While I was scouring through the archives, I found this little gem that might be called, in hindsight, "The Solitary Life Manifesto".
The Manifesto is really, a pretty ballsy statement. In it, I declare that I can singlehandedly re-write "the rules" of all skateboard media, and re-form it all into a paradigm that serves skaters far better than anybody else's paradigm can. Namely: Advertiser-driven, print media.
My arguments are really pretty simplistic: Advertisers are allowed to buy too much influence in the media. Money corrupts absolutely, and the profit motive absolutely corrupts. Skaters aren't well-served by any of this bullshit. Thus: The Profit Motive needs to have it's ass kicked right out of The Media. And, I'm the guy that just loves to dole out ass-kickings.
We installed SiteMeter (a reader-tracking program) in July (or so) of 2010. The first week we had it up and running, we logged a whopping 58 readers. Which I thought was huge! Far more than any 'zine would have gotten... and by the way, The Solitary Life was originally supposed to be a 'zine, until I realized that would be prohibitively expensive. But blogs, of course, are totally free.
Today, The Solitary Life regularly clocks in at 500 readers, with "peak" weeks hitting somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 readers. We have a one-day readership record of 212 readers. And, those readers surf in to The Solitary Life from all over the globe. Japan, Indonesia, South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Canada, Brazil, Israel, India... the reach of this thing perpetually astounds me.
What does all this stuff tell me...? We're winning. Slowly but surely, we're winning. And I say, it's about fucking time...
Even if the "art direction" on this one did totally suck ass. You can't win 'em all, I guess.
Media. What are the reasons for having a media? What are the goals of media? To inspire? To educate? To inform? To entertain? All of the above? In any of these examples, the mission of the media seems like a fairly noble ideal: To Advance A Greater Good Via The Mass Dissemination Of Information. But, like so many noble ideals that have been turned into businesses, the role and function of the media are not above being corrupted by the profit motive. In today's world, a corporate-owned and controlled media exists to make money, and virtually nothing else. This is fundamentally compromising the role and the relevance of media in our lives.
This is illustrated quite clearly in several articles that I've read recently, regarding the role that the profit motive is playing in the journalism "business". Laurie Garrett (formerly of Newsday)(1) and Victor Pickard (of The Guardian UK)(2), among others, have dared to question the role that profits are playing in how well the media serves the general public. The overall assessment seems to be that, the more pressing the profit motive, the more of a disservice the media does for the greater public good.
I would have to strongly agree with that sentiment. I've seen this happen with astonishing regularity, even in our own skateboard media. Which is sad. What's more: It's scary.
In the good 'ol world of Modern Media, there are the two main sources of revenues: The Readers, and The Advertisers. You- the reader- pay damn good money to buy information (that really, should be free), while the advertisers are paying just-as-good money to buy influence over the readership (that really, should be earned based on merit, not the size of said advertisers' pocketbook).
The Advertisers are probably the biggest influence that we have wielding power in the media today... skateboard-related, or otherwise. Obviously, any time that you rely on someone else's pocketbook to survive in this cold, cruel world of ours... you're ultimately going to do whatever it takes to keep that cash cow a'milkin'. That is just basic, plain 'ol human nature. The survival of the strongest, the smartest, or the most clever is always ensured. You can be weak as fuck, but if you're smart or clever enough to live off of someone else's bank indefinitely, you'll surely survive.
So, that's how the media perpetuates itself. The advertisers have the money. The media wants the money. The advertisers fork over the duckets, and that ultimately buys advertisers a huge amount of power and influence in the media. We, the consumers, don't pay nearly as much on media... if anything at all… as the advertisers do. As such, our power and influence is severely limited. At least relative to the power and influence of the advertisers.
This undue power and influence that advertisers have over writers, editors, and publishers is something that I have had the displeasure of witnessing firsthand for quite some time now. It bothers me, because it ultimately comes at a cost. That cost is honesty, dignity, and truth in reporting. That cost, is a diminishing regard to what's in the better interests of the readers. This is where that "disservice to the readership" stuff comes from. In our pastime, that means a disservice to skateboarders everywhere.
Take in point: Product Reviews. I've written many a product review in my time. Each time, I actually went out, and skated whatever it was that I was reviewing. Many magazines don't even bother with this, right out of the gate... but seriously, how can you really have an authoritative and educated opinion on a product that you've never actually put your feet on...!? And, each time I reviewed something or another, I noted the good, the bad, and the ugly of these products. Which, I might add, were always heavily edited by someone, somewhere, so as to not piss off whichever advertiser whose products were in question.
When I was having a "friendly argument" with one of my cohorts one day about this pesky "editing" that kept cropping up in my reviews, I was told point-blank that "product reviews" were not designed to serve the better interests of the readers. This, apparently, wasn't fucking Consumer Reports that I was working for over here. Instead, "product reviews" (note all these quotes, kids) were to be clean and well-kept examples of "marketing entertainment", designed to be friendly vehicles to help our advertisers sell more stuff. Which keeps the advertisers happy, our magazine in business, and us paid.
Well, as we all know... being the dickhead that I truly am... I don't do "friendly arguments" particularly well. Nor, do I sell my gawddamned soul at every possible turn for a dime or two. Thus, my "product reviewing" days came to a slow, but steady end. Because, I absolutely refused to be a patsy in someone else's corporate sales plans. If I'm going to review a product, well then, I'm gonna skate that shit, and review it as I damn well see fit. If you don't like it? Well then, go screw yourself. That's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it.
The bottom line? The only "Product Review" that you can ever trust, is one from some kid that went to his local shop, and actually bought a product at full retail, set it up, and skated the hell out of it. His opinion counts. Because, his opinion truly originates with, and reflects the real-life experiences of, the buying public. And thus, his opinion also serves the buying public. The opinion of some fatass editor who's pride and principles are bought and paid for by Corporate Skateboarding, doesn't.
The future of media... that is, the future of a relevant, objective, admired, and respected skateboard media that truly serves the needs of both the readers, as well as the needs of the skateboard industry... will have to find a workable way to be a servant to both... but at the same time, be a patsy to neither. For this to happen, the media will have to stand wholly and completely independent of the readers and the industry, financially. In short: We have to find a way to take The Profit Motive out of the skateboard media entirely.
As far as product reviews go, the media will ultimately have to follow our example. We here at The Solitary Life actually go out, research, and compare competing products... and ultimately we pick, we choose, and we buy the products that we review. In the rare case that someone sends us a "freebie" to review? We put that disclaimer right in the review, for full disclosure. But, we still treat it as if we bought it. Because, our advertisers still don't pay one single cent to advertise here at The Solitary Life.
You, you read that right: The Advertisers Pay Nothing. "Why do you even have advertisers then, if you're not getting anything out of it?!" Easy: We give free ad space to those skateboard companies that we feel are truly doing something good and positive for skateboarding [and snowboarding]. Whether it's making an excellent product, running an extremely ethical business, or making a very real effort to contribute to the greater good... those are the companies that we want to support. And thus, we charge them nada for our support. All we ask is that they keep on doing whatever it was that they were doing, to get our support in the first place.
And, of course: The readers don't pay squat to read The Solitary Life, either. It's free. As it should be.
Someday, all of this might very well change. Someday, this might actually become a really expensive proposition... creating and publishing this project. In that case, I would much rather be a "reader-driven" publication... that is, a publication that is fully and exclusively supported and financed by readers' donations, instead of via advertising dollars. This would keep our work entirely focused on the needs of you, our readers. Sort of like the National Public Radio of the skateboarding world. But, with cuss words all over the place.
You, is who we work for. You, is who we serve. Thanks for reading us. It means a lot. And frankly, we're flattered.
In the meantime, enjoy the "free" while it lasts. And, I'll keep enjoying my freedom from advertiser hogwash and editorial wrangling for the time being.
It's a good life we have these days, and our time is now. Live it up!
References:
(1)
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2602
(2)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/23/newspapers-internet-adverstising
