This week’s episode teases out the imposed value system of capitalism, the impact of resistance, and the audacity it takes to do better. Our host, Ty White (ZEAL Co-op) is joined by Ryan Sorrell, Founder of the Kansas City Defender, and James Salanga, Co-Exectuive Director of The Objective, to discuss media ownership and sustainability outside of the foreboding force of capitalism.
We often talk about capitalism as this “big bad”. And, that’s certainly fair. Capitalism has commodified our personhood, labor, relationships, communities, skills, and histories. We are systematically reduced to products, dollars, and cents, harshly divided by how much we own. That’s definitely “big bad” material.
What’s also true is that capitalism requires our participation in all sorts of ways. Ryan and James dig into how newsrooms have historically participated and how their newsrooms are changing that.
The conversation centers on the way people’s labor and stories are valued (or, more precisely, not valued) by journalists under capitalism. “If it bleeds, it leads” quoted James sardonically, speaking to the exploitation of people’s most vulnerable and painful moments in service of their newsroom’s bottom line. Laid plainly, suffering sells. Though there is “not a clear blueprint for resisting” extractive practice, both The Kansas City Defender and The Objective are reckoning with the harm those practices have caused and forging a new way forward.
Luckily, they don’t have to start from scratch. The Defender prioritizes political education internally and externally, echoing prominent journalist and editor Ida B. Wells, “there is no educator to compare with the press.” Ryan and his team study the archives of radical Black outlets like The Chicago Defender, the warmth and familiarity with which they spoke to and about Black folks. The Objective utilizes solidarity tools that are intended to “build [journalist’s] confidence to do better,” like the Solidarity Journalism workshops led by Anita Varma.
This stirring education upends the traditional punchy pitch and daunting deadline approach to journalism, often lengthening the runway from research to publish. That’s the cost of good journalism. And both newsrooms featured on this week’s episode are willing to pay for it.
That begs the question: are funders willing to pay for it? Journalism that leans on established tropes, uninformed “authorities”, and monetized algorithms and not on cultivated trust, due diligence, and thoughtful language is, after all, cheaper. The publishers remarked on the ways that the seemingly competing interests of surviving and staying value aligned under capitalism can weigh on the team. But, this practice is also “invigorating and life-giving.” With an enthusiastic nod, James agrees.
For journalism that takes the time it takes, here’s where you can find these two brilliant publications:
Subscribe to The Objective’s twice monthly newsletter, explore their website, Instagram and Twitter.
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Check out episode 2 below and subscribe now on your favorite podcatcher!
Episode 3 of Infinite Patterns will air on October 2, 2024 on YouTube! You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Music.