (give it away).
NOTE: Speaking about giving stuff away, I deeply appreciate those of you who subscribe to my newsletter. If you know someone who might appreciate this service, please invite them to subscribe, free or otherwise.
LATEST LINKS (30):
Pro-Russian separatist forces descend on Donetsk; Ukrainian civilians told to flee as heavy shelling hits region (CNBC)
Russian forces set their sights on their next objectives in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province after President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in neighboring Luhansk province and the five-month long war entered a new phase. (Reuters)
Russia Advances Behind Brutal Barrage, but Will Its Strategy Keep Working? (NYT)
High cost of Russian gains in Ukraine may limit new advance (AP)
Military briefing: how close is Russia to taking Donbas after the fall of Luhansk? (Financial Times)
NATO Advances Sweden, Finland Toward Membership as Fighting Rages in Eastern Ukraine (WSJ)
Georgia grand jury subpoenas Sen. Graham, Giuliani and Trump legal team (WP)
Abortion fight strains Democratic alliance with Gen Z (Politico)
Will the Abortion Debate Keep Moderate Women in the Democrats’ Camp? (NYT)
After the abortion ruling, digital privacy is more important than ever (Edit Bd/WP)
In a move sure to stoke speculation of a presidential run, Gavin Newsom is airing his latest TV ad in Florida. “Join us in California, where we still believe in freedom,” he says in the ad. (AP)
Alleged Highland Park Shooter Acquired Gun Legally, Officials Say (WSJ)
Chicago suspect planned attack for weeks — police (BBC)
President Joe Biden said freedoms in America were under assault and urged citizens to engage in "principled patriotism" while the country faced economic challenges and national divisions. "From the deepest depths of our worst crises, we've always risen to our higher heights," Biden said in remarks at the White House. (Reuters)
The White House official that reports say is disputing account of Trump's actions on January 6 has a history of lying for him, former aides say (Business Insider)
The House committee bet big with Hutchinson. Did it pay off? (WP)
Watergate prosecutor says slapping Trump with a charge of rebellion or insurrection could prevent him from ever holding office again (Business Insider)
A massive $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit by a voting machine company over Fox News election lies got a whole lot more serious last month when a judge ruled the action can proceed in a scathing ruling against Rupert Murdoch and his son. A particularly intriguing development could be the exposure of text and email messages among the Trump White House, Fox News personalities, and even Rupert Murdoch. [HuffPost]
China Touts Afghan Trade and Investment Plans After Quake (Reuters)
The Bank of England warned that the economic outlook for Britain and the world had darkened and told banks to ramp up capital buffers to ensure they can weather the storm, while Australia's central bank raised interest rates for a third straight month and flagged more ahead as it struggles to contain surging inflation even at the risk of triggering an economic downturn. (Reuters)
Europe braces for another energy shock as Norwegian gas fields close (CNN)
Euro tumbles to 19-year low against dollar (NHK)
Police in Akron, Ohio, released footage showing the moments that led up to the death of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by eight police officers after he fled from an attempted traffic stop last week. Authorities released the footage from two officers’ body cameras, while confirming that Walker was unarmed at the time he was shot. [HuffPost]
Italy Faces Worst Drought in Decades as Europe Feels the Heat (WSJ)
Central states and Southwest to swelter as new heat dome builds up (WP)
Heatwaves are predicted to sweep through northern China in the next two weeks, with more than 250 million people expected to grapple with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in some regions. (Reuters)
Search for habitable exoplanets included in China's upcoming space missions (Space.com)
A top secret map from D-Day is now in the Library of Congress. The map has notes that 23-year-old Joe Vaghi, a Navy lieutenant commander who guided thousands of troops landing on Omaha Beach in 1944 during the allied invasion of the northwest coast of France.penciled in just before the landing. (WP)
Japan deploys artificial intelligence to detect rip currents as beach season hots up (Guardian)
4th Of July Potluck Guests Asked To Bring Something Everyone Can Blow Up (The Onion)
LYRICS:
“Tower of Song”
Sung by Willie Nelson
Written by Leonard Cohen
Well, my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song
I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn't answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
Oh, a hundred floors above me in the Tower of Song
I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
And twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond
They tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song
So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
I'm very sorry, baby, doesn't look like me at all
I'm standing by the window where the light is strong
Ah, they don't let a woman kill you, not in the Tower of Song
Now, you can say that I've grown bitter but of this you may be sure
The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there's a mighty judgment coming, but I may be wrong
You see, you hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song
I see you standing on the other side
I don't know how the river got so wide
I loved you baby, way back when
And all the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
But I feel so close to everything that we lost
We'll never, we'll never have to lose it again
Now I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back
They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone
I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song
Yeah, my friends are gone and my hair is gray
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song
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