✍🏾 A real journalist wrote this

Do you want to be informed about the world by a real journalist? Or a robot plagiarist who gets far too many facts wrong?

Business Insider announced it will cut more than a fifth of its staff as it enthusiastically embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) to shape its news coverage. That story broke at the same time as the revelation that a recent federal Health department report relied so heavily on AI, it was found to be riddled with made-up citations.

There's a real person writing the words you're reading, crafting the stories, and interviewing real people who are working hard to fix our broken world. I don't rely on AI for the same reason a trained pastry chef doesn't use box cake mixes. Not only are we damn good at what we do, but we love doing it– and would rather outsource life's drudgeries to automation than its joys.

To those who have been signed up to this list for a long time, THANK YOU! And a big WELCOME to the new folks who signed up in the last few days, and especially those who are enjoying a paid subscription.

So many of us are having to go the independent route, and trying to build online followings so we can expose audiences to our work. Except that the billionaire-owned social media platforms also rely on AI-powered algorithms that are designed to deprioritize political and truthful content. What gets the views and clicks is rage-bait, conspiracy theories, and sensationalism. The solid journalism that does get through is of the sort that fills you with more rage--the opposite of solutions journalism.

It is neither ironic nor coincidental that at the very moment we need good journalists the most, there are fewer opportunities than ever for journalists. Our predatory capitalist system demands little to no scrutiny. How do those of us who believe billionaires shouldn't exist, use platforms designed by and for billionaires?

We appeal directly to people, as I'm doing right now, and ask them to beat back the algorithm with us. Let's subvert the models that uplift scarcity economics, fuel rage and cynicism, and turn us into mindless consumers fooled by AI and snake oil. To that end, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and look for my content, and like it and post comments so that the algorithm understands it's what you want more of, and share it on your own feeds. We are many, they are few.

And, if you haven't already upgraded your subscription to $4 a month, please do so now. So far, I am about 15% of the way toward my goal to sustain the production of this program. You can help stick it to the capitalist predators and their suppression of information, facts, journalism, and especially solutions, by signing up in minutes for mere pennies a day.

Thank you 🙏🏾

P.S. In a few weeks I'll be announcing a brand new weekly bonus episode just for subscribers - stay tuned for more.