They all know it’s a lie. But Musk just said it out loud. June 4, 2025
I include the first in a three-part commentary on
increasingly frequent expressions by readers of feelings of fatigue and
exhaustion. Reader fatigue Over the past month, I have been increasingly hearing
from readers about fatigue and exhaustion. The readers are committed to the
fight for democracy, but they are feeling overwhelmed. I would like to take
the opportunity over the next three newsletters to discuss various aspects of
reader fatigue, as explained to me by readers. The three areas are (a) newsletter fatigue, (b) political
donation fatigue, and (c) punditry fatigue. I will address donation fatigue
on Thursday and punditry fatigue on Friday. Newsletter fatigue. Many readers tell me
that the proliferation of newsletters (on Substack and elsewhere) is both
overwhelming and an impediment to their ability to focus on stories that
matter. Most readers who express this concern have told me that they are
canceling their subscriptions to most other newsletters while retaining their
subscription to Today’s Edition and a handful of others. I have also received polite emails and phone calls asking
to cancel subscriptions to my newsletter. Until about a month ago, those
calls and emails almost always said, “I can’t bear to look
at the news anymore.” Recently, readers are instead
saying, “I get too many newsletters.” I understand how readers feel. As an author of a
newsletter, I am feeling the changes in Substack and wondering whether my
low-key approach should change. I think it is helpful to articulate why many
readers are feeling overwhelmed by the proliferation of newsletters. Mainstream media is crumbling. Substack has become a
landing pad for world-class journalists who have parted ways with major media
outlets. That is good. When
smart, pro-democracy voices join Substack, that is a win for Substack, for
you and me, and for democracy. The more reputable, pro-democracy voices on
Substack, the better for us all. But in the “olden days,” Substack was a forum dominated
by solo authors writing long-form essays—a counterpoint to the noisy,
soundbite, chyron-driven, Access Hollywood commoditization of news. Heather
Cox Richardson essentially created the space for long-form, thoughtful essays
on the daily news, allowing others (like me) to follow. We are all in her
debt. Over time, Substack has become home to different
newsletter models. Today, Substack hosts small “news bureaus” or “news
magazines” within its umbrella. That is good. Substack
newsletters by Meidas Touch Network, The
Contrarian, and The
Bulwark may create the progressive answer to the right-wing
news media that fueled the growth of the Tea Party and MAGA extremism. If
that happens, it is a win-win-win outcome for Substack, you and me, and
democracy. Substack has also attracted solo authors departing major
outlets like NYTimes, WaPo, CNN, and MSNBC. That
is good for Substack, you and me, and
democracy. But with growth comes growing pains. Many of the newer
entrants into Substack are understandably focused on building large
subscriber bases, for two reasons. First, having more subscribers allows
pro-democracy outlets to reach broader swaths of the American people. Second,
many of the new entrants are professional journalists who understandably rely
on paid subscriptions to support their livelihood. Because of the impetus to create large subscriber bases,
the flow of “asks” for current Substack readers to subscribe to more
newsletters is becoming a bit much for many readers. Hence, feelings of
fatigue and being overwhelmed. I get it. And I am a bit worried about what that means
for solo-author newsletters like mine. Should I try to compete against the
flood of requests from new entrants for subscribers? Am I doing a disservice
to groups I can promote if I limit my subscriber base by flying below the
radar? Upon reflection, here is where I come out: My newsletter
fills a very narrow niche. I try to lift up readers during challenging times
by looking at the news in a realistic but positive way. If I can do that for
even a handful of readers, that is enough. My goal will continue to be to
take care of my current readers and welcome any others who may benefit from a
hopeful take on the news. My newsletter has always relied on “word of mouth”
referrals between friends and family who believe it can help others suffering
from anxiety and distress over the onslaught of bad news and disinformation.
Going forward, I will continue to rely on word of mouth to help spread the
word about this newsletter. So, I am not going to change anything, even as the
environment around me changes. If you are feeling overwhelmed by too many
newsletters, I get it. You should take a break or limit your consumption. The
worst outcome of this flowering of pro-democracy newsletters would be to turn
away interested readers because of newsletter overload. Protect yourself and your mental health. Consume in
moderation. But whatever you do, don’t quit. We will need your engagement in
the future. Take a break, if necessary, but please be ready to rejoin the
fight at the right time. If you are still reading at this point, thank you. And
thank you for being a member of this newsletter community. Your readership is
an honor that I do not take for granted. Thank you. Tomorrow, I will address what I am hearing from readers
about political donation fatigue. Stay tuned! |
