One-to-many tools: The rise of the citizen journalists

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• June 16, 2022

Insight summary

One-to-many platforms like newsletters and podcasts are reshaping how information is shared, allowing individuals to build communities and establish themselves as experts. However, these platforms also face challenges, such as misinformation and the use of AI-generated fake personas, requiring stricter verification and fact-checking. Despite these issues, they offer unique opportunities for personal branding and alternative news analysis, influencing both educational content delivery and advertising strategies.

One-to-many tools context

If you’re wondering why everyone seems to have their own newsletters, it’s because of one-to-many platforms. These all-in-one communication tools have been hailed as the new democratization of media and information. However, they have also become powerful tools of propaganda and disinformation.

One-to-many tools or one-to-few networks are comprised of low-cost platforms that allow individuals to develop podcasts, newsletters, and unique experiences to establish their respective communities. An example is the email platform Substack, which has invited many well-known journalists to leave their traditional jobs and join its creator community. Another example is Ghost, an open-source alternative to Substack that aims to simplify the process of online publishing through a clean and minimal interface.

Meanwhile, in 2021, the communication platform Discord launched a paid subscriber platform called Side-channel for several technology newsletters, bringing together multiple ways to connect communities in one place. Its proposed goal is to encourage a community where policy experts, public relations, and the C-suite discuss and analyze news with their audiences in real time. This way, everyone can contribute to building information instead of certain major media institutions controlling how news is delivered. 

Disruptive impact

While one-to-many tools offer multiple ways to connect with people, they also risk losing connection when the platform fails. For example, in October 2021, Meta went down for more than six hours. As a result, many activists and families worldwide lost their ability to communicate via WhatsApp.

Another primary concern about the rise of these personal media platforms is that they can be used by scammers, white supremacists, and disinformation agents. In 2021, it was reported that scammers were using Substack’s simplicity and accessibility to impersonate various cryptocurrency projects, tempting recipients with the promise of “upgrading their smart contracts” and sending money to a proxy contract ID. The language used in numerous newsletter emails was identical, simply changing the names of the projects. 

Meanwhile, in 2022, Discord announced that it had updated its policies to limit anti-vaccination content. The new rules ban “dangerous misinformation” that “is likely to cause physical or societal damage.”  

Even with these challenges, one-to-many tools can be a useful platform to build a personal brand or establish one’s expertise. Newsletters and podcasts are becoming powerful tools for financial and business influencers to showcase their knowledge and convince their followers that they are thought leaders in their respective fields. People who want to build their freelance businesses, become consultants, or obtain their dream jobs can benefit from having an audience that can vouch for their legitimacy. 

Additionally, while they can be prone to AI-generated personas or faux journalists, these platforms democratize news coverage and analysis. They can provide alternative opinions, covering issues mainstream media typically ignore. It’s a matter of ensuring that accounts are appropriately verified, and their content is fact-checked to ensure that they don’t add to the flood of mis- and disinformation. 

Implications of one-to-many tools

Wider implications of one-to-many tools may include: 

• The increasing popularity of personal content subscription channels like Patreon offering tiered pricing with exclusive content to followers.
• One-to-many platforms tightening their screening methods to prevent fraudulent content and accounts.
• The rise of personal media superstars considered to be subject matter experts in their field. This trend may lead to more specific brand partnerships and other business opportunities.
• More legacy media journalists being discontented with traditional news organizations and starting their personal news networks. 
• Artificial intelligence-generated personas posing as legitimate journalists to spread fake news and extremist views.
• Enhanced focus on individualized user experiences in one-to-many platforms, leading to more refined and targeted advertising strategies.
• Shift in educational content delivery towards interactive one-to-many platforms, potentially reshaping the landscape of online learning and student engagement.

Questions to consider

• If you follow newsletter channels, what makes you subscribe to them?
• What are the other potential dangers of unmonitored personal media communities?