Lately, there’s been a noticeable flocking to Substack by self-proclaimed anarchists. It seems the platform is becoming a hub for anarchist thought, with many using it to create and share their own works. As a decentralized thinker myself, I find this shift intriguing and overall positive.
Substack’s commitment to protecting free speech aligns with anarchist values of resisting censorship and fostering open dialogue. But more importantly, Substack’s intellectually-focused platform makes educating the average person about misconceptions regarding anarchism less challenging. It provides anarchists a space to present their ideas in a way that’s accessible to those outside our circles, enabling us to reach broader audiences with clarity and depth. The platform gives writers complete control over their content and audience without relying on corporate media gatekeepers, empowering anarchists to craft narratives on their terms.
I’m curious about the community's opinions on this trend. Is Substack’s rise among anarchists a sign of effective adaptation to new tools, or does reliance on such platforms carry risks we haven’t fully explored? For me, the ability to educate and engage a wider audience makes Substack a net positive—an empowering tool for spreading anarchist principles and fostering understanding. But what do you think?
Comments
Not free speech
anon (not verified) Thu, 01/02/2025 - 19:56
Substack is committed not to free speech, but monetizing readership. Right now, this commitment leads them to encourage clouted up writers to move if they can bring a large audience with them. This infamously includes fascists banned on other platforms. Anarcho-celebs are indirect beneficiaries at the moment, but that's not a guarantee of protection.
There isn't "complete control over their content and audience without relying on corporate media gatekeepers" - substack itself is a corporate gatekeeper, even if it seems less stringent of one than the social media behemoths.
If anarchists want longform writing platforms, I'd suggest trying out some that are either run by ideological supporters of anarchism or ideological opponents of corporate social media culture:
https://rant.li
https://paper.wf
https://mataroa.blog
https://noblogs.org
https://espivblogs.net
There's always the possibility of crossposting texts originally published on sites like these to a platform like substack to increase readership.
Appreciate the Recommendations but...
Dominic Black Sat, 01/04/2025 - 05:49
In reply to Not free speech by anon (not verified)
I don't know if I agree with that assessment however, I do know that monetization is encouraged however, as of late, there's been a lot of movement *against* monetization on Substack, or at least specifically against Stripe. You mention that's it's brought a lot of fascists, this is true, I'm not suggesting we use Substack as an echo-chamber I've been using it to educate people interested in alternative systems from both capitalism and statism. I've built a decent following and thus far refuse to even set up monetization, let alone apply it to my publications.
For me, Substack has potential. There's quite literally no limit as to what can be said and in that sense it can be used to spread anarchist ideals. Of course, you're right, we'd be only one ideology on the platform but that's mostly true anywhere. The difference here is that we wouldn't be talking to nothing but other anarchists rather spreading our ideas to those who don't know they exist. I'll definitely look into the links and see if I like one of these better but the important part for me is that Substack connects anarchists with people who aren't anarchists and gives us a genuine chance to change minds.
The only downside is CNN won
anon (not verified) Sat, 01/04/2025 - 21:29
In reply to Appreciate the Recommendations but... by Dominic Black
The only downside is CNN won't mention a bizarre indy substack after anarchist martyrdom missions
I mean, Mangione's manifesto
Dominic Black Sun, 01/05/2025 - 06:45
In reply to The only downside is CNN won by anon (not verified)
I mean, Mangione's manifesto was on Substack and an ex-NYT reporter (Ken Klippenstein) covered it with a 100,000 followers as an independent journalist and then turned his followers right back onto New York Times. Corporate media is losing it's power as far as I can observe.
Substack's still corporate
anon (not verified) Sun, 01/05/2025 - 09:06
In reply to I mean, Mangione's manifesto by Dominic Black
Substack's still corporate media... they just got a more liberal progressive approach to publishing where the author retains content rights.
That's fair enough I suppose.
Dominic Black Sun, 01/05/2025 - 12:31
In reply to Substack's still corporate by anon (not verified)
That's fair enough I suppose. Thanks for sharing your view.
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