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Is This the Future of Media? | Substack Cofounder Hamish McKenzie | TED

What if the polarizing mess of social media, clickbait headlines and addictive algorithms isn’t a breakdown of media but a transition to something better? Substack cofounder Hamish McKenzie explores how independent creators are growing a new media “garden,” where trust beats engagement metrics and audiences matter more than ads. Learn why clicking “subscribe” doesn’t just…

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What if the polarizing mess of social media, clickbait headlines and addictive algorithms isn’t a breakdown of media but a transition to something better? Substack cofounder Hamish McKenzie explores how independent creators are growing a new media “garden,” where trust beats engagement metrics and audiences matter more than ads. Learn why clicking “subscribe” doesn’t just signal support; it gives you power. (Recorded at TED2025 on April 9, 2025)

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51 Comments

51 Comments

  1. @JettsetterJake

    May 22, 2025 at 11:04 am

    Interesting..I never thought I would be able to have such a big audience about travel until Youtube.

  2. @RumanYt-5

    May 22, 2025 at 11:04 am

    🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

  3. @m10n17hT5Hauau-v

    May 22, 2025 at 11:09 am

    My cat looked at me like I was crazy when I laughed at this video💖

  4. @sooma-ai

    May 22, 2025 at 11:11 am

    Hamish McKenzie discusses the future of media, describing a shift from chaotic social media to a ‘garden’ model where independent creators build direct relationships with audiences. This new system fosters trust, economic autonomy, and diverse perspectives, potentially reshaping our media landscape and culture.

  5. @m10n20hT5ioPhuongng

    May 22, 2025 at 11:18 am

    As always, your content is top notch. Keep surprising us with your interesting ideas!🚙🎈🌼

  6. @SuryaPal-u6t

    May 22, 2025 at 11:24 am

    I think

  7. @darude1420

    May 22, 2025 at 11:34 am

    It’s very difficult to understand without seeing what it is or how it works in practice

  8. @havo5684

    May 22, 2025 at 11:42 am

    *Anyone in 2327?* 💖

  9. @deborahlimacoach3513

    May 22, 2025 at 11:42 am

    Pude conhecer o Substack e bom saber que não dados manipulados ! Cada minuto da nossa atenção é um voto para a cultura que queremos florescer …

  10. @Jinna_00

    May 22, 2025 at 12:43 pm

    i love it

  11. @mohammadf5693

    May 22, 2025 at 1:43 pm

    Why is he nervous?

    • @akkeforrest

      May 25, 2025 at 11:05 am

      Is he not telling the whole picture? I mean a garden sounds nice and natural but who is going to control the content and are we going to pay for the content?

    • @vicious.but.romantic

      May 25, 2025 at 1:43 pm

      Have you ever done a speech in front of that many people? Think.

    • @mohammadf5693

      May 25, 2025 at 2:20 pm

      ​@@vicious.but.romantic i know it is too hard. But i thought these people would not have any problem related to stress like use !

  12. @juyinhuang8839

    May 22, 2025 at 5:36 pm

    Every culture has its own garden. If you are not in this garden, you can not see the colours of the flowers or weeds or smell the beautiful fragrance. Even in the same country, there are different religious gardens. Non-believers are unable to see the Garden of Eden. Without believers, there will not be any kind of power in exercise. The more believers there are, the more reality and beauty of the imaginary garden will be.

  13. @LiteraryStoner

    May 22, 2025 at 5:50 pm

    I love Youtube and Substack. I deleted my twitter, instagram, facebook and tiktok accounts last year. Now I focus on youtube and substack, so much better for my mental health ❤

    • @docskate4312

      May 22, 2025 at 6:23 pm

      Good choices and well done.
      Stay healthy.

    • @istvanhorvat5124

      May 23, 2025 at 2:13 am

      Hm, never was on Substack but will try.

    • @Jhill-vq1xb

      May 23, 2025 at 10:32 am

      While I agree, YouTube can also become the same black hole that the Internet and social media has grown to be. Always be aware.

    • @AdityaMehendale

      May 23, 2025 at 4:48 pm

      When YT disabled the “dislikes” counter, my faith in their good-intentions was snuffed. Used to be a paid-member (YT red/premium) before that time.

  14. @juliolebron1321

    May 22, 2025 at 7:12 pm

    Wow, I was watching your analysis and I was thinking about Breaking Points and then you mentioned it. Krystal and Saagar are amazing, they really promotes your critical thinking!

  15. @WachusettTrek

    May 22, 2025 at 8:08 pm

    This video is a prime example – a class – in systems thinking,. As a systems engineer, for me, that’s a compliment of the highest order.

  16. @jonathanbrownson1709

    May 22, 2025 at 8:17 pm

    “less about capturing attention and more about nurturing relationships” I like that…

  17. @Meditationmusic-kr4uk

    May 22, 2025 at 9:06 pm

    The interesting part of this video is, that I know rumble and in comment section find sutback. Also the deep insight about social media, it’s chaos and overall implementations for us.

    Thanks 🙏

  18. @BusinessTacticsDaily

    May 22, 2025 at 9:12 pm

    Such an inspiring talk! 🌱 A clear vision of the future of media—where creators own their work, connect directly, and build trust-based value. Thank you for sharing this hopeful “garden” model! 👏

  19. @allenhamilton6688

    May 23, 2025 at 1:52 am

    Lovely ideas. My life has followed what Winston Churchill once said, “A young conservative is heartless. An old liberal is a fool”, in the best way. You learn through life to be more careful. Many people see my current political beliefs as far right. That is not true. I raise orphaned animals. I give to those less fortunate. I pay attention to what people say to me. All we need is more kindness instead of pandering to a political side.
    I hope this man’s vision comes to pass.

  20. @andycordy5190

    May 23, 2025 at 2:33 am

    Thank you for the summing up, where you talk about building relationships as the key influence on the future of culture.
    The major blind spot here is that of the big word “Ownership” which exists, to an extent, to protect content creators but with artists getting copyright strikes against their own registered works, the spiralling chaos of copyright ownership leaves the undeserving with an income from something they didn’t create and productive originators scratching around for an income as they see their work reposted by others, sometimes unchanged. Venus theory, a composer here on YouTube , is very good on this subject.

  21. @Documentally

    May 23, 2025 at 2:37 am

    Been on Substack for a while now. (Other newsletter platforms are available). As much as I feel it has become quite bloated on its social side. It’s still P2P and you can export your network to take elsewhere. From what I have experienced you can’t knock the discoverability and Hamish and the team will be at the cutting edge of what comes next. I just hope it does not include a ‘Write with AI’ button like other places are doing. I write a ‘A human authored journal in search of novelty, exploring what we share, how we share, and where we’re going.’ Hope we can connect somewhere.

  22. @YourVibeCoder

    May 23, 2025 at 3:10 am

    “AI is an Apex Predator” – Christopher Lafayette

  23. @vidskipperai

    May 23, 2025 at 3:22 am

    *_TIMESTAMPS_* & Summary (by *VidSkipper AI* ): The future of media is shifting towards a ‘garden’ model, where independent creators connect directly with their audiences, fostering economic autonomy, trust, and resilience against platform control, ultimately promoting a richer, more thoughtful culture.
    0:04 🌱 The Emerging Media Garden
    • The internet promised to democratize media but has largely concentrated power in the hands of a few platforms.
    • A new system called “the garden” is emerging, featuring platforms that empower creators and consumers through economic autonomy and direct relationships.
    • This garden contrasts with traditional media’s top-down, centralized model and the current chaotic social media landscape.
    2:30 🏛️ From Temple to Chaos
    • Traditional media operated like a temple, with centralized control and limited perspectives, which was disrupted by internet companies.
    • The rise of social networks led to an age of chaos media, where anyone can have a voice, but power remains concentrated within the platforms.
    • This chaos mirrors political culture, marked by humiliation of opponents and demands for fealty, shifting focus from contribution to attention-seeking.
    4:17 🧑‍🌾 Cultivating the Garden
    • The ‘garden’ represents a distributed system of independent voices with economic autonomy, connecting creators directly with communities.
    • Economic autonomy gives creators the freedom to focus on deeply serving their communities rather than chasing virality or answering to algorithms.
    • This system brings order to social media’s chaos by distributing power among many, fostering ownership, sustainability, and resilience.
    5:50 🤝 Success Stories in the Garden
    • Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti left The Hill to create "Breaking Points" on Supercast, YouTube, and Rumble, increasing income and broadening political viewpoints.
    • Caroline Chambers used Substack to build a community around accessible recipes, leading to a "New York Times" bestseller based on genuine reader relationships.
    • Matt Yglesias left Vox to start the "Slow Boring" newsletter, achieving true independence and earning over a million dollars a year.
    8:13 🌻 Implications of the Garden
    • The garden emphasizes ownership and sustainability, protecting creators from sudden platform policy changes by owning audience relationships directly.
    • In the garden, media shifts from capturing attention to nurturing relationships, allowing for nuance, complexity, and biodiversity.
    • Networking cultural connections enables movement between communities and exposure to diverse perspectives in moderate environments.
    9:55 🗳️ Voting for a Better Culture
    • The chaos of current media cannot last, making today’s choices crucial for shaping the new landscape.
    • Every subscription, share, and minute of attention is a vote for the culture we want to flourish, investing in deep relationships.
    • Reclaiming attention from doomscroll feeds helps cultivate a richer, more thoughtful culture capable of facing complex challenges.

    ** Generated using ✨ *_VidSkipper AI_* Chrome Extension

  24. @Andycomputer1

    May 23, 2025 at 3:46 am

    Nowadays most people is struggling to find their voice because of social media but the solution is in there hands ” freedom to chose “. I know it’s out of a topic but never mind.

  25. @BaldBeater

    May 23, 2025 at 6:52 am

    O cara sabe como vender sua imagem, ficou bom.

  26. @A.shk9

    May 23, 2025 at 2:16 pm

    I’m happy that after playing this one and not paying attention I came back and watch it again carefully, that was a perfect presentation.

  27. @JeffZHU-i9h

    May 23, 2025 at 10:04 pm

    Til tok controlled by China…. Name one not impact by any government

  28. @bcb777

    May 24, 2025 at 12:23 pm

    Authoritarianism can manage chaos. Your assumptions are that people actually want a voice and will be given the opportunity. That doesn’t seem to be the case.

  29. @thatsmybot

    May 24, 2025 at 6:46 pm

    How will this garden build trust? How did any of those examples prove there weren’t gatekeepers or algorithms helping push any of these creators? How do you nurture a relationship with a machine that can create perfect arguments for any situation and create any reality it wants to show you?

  30. @drjojo5551

    May 24, 2025 at 7:53 pm

    TRUST…..little man…..is YOUR LINE OF BULLSHIT!!!!!!!

  31. @irollerblade13

    May 24, 2025 at 10:14 pm

    I created this system. and if this dude see the name “Kaedon”. He will know it came from my work.

  32. @weekendrad405

    May 25, 2025 at 10:24 am

    didn’t we agree that tik-tok creator is Singaporean ? from I’ve -all- saw he claimed no relation to China and to any chinese communist party. Correct me if I’m wrong ..

    • @vicious.but.romantic

      May 25, 2025 at 1:42 pm

      I don’t think he was talking about TT. Maybe that new Chinese AI that pushes their own narrative?

    • @mattyreed1

      May 27, 2025 at 9:34 am

      CCP has a seat on TikTok’s board. The CCP also has a law that requires companies to do their bidding if they ask (or be shut down). Therefore, TikTok is ultimately controlled by CCP. It doesn’t matter where their CEO is from.

  33. @akkeforrest

    May 25, 2025 at 12:11 pm

    Why did he leave out the most important part for the content creators? You have to pay 10% of your earnings to these guys and another few % to the paying system.

  34. @vicious.but.romantic

    May 25, 2025 at 1:45 pm

    I don’t trust it. Who’s fact-checking them? They could write “sky is green” and with no responsibility. It’s just another social media platform with no rules.

  35. @NateByrd-Library5013

    May 25, 2025 at 1:47 pm

    Future

  36. @ProphecyofdanielSpeightsakathe

    May 26, 2025 at 2:00 am

    Mrdia is the priestess of illusion.
    Take away popularity, money , position. You get the real feelings of one. The ending of life regret in most.

  37. @JeremyThomas_Environmentarian

    May 26, 2025 at 2:29 am

    Focus on the channels where you control the narrative. You can chose what to watch on YouTube, chat to read on Substack, what to browse on the wider web… choose wisely as every bit of information will have an effect. The algorithms that choose for you need to be digested with extreme caution. If its free, you are the product. Choose life, choose wisely…

  38. @bonecircuit

    May 26, 2025 at 8:22 am

    export your subscription list and sort by alphabetical in a spreadsheet. stay in control of the subject domains you really want to focus on.

  39. @ChefJuice

    May 26, 2025 at 6:32 pm

    Tell me how this is not substack propaganda

  40. @mattpierceblog

    May 27, 2025 at 12:12 pm

    I feel like I want to believe this and obviously, Hamish does. Nothing here is wrong, but there is a fatal flaw. With all of the voices the audiences just often don’t come–so the exact people who you are trying to give a voice to are drowned out. I’ve got a fairly busy and profitable Substack, but having brought in my own audience, I can’t see any new growth from this theory. I know some will say how they grew up in a year, all the wya from zero. It is BS and we know it. I do get it that Substack is a platform where you can expand without much financial risk, but beyond that if you already have an audience, you could easily set up an infrastructure and save the little fee. Isn’t it REALLY all about that little fee? I feel like Substack has just become another course and subscription marketers playground. It is sad–really.

  41. @ultrasaiyan4283

    May 28, 2025 at 4:40 pm

    You still have to share your content somewhere. Then the more popular your content host is, the more greedy he usually becomes and enshitification begins.

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