I’ve made my living writing, basically. Not the kind of writing I want to do or enjoy doing (mostly), but writing nonetheless. I believe in the power of something well written. I believe that if you do it well enough, people will pay attention. Maybe not the whole world, but at least the people you’re trying to talk to (or with). The right words in the minds of the right people can change the world.
I’ve had arguments with people in my profession about this. They say no one reads. No one follows you. It needs to be shorter. It needs to have video. It needs hashtags and blah, blah, fucking blah.
I studied this shit extensively in grad school, and I could give you lectures on things like Two Step Flow, Diffusion of Innovation, Agenda Setting Theory, and my favorite, Uses and Gratifications. (Wellllll, I could if I went back and re-read my papers on these theories; it’s been awhile, but the fundamentals are still there.)
Most university media programs focus on teaching you how. This is how you write a feature. This is how you write a press release. This is how you write an ad. Though I suppose these days it’s, “this is how you write a blog with the highest amount of SEO terms possible so as to get the highest amount of page views.”
And that’s the kicker. Eyes-on equates to good enough. But it isn’t. I’ve quit watching the news because a house fire isn’t a news story (sorry, Matt, it’s not). “If it bleeds it leads,” is not a long-term viable strategy, it’s a way to make sure the “ratings” are up so the media source can justify its rates to potential advertisers. As it stands, the “news” doesn’t tell me what I want to know.
But back to my point. I believe in quality. I believe in the power of good writing, of good ideas and good execution. And maybe I’m wrong, but … I think if you make good things, people will come. They’ll read or view, and if you’ve done it right, there’ll be discourse.
I usually feel like I’m on an island with this, but I read a really awesome column on Medium today, and this part really resonated with me:
Your problem is that you make shit. A lot of shit. Cheap shit. And no one cares about you or your cheap shit. And an increasingly aware, connected, and mutable audience is onto your cheap shit. They don’t want your cheap shit. They want the good shit. And they will go to find it somewhere. Hell, they’ll even pay for it.
The truth is that the best and most important things the media (let’s say specifically the news media) has ever made were not made to reach the most people — they were made to reach the right people. Because human beings exist, and we are not content consumption machines. What will save the media industry — or at least the part worth saving — is when we start making Real Things for people again, instead of programming for algorithms or New Things.
So what will matter in the next age of media?
Compelling voices and stories, real and raw talent, new ideas that actually serve or delight an audience, brands that have meaning and ballast; these are things that matter in the next age of media. Thinking of your platform as an actual platform, not a delivery method. Knowing you’re more than just your words. Thinking of your business as a product and storytelling business, not a headline and body-copy business. Thinking of your audience as finite and building a sustainable business model around that audience — that’s going to matter.
The ideas he’s talking about (especially that bit I bolded), those are the operating philosophies I incorporate into my day job, into the things I do for the bike shop and other small businesses I work with (or have worked with). That was the philosophy I used for my movie column for 11 years.It isn’t about the numbers. It’s about the connection. It’s emotional. If you do it well, the people you want to read it probably will, and then they’ll do the unthinkable: They’ll remember they read it and MAYBE talk to someone about it.
It isn’t about the numbers. It’s about the connection. It’s about meaning and value. It’s emotional. If you do it well, the people you want to read it probably will, and then they’ll do the unthinkable: They’ll remember they read it and MAYBE talk to someone about it.
I mean, how much shit did you read on Facebook today that you actually remember?
Take your time.
/end mind dump
skepticlysm 
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