June 1, 2024 (Updated )
Twenty twenty-three was not a kind year for independent media. In March 2023, gal-dem folded after eight years of telling the stories of people of colour. A month later, feminist publisher Bitch Media announced plans shut its doors. In September, independent literary magazine The White Review ceased publishing indefinitely.
Founded to give a voice to audiences overlooked by mainstream publishers — namely feminists and people of colour — their growth reflected the need for diverse stories. Going up against legacy media, they shifted the media landscape and provided spaces for marginalised writers to build their credibility and start conversations that may not have been accepted in traditional outlets.
But it’s been a brutal 12 months, with even more established titles faltering. Vice Media Group — which started as an alternative magazine almost 30 years ago — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May and announced several rounds of redundancy throughout the year.
“Being a freelancer can be exhausting, but I knew there were some indie publications who would be more receptive to my pitches or at least provide feedback,” says Hannah Abraham, an Indian freelance journalist who has written for The Guardian, Teen Vogue, Variety, and more. “I feel like the media landscape has gotten colder without these publications.”
A prime example is the closure of gal-dem. Founded in 2015, it brought a much-needed spark to the British media space, commissioning everything from political commentary to diverse culture. Most importantly, it made a space for women and non-binary people of colour, ensuring that different experiences were not just represented, but celebrated.
“It is often indies that look where mainstream and legacy media overlook, especially when it comes to underrepresented and marginalised communities, as well as local and regional news stories,” says Suyin Haynes, former editor-in-chief at gal-dem.
“In the national newspaper industry, just three companies own 90 per cent of Sunday newspaper titles. Reliance on news from these limited sources alone, and without independent media, risks stifling and limiting perspectives in so many ways.”
Our increasingly digital world has created a strange paradox. On the one hand, setting up an online publication has never been so easy and equitable. Yet, at the same time, the landscape has never been so over-saturated — both in terms of capturing the audience’s attention and finding a sustainable business model.
Undeniably, funding issues play a major role in running an independent publication. Overheads such as paying writers, staff, and website costs can rarely be funded through working with advertisers alone. And, without stable income streams, talented writers are pushed out of the industry as they are unable to get paid for their work.
Haaniyah Angus is the founder of labaatan, a zine that helps to platform underrepresented writers during unprecedented times. She tells Journo Resources that the struggle to find a business model that works for independent journalism has had a direct effect on her career choices.
Suyin Haynes, former editor-in-chief of gal-dem (L) and Haaniyah Angus, founder of Labaatan (R)
“I started my Masters in Sociology (Cultural Analysis) at Goldsmiths because I realised I can’t write for a living, so I might as well go into something similar, like academia, where I can write papers and journal articles. Like, at least I can get grants in this way.
“I also find it difficult to secure commissions as there’s more competition for mainstream news outlets and there’s also less need for more obscure or critical pieces.”
Suyin agrees: “It’s rare to be able to find places that will encourage and nurture new writers who might not otherwise have had the opportunity, which I was always so proud of at gal-dem. She recalls one comment in particular upon the outlet’s closure, that the publication turned people into writers and writers into editors.
“That was certainly my journey and it’s hard to encapsulate in words what the loss of that space meant for both me and so many other people. The reality is, it’s so difficult to find mainstream media outlets that are willing to take those same chances.”
Even for more established writers like Suyin, who is now freelancing for the first time in her eight-year career, the competitiveness of the landscape has been eye-opening. “The spaces for these kinds of ideas, and for a new generation of journalists from underrepresented backgrounds to grow, risks closing completely if editors and newsrooms are not willing to invest resources, time, and energy into nurturing reporting and perspectives that are so sorely needed right now.”
Journalism undeniably has a representation problem — and in many areas, it’s getting worse. The latest statistics from the National Council for the Training of Journalists show that 72 per cent of journalists now come from middle-class backgrounds, and 94 per cent of editors — the senior decision-makers in newsrooms — are white.
• Invest in their existence! Often, independent publications rely directly on support from their communities to stay afloat. If you can, buy a subscription for yourself, pay one forward, or send them a donation – your support will be highly appreciated.
• Do they sell a magazine? Print is a labour of love for independent publications and can be very costly. Be it monthly or annually, grab a copy if you can – and pass it on to a friend!
• If you can’t afford a membership right now, support in other ways. Tell others about their work, link to it on social media, and encourage your friends to sign up for their newsletters. Stats make a difference; the bigger and more engaged the audience, the easier it can be to secure investment and funding.
• Don’t forget the power of word of mouth! Champion their work while networking, talk about some of your favourite pieces, and encourage your favourite writers. Knowing you have an audience who appreciates your work is great motivation to keep going in the tough times.
Taj Ali is the co-editor of Tribune Magazine. Commenting on the statistics on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Nobody chooses their class background, but this imbalance has to be addressed, otherwise the stories of working-class communities will never be adequately told. Having more people rooted in communities and with lived experience of the issues they discuss will benefit all of us.”
The closure of so many independent publications makes it harder for journalists from diverse or marginalised backgrounds to report on stories unique to their lived experiences. It’s not to say that writers from marginalised backgrounds can only report on topics related to their identities, but rather to give them a seat at the table in the first place.
At the same time, there’s a shift towards writers setting up individual platforms, as opposed to launching new outlets, with the writer becoming almost akin to social media influencers. While services such as Substack release very little data about subscriber numbers, it is clear some people are making large amounts.
Take, for example, journalist Emma Gannon, who now makes six figures writing The Hyphen, a newsletter about books, well-being, work, and creativity. She writes that she moved to the platform for a “sense of community” as “social media is no longer that space for me”. While Emma says she has seen many writers enjoy large growth despite “starting off from zero”, it’s clear that not everyone enjoys this level of success.
“We are seeing trends towards more individual forms of media production in some ways,” agrees Suyin. “Certainly many former gal-dem contributors, including myself, are on Substack now, which promotes itself as fostering community — although in a different way to somewhere like gal-dem. The community is essentially run by one person, which can feel quite lonely.”
“I’m also not convinced that a platform like Substack is a suitable alternative to independent media publications, as it has its limits. For example, there is undoubtedly a finite amount of newsletters one reader can subscribe to, and then an even more limited amount that they may be willing to part with their money for.”
Hannah agrees: “When you’re collaborating with writers and editors on a publication, there’s a sense of community. You don’t get that working alone as an individual.” It’s an ethos I have first-hand experience of — I first met her three years ago as an editorial fellow for a non-defunct publication.
The bottom line for many is money and where it can or should come from. While many sites opt for digital subscriptions alongside more traditional advertising packages, this cost-of-living crisis threatens to destabilise the system further.
“I also challenge the idea that a reader should bear the cost of paying for good quality journalism,” concludes Suyin. “If I want to be an active citizen, and to stay engaged and informed, should my ability to do that be contingent on my income? No, that right should be for everyone.”
She also points to the work of the Public Interest News Foundation, which is exploring positive and sustainable new futures for journalism in the UK, including systems for non-profit and philanthropy-funded newsrooms. For independent media to survive, she says, there must be a total reframing of the media.
As for readers? There’s never been a more pivotal time to support indie publications. Reading, engaging, and sharing their work is so vital. We can’t take such organisations for granted — and must cherish them for the work they do.
