Substack CEO Wants Writers To Post What They Want, Even If It’s Wrong


But as social media sites struggle to monitor disinformation, CEO Chris Best has doubled down on the site’s hands-off approach to content moderation.

“I think the magic piece is that the readers and the writers are in charge, and you have that direct paid relationship,” Best told Brian Stelter on Sunday in “Reliable Sources”.

Substack has drawn top-level writers, from former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss to “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi. But it has also attracted controversial figures who otherwise might not find platforms online. Former New York Times writer Alex Berenson, an anti-vaccine and coronavirus, has more than 10,000 paying subscribers on Substack.

The platform was also criticized earlier this year for allowing anti-transgender content, which prompted some writers to leave the platform.

“I think there are people who thrive on Substack who struggle to thrive in mainstream media,” Best said.

He doubled the site’s commitment to free press and the writer-subscriber relationship – even if what the writer posts is wrong.

“If I want to sign up for your emails and you want to send those emails to me, it’s between you and me, and that should be allowed,” Best said.

Substack needs to hit a “high, high bar” before intervening in the content, he added, and an information ecosystem where subscribers can debate different sides is important. “It’s something that has gotten a bit old fashioned,” Best said.

He doesn’t think content censorship will end disinformation, portraying Substack as a “thoughtful” place where “good things are rewarded”. But that’s not the platform room to decide what is true and what is not, he added, or what is politically acceptable to publish – or not.

On the other hand, he criticized Twitter (TWTR) and Facebook (FB) for what he sees as maximizing cheap engagement over everything else. He said this creates an environment in which users scroll through toxic content, which he defines as “the things that push people’s buttons, that make people anxious and scared and hate themselves,” Best said.
Facebook itself is profiting from the newsletter hype, having launched a similar service called “Bulletin” in late June. The platform courted influential writers who wanted to become freelance and local news writers.

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