Information Wants To Be Free
In Hazardous Times, Support What You Want To Survive.
“Information wants to be free - but writers have to eat.”
Rod McMillan
I've debated for a long time whether to introduce a subscription option on my Substack. I write long-form investigative pieces on topics that interest me—social issues, politics, history, collapse, and other news. As a freelance journalist and member of the National Union of Journalists, if an article goes into a newspaper or magazine I expect to be paid: so should I paywall?
Reach then Revenue?
I’ve been reading Breaking News by Alan Rusbridger, the editor of The Guardian, where he discusses the transition of news from print to online and the ongoing struggle to make journalism pay in the new online world. They struggled with many different models.
'By having a paywall, you are cutting your journalism off from the world”
Alan Rusbridger
So like The Guardian, I’ve decided to keep my writing free for all readers—because I believe If I think something is worth writing, I think it’s worth reading, and I don’t want to put up any barriers to that.
But if you enjoy my work and believe it has value, and you can afford it, I invite you to support it at a rate of £1 a week, by adding a donation to your subscription.
Or subscribe for free, and buy me a coffee when you read something you like.
If you are looking for something important to support and be a part of helping it survive, but my blog isn’t it, then I would recommend making a donation to support Wikipedia and keep it independent.
