You’re doing fantastic work Emily and it’s fantastic to hear about the success of your submissions work.
I realise substack isn’t perfect, but I’ve found it the most nourishing of the online places I’ve used over the years, if only because of the way it allows us more tools to control comments, especially for paying subscribers. Thanks again.
Thank you Bernard ❤️ that means a lot. I’m proud of this community we have here and proud to be making my living here. I will always be grateful to Substack for giving me my job after many exhausting years of writing for free!
As a parent of preschoolers, I've never been both so glad that my kids aren't online yet and at the same time so worried how much worse things could be by the time they are. As a teacher of senior primary age kids, I'm thinking about what I can do to help them learn this stuff and how to squeeze it into the day.
I understand that fear. I think all we can do is talk lots to our kids and try to learn from them just as they learn from us. I often think my kids are more savvy than I am - they’re true digital natives.
Don't stand (or sit) on a table but it is good to sing Bread and Roses anytime.
I have heard of so many people who read your post about doing submissions and then did so as you made it so easy. Another consultation coming up soon (end Feb) is to make guns easier to get and use, while getting rid of the registry.
By the way the mainstream media in Aotearoa has never been sympathetic to the left. The radical groups which were growing in size and popularity in the early 1900s had to start their own - the Maoriland Worker, which eventually became The Standard. They also had busy unions, education groups and wrote pamphlets. This was the community activism of the time and it was quite effective as it got people talking to each other, despite oppressive governments.
I wouldn’t stand on a table don’t worry! It’s a reference to the film Pride which is a wonderful film.
I love what you’ve shared - getting back to in person grass roots activism will be important. As will making the offline movement as accessible as possible.
Gah it's amazing how fast and how far our biggest local news sites have fallen. I still visit them most days just to catalogue how absolutely nuts some of the stuff they're doing is - but Stuff's Luxon lead is completely insane (and inane?). Click past the homepage and there's little happening in any of the sections, just empty vessels full of clickbait and ragebait.
In my own little part of the world, I was THE ONLY MEDIA at a massive inner-city music event on Saturday night that pulled in 23,000 people. Literally no one else wrote about it. The Black Caps dream of that kind of crowd! Imagine if we didn't cover the cricket?
It’s astonishing isn’t it? It really blows my mind. Just absolute fluff when people are being very clear about what they want to read! A friend has just turned to freelancing (many have right?) and I just thought - jeez good luck to you. Because nobody is even commissioning this stuff now? The pay was never great but at least it was something?!?
I’ve got a few friends freelancing and it’s impossible. They’re all talking about career changes because it just doesn’t work. I did it full-time between 2020-22 and there was a tonne of work. Now? I’ve had Metro, Spinoff and everywhere else I wrote just stop commissioning. Not complaining - I’ve got a fulltime job and Substack and I’m incredibly privileged to have that - but it’s all changed so damn fast.
Yep same here. Usually reliable outlets are not commissioning anyone. Thank god for substack or I’d be changing careers too. It used to be I’d be turning down work and now there’s almost nothing out there.
I have detested fb for some time, although as someone who was a press officer for a human rights organisation in the 90s we thought the internet and fb would stop all sorts of nasty international and internal conflicts. We thought that people would see the hideous things humans do to other humans and demand that weapons and war be banned immediately. Oh, how wrong we were. It got worse & apparently even a tik tok, blow by blow account of the most documented (in real time) genocide ever, we can't even get our govts to condemn and stop that. Thanks for your writing and yes, there are small wins & even some hope. I am on twitter & that's just a relentless photo essay of maimed & murdered babies, kids, doctors & journos. I feel I have to stay there just to retweet peoples pleas for help from Gaza. And that's the least I can do. It's the stuff of nightmares though. My kids are the gen that has grown up with Fb & I don't think they use it much, which is great. Mind you, snapchat. Did I read there was a snapchat rich lister in Welly with his private jet? Keep up the good though. It's important.
Congrats on the number of visits to your Treaty article. I know at least one person who’s considering subscribing to you as a result and hope for many
More. Love the dog rescue photo. Fb has replaced the Birth Death and Marriage (and baby, and other big life events) announcements so would we have to go back to MSM for that?’! I look back and think if all the news outlets had instituted paywalls to start with (and free access for existing subscribers) we might not be in this dreadful situation now. Democracy dies in the darkness and I know so many people who just do not follow the news now and I wonder how they know what the issues are and who to vote for. Instead we have click bait articles about how cycleways are ruining the city..
I’m so sorry about all the horrible reactions you have had to endure and the lack of support and response.
Absolutely I worry so much that the pieces that we actually need to read are paywalled. I like The Spinoff’s approach of not having a paywall but having supporters. It’s such a balance isn’t it? If I paywalled everything I’d have more subscribers but I don’t see why you should miss out on information and community simply because you don’t have the funds to access it. But this work isn’t free either is it? I despair at the bullshit click bait instead of actually talking about what these bills mean for everyday New Zealanders - I’m grateful for those who fill those spaces. But they’re often working for free or very little.
I saw my first example of Facebook Community Notes in action this morning - a quote posted by the QI TV show page had been flagged as incorrectly attributed to the author. But the quote was attributed correctly and the Community Notes alert was wrong. So, good start!!
This is topical given the rage bait about the LA fires, no water in the fire hydrants, is it an insurance scam and other such bullshit - detracting from the real issue of the climate crisis.
I would love to be able to have a calm conversation with people I know who fall for the conspiracy theories and click bait. Unfortunately they don’t seem to understand the bias in those articles and that in turn causes me rage 😤
I think Facebook and other social media platforms have removed the ability to have conversations. They all say lack of moderation enhances discourse but it really doesn’t. For example - if you have to argue a trans person deserves the right to exist freely first how do you ever get to the point of discussion around gender affirming healthcare, representation, rights? You’re stuck in the swamp with people who are the worst kind of people! That isn’t discussion it’s just demoralising rot.
Everything seems to be an ethical dilemma these days. Do we just try to be the least bad we can? I for one would happily consume more pets saving kids AI content 😆 especially if it means we can all feel less alone when we try to do the good stuff.
You’re doing fantastic work Emily and it’s fantastic to hear about the success of your submissions work.
I realise substack isn’t perfect, but I’ve found it the most nourishing of the online places I’ve used over the years, if only because of the way it allows us more tools to control comments, especially for paying subscribers. Thanks again.
Thank you Bernard ❤️ that means a lot. I’m proud of this community we have here and proud to be making my living here. I will always be grateful to Substack for giving me my job after many exhausting years of writing for free!
As a parent of preschoolers, I've never been both so glad that my kids aren't online yet and at the same time so worried how much worse things could be by the time they are. As a teacher of senior primary age kids, I'm thinking about what I can do to help them learn this stuff and how to squeeze it into the day.
I understand that fear. I think all we can do is talk lots to our kids and try to learn from them just as they learn from us. I often think my kids are more savvy than I am - they’re true digital natives.
Don't stand (or sit) on a table but it is good to sing Bread and Roses anytime.
I have heard of so many people who read your post about doing submissions and then did so as you made it so easy. Another consultation coming up soon (end Feb) is to make guns easier to get and use, while getting rid of the registry.
By the way the mainstream media in Aotearoa has never been sympathetic to the left. The radical groups which were growing in size and popularity in the early 1900s had to start their own - the Maoriland Worker, which eventually became The Standard. They also had busy unions, education groups and wrote pamphlets. This was the community activism of the time and it was quite effective as it got people talking to each other, despite oppressive governments.
I wouldn’t stand on a table don’t worry! It’s a reference to the film Pride which is a wonderful film.
I love what you’ve shared - getting back to in person grass roots activism will be important. As will making the offline movement as accessible as possible.
The film Pride has a stirring version of Bread and Roses.
That’s it! ❤️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFsb3nmoBjg
Gah it's amazing how fast and how far our biggest local news sites have fallen. I still visit them most days just to catalogue how absolutely nuts some of the stuff they're doing is - but Stuff's Luxon lead is completely insane (and inane?). Click past the homepage and there's little happening in any of the sections, just empty vessels full of clickbait and ragebait.
In my own little part of the world, I was THE ONLY MEDIA at a massive inner-city music event on Saturday night that pulled in 23,000 people. Literally no one else wrote about it. The Black Caps dream of that kind of crowd! Imagine if we didn't cover the cricket?
It’s astonishing isn’t it? It really blows my mind. Just absolute fluff when people are being very clear about what they want to read! A friend has just turned to freelancing (many have right?) and I just thought - jeez good luck to you. Because nobody is even commissioning this stuff now? The pay was never great but at least it was something?!?
I’ve got a few friends freelancing and it’s impossible. They’re all talking about career changes because it just doesn’t work. I did it full-time between 2020-22 and there was a tonne of work. Now? I’ve had Metro, Spinoff and everywhere else I wrote just stop commissioning. Not complaining - I’ve got a fulltime job and Substack and I’m incredibly privileged to have that - but it’s all changed so damn fast.
Yep same here. Usually reliable outlets are not commissioning anyone. Thank god for substack or I’d be changing careers too. It used to be I’d be turning down work and now there’s almost nothing out there.
I have detested fb for some time, although as someone who was a press officer for a human rights organisation in the 90s we thought the internet and fb would stop all sorts of nasty international and internal conflicts. We thought that people would see the hideous things humans do to other humans and demand that weapons and war be banned immediately. Oh, how wrong we were. It got worse & apparently even a tik tok, blow by blow account of the most documented (in real time) genocide ever, we can't even get our govts to condemn and stop that. Thanks for your writing and yes, there are small wins & even some hope. I am on twitter & that's just a relentless photo essay of maimed & murdered babies, kids, doctors & journos. I feel I have to stay there just to retweet peoples pleas for help from Gaza. And that's the least I can do. It's the stuff of nightmares though. My kids are the gen that has grown up with Fb & I don't think they use it much, which is great. Mind you, snapchat. Did I read there was a snapchat rich lister in Welly with his private jet? Keep up the good though. It's important.
Oh I relate so much to what you’ve said it breaks my heart. I wish I knew what it would take to make it stop.
Congrats on the number of visits to your Treaty article. I know at least one person who’s considering subscribing to you as a result and hope for many
More. Love the dog rescue photo. Fb has replaced the Birth Death and Marriage (and baby, and other big life events) announcements so would we have to go back to MSM for that?’! I look back and think if all the news outlets had instituted paywalls to start with (and free access for existing subscribers) we might not be in this dreadful situation now. Democracy dies in the darkness and I know so many people who just do not follow the news now and I wonder how they know what the issues are and who to vote for. Instead we have click bait articles about how cycleways are ruining the city..
I’m so sorry about all the horrible reactions you have had to endure and the lack of support and response.
Absolutely I worry so much that the pieces that we actually need to read are paywalled. I like The Spinoff’s approach of not having a paywall but having supporters. It’s such a balance isn’t it? If I paywalled everything I’d have more subscribers but I don’t see why you should miss out on information and community simply because you don’t have the funds to access it. But this work isn’t free either is it? I despair at the bullshit click bait instead of actually talking about what these bills mean for everyday New Zealanders - I’m grateful for those who fill those spaces. But they’re often working for free or very little.
Thanks for a thoughtful piece
I saw my first example of Facebook Community Notes in action this morning - a quote posted by the QI TV show page had been flagged as incorrectly attributed to the author. But the quote was attributed correctly and the Community Notes alert was wrong. So, good start!!
Oh lord 🫠
This is topical given the rage bait about the LA fires, no water in the fire hydrants, is it an insurance scam and other such bullshit - detracting from the real issue of the climate crisis.
I would love to be able to have a calm conversation with people I know who fall for the conspiracy theories and click bait. Unfortunately they don’t seem to understand the bias in those articles and that in turn causes me rage 😤
I think Facebook and other social media platforms have removed the ability to have conversations. They all say lack of moderation enhances discourse but it really doesn’t. For example - if you have to argue a trans person deserves the right to exist freely first how do you ever get to the point of discussion around gender affirming healthcare, representation, rights? You’re stuck in the swamp with people who are the worst kind of people! That isn’t discussion it’s just demoralising rot.
Thank you for these words and clear thinking. You really do help.
The image of pet rescuing child is exactly the type of silliness I needed today - thank you!
It’s hilarious eh
Ironically, I can't seem to share to Facebook... Love your mahi, Emily.
Facebook is a nightmare for sharing Substack links! I’ve shared on my FB page, but had to post an image with the link in the caption 🙃😮💨😒
"Not to stand on a table and sing Bread and Roses"... No but could we please? 🏳️🌈
Haha nothing a good union song can’t fix 😅
very helpful thnakyou Emily
Everything seems to be an ethical dilemma these days. Do we just try to be the least bad we can? I for one would happily consume more pets saving kids AI content 😆 especially if it means we can all feel less alone when we try to do the good stuff.
Haha I gotta say, memes keep me from dissolving I couldn’t give up the internet if my life depended on it 😂
You may have just convinced me to go back....