Richard Leghorn announced the Information Age in 1960. As humans, we are bombarded with media to inform, entertain, and persuade. Media impacts individuals rationally and emotionally. Media shapes society and how it perceives itself and the world we live in.
It is hard to overstate the impact of media on society. Because of this power, governments, companies, powerful people, and special interests all invest in creating and influencing media to persuade and shape society. We have to live in this sea of Media; much of it is harmful to society.
We are realizing that modern mass production isn’t sustainable, we are seeing that modern mass media is also creating existential harms to society. We want media that is sustainable and beneficial (or at least not destructive) to society.
Sustainable media is media whose business model aligns the incentives of creators, platforms, and audiences without relying on addiction, surveillance, or manipulation.
Sustainable media is media that meets these criteria:
The Sustainable Media Criteria
I. Transparent Ownership Who owns this outlet is public knowledge. Ownership changes are disclosed. No hidden beneficial owners.
II. Independent Editorial Editorial decisions are made without advertiser approval or interference. Advertisers cannot kill or shape stories. Sponsorships are clearly labeled and cannot influence coverage.
III. Separated Opinion and Fact Opinion, analysis, and factual reporting are clearly distinguished. Entertainment is not presented as news. The publication does not use editorial framing to mislead readers about the nature of content.
IV. Verifiable Claims Factual claims are sourced and checkable. Corrections are published prominently. The outlet does not knowingly publish misinformation.
V. Non-Addictive Design The product is not designed to exploit psychological vulnerabilities. No infinite scroll designed to override conscious choice. No engagement-maximizing algorithms that prioritize outrage. No dark patterns.
VI. No Covert Surveillance Reader data is collected only with informed consent, for the purpose of delivering the service. Data is not sold to third parties. Behavioral profiling for advertising is disclosed and opt-in.
VII. Fair Creator Compensation The people who create the content are compensated fairly. The outlet does not rely on unpaid labor, content farms, or AI-generated content passed off as human.
VIII. Human Editorial Accountability There is a named human editor accountable for editorial standards. AI-generated or assisted content is disclosed. There is a clear process for readers to challenge content.
See: Blog post behind Sustainable Media Manifesto