Anil Dash reflects on his experience at The Village Voice, showing hope for a new wave of independent, worker-focused media outlets that fill gaps left by traditional journalism's decline. These new platforms, such as Flaming Hydra and 404 Media, are gaining traction due to changing audience preferences, evolving distribution methods, and a focus on underreported stories.

Key learning points:

• Traditional journalism is facing significant challenges and decline

• A new wave of independent media outlets is emerging, dubbed "New Alt Media"

• These outlets often operate as workers' co-ops or non-profits, prioritizing fair treatment of creators

• Distribution is shifting to open formats like email and the fediverse

• Audiences are increasingly willing to pay for subscriptions to independent content