Photo by Pura Photo / Alisa Foytik
I remember writing my very first song on guitar at the tender age of 13. I was so moved by the film "Moulin Rouge" that I came home immediately and wrote a song that expressed the feeling it stirred in me.
Over the years I've referenced a line they sing in the movie, where they outline the 4 core values of Bohemian culture: Freedom, Beauty, Truth, and Love.
As the digital age and social algorithms have made democracy a bit wobbly, I've started to see the inter-connectivity of these seemingly disparate principles.
How can there be great art (beauty), if we wind up in a society where's it's not entirely safe to speak the truth? How can there be great love between people, if one group is restricting the freedoms of others because of fear and not science?
A cornerstone of these principles has revealed itself to be a free press. I think we can all agree that independent journalism is the gold standard. I URGE you to reflect on who is funding your news sources- for if advertisers are involved, they become the "boss" of the newsroom, and pull funding if the news shows them in a poor light. If like NPR, it's the government, consider their bias toward not reporting on things that are not convenient for the current administration. It can become lies of omission.
I've had the surreal experience, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, where a topic comes up in conversation and it's as though myself and the other person have completely different world views and sets of facts. It makes it extremely hard to find common ground, and these conversations keep going sideways. In the past I don't remember experiencing such a phenomenon, which makes me optimistic we can resolve it quickly and get back on track to a healthy public discourse.
That's why I'm collecting and disseminating a list of free press outlets, funded by citizens and not cajoled by corporations or political parties. Please hit reply and let me know if you know of any other sources of free press. So far my list includes:
Breaking Points - patron-funded traditional-style newsroom where one anchor is on the left and one is on the right, and they discuss current events and bias. They're on YouTube and have a podcast on Spotify.
Matt Taibbi - left legacy media because of restrictions and is now funded by subscribers on substack. He just won an award for journalism.
The Free Press - also on substack with a similar story of leaving corporate to do independent journalism.
If there is a topic or person you've simply "heard is bad," I encourage you to seek out the horse's mouth via podcasts to double check they're not being smeared by an agenda. It’s easy to listen to podcasts for free on Spotify without a subscription.
Personally I've noticed google and youtube searches simply aren't showing some people I follow anymore. These are people I respect whose well researched opinions spell disaster for corruption. This is why I use Duck Duck Go for searching instead of Google, although I heard they were bought by a big corporation so we’ll see...
I see email as one of the last places on the internet where we aren't being censored and down-regulated by the big tech companies and government. It's been my purpose in growing my email list as creating a way to connect beyond the reach of the eye of Big Brother (Sauron?) and the meddling of (social media) corporations. Unknowingly, my newsletter subscribers are part of a subversive and pro-democracy movement just by reading this. Head to my homepage to sign up and opt out of the inhuman(e) algorithms!
I do not want to live and make art in a society where I feel uncomfortable sharing and discussing ideas that could benefit my country. So I'll use my platform to do what I can to make sure we chart a course away from this eventuality - and I hope you'll join me by seeking out, consuming, and valuing the best sources of information. A new form of self-care as old as democracy itself.
And PLEASE let me know what fairly unbiased, people-powered news outlets you consume.
Stay centered,
-Annabeth NicAnmara
