Episode description

Journalists have flocked to Substack. Abandoning legacy titles to pursue self-puslishing freedom at the occasionally controversial app. 

Substack has incubated Bari Weiss's Free Press and Andrew Sullivan’s The Weekly Dish. Here in Canada, a lot of names that Canadaland listeners may be familiar with are thriving on Substack: Terry Glavin, Sam Cooper, Justin Ling, Jen Gerson and Paul Wells to name a few..

Valued at 650 million dollars and lauded as a threat to Twitter.  It is a rare sign of hope and innovation and a working revenue model in a very desolate media landscape. And all of that has come with the usual share of controversies.

Top of that list was their “Nazi problem.” They garnered headlines and debates about freedom of expression when it was revealed that there were, yes, Nazi Substacks charging money. And the parent company, apparently taking their cut of those profits. 

Today Substack founder Chris Best joins Jesse Brown to debate Substack’s controversies and discuss its possibilities with leading Canadian Substackers, Jen Gerson of The Line and Paul Wells. 

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Production Manager), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Featured guests: Chris Best, Jen Gerson, Paul Wells

Further reading:

• The Line — Substack
• Paul Wells — Substack

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