purge at CyclingTips

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by sg8357

Cycling Tips users are a production input, to produce value for the owners.

Funny- I have this hanging in my office at work. I only come in for maybe half a day every 8ish days, but happen to be here.

[prototoast]

It's easy to look at what Outside is doing and say "this is just the way of the world right now" but I would posit that Outside management is actually doing a particularly bad job of things.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

This is nothing new - this is pretty much the definition of Yellow Journalism. This term was coined over 100 years ago, during the circulation war between Pulitzer and Hearst, although in practice it goes back further. Current purveyors, like the New York Post, are still doing well, even as the newspaper business in general is suffering.

The New York Post? It turned its first profit in 2021 in “modern history”. It’s a chronic loss maker for News corp and apparently has been so since inception in 1801.

Originally Posted by prototoast

It's easy to look at what Outside is doing and say "this is just the way of the world right now" but I would posit that Outside management is actually doing a particularly bad job of things.

I think you’ll struggle to find a news organisation that hasn’t gone backwards in the last 20 years. If you do, they’ll likely be in a niche and relatively small revenue base.

I do not disagree that outside management is doing an outsize-ed-ly bad job, though, which combined with the swift shift in macro policy settings that has made life very hard for them.

This theme will continue for cash burning businesses for the foreseeable future I imagine.

[jimoots]

Got this email from Wade Wallace's Substack.

Over the holidays, Caley Fretz and I took stock of the cycling media landscape and thought long and hard about how we could (or should) build a cycling media business into something far better than we've ever seen before. Cycling deserves better than the media that currently serves it, and I believe that now is the zeitgeist that will be seen as a defining moment.

It gives me great pleasure and excitement to announce that we will build a membership-first cycling media publication which will launch in the very near future.

Many argue that cycling media is in a dire state. I’m not sure I totally agree with that sentiment, and I’m not sure repeating this same old conversation helps. Never before have we had such a diverse landscape of YouTubers, podcasters, live race coverage, and social media to see the best photos and video footage at any moment in time. It’s quite spectacular when you think about it.

However, it’s traditional cycling media that’s been absolutely obliterated and has evolved to, quite frankly, mostly ****. That is, media that is operated as a proper business with editorial standards and conduct. This form of media is difficult to monetise and now seems to exist for the sole purpose of flogging more product. It’s not the media’s fault things evolved this way. They’ve only responded to it in the only way possible. Incentives are misaligned (clicks and pageviews are the success metric) meanwhile the audience is often fed the lowest standard of content a title can get away with. With AI tools such as ChatGPT threatening to disrupt even Google, mediocre content that’s been built for search engines will die, and so will the remaining traditional media if they continue down this path. In the near future, mediocre content will be replaced by AI, and exceptional content and communities created by humans will be rewarded. (HT to Joe Lindsey for sending me this interesting article).

But why do we need ‘traditional media’ anyway? If YouTubers, influencers, and social media give us an assortment of satisfying content fed by an algorithm, what else do we need?

If you’re waiting for me to answer this rhetorical question, you’re probably not part of the audience we want to appeal to. Apologies if that sounds dismissive, but it’s a conversation for another day.

I’ve been told so many times that the membership media model will not work in cycling. I’ve been told there are not enough people interested in cycling. It’s too niche. It’s too saturated. The audience will never pay for something like this…

We’re out to prove these critics wrong. They underestimate the audience. We know this can work, and it can even thrive.

What our new cycling media business will be:

This will be primarily member supported, with only a small number of selected commercial partners chosen in appropriate ways who add to our coverage and content, not detract from it.

Our coverage will be fiercely INDEPENDENT. A member-first business model allows this, and it will fascinating to see what new forms of content this results in without traditional constraints.

We will not create content for the lowest common denominator. The audience we want to attract are smart and discerning. We will create content for this community, and have confidence that others will rise to this level.

This will be employee owned and operated.

This will be the best damn cycling media and community you’ve ever seen.

What this will NOT be:

A platform for spruiking product placement, irrelevant promotions, advertorials, clickbait headlines and pedestrian takes. Media shouldn’t exist for the sole purpose of selling you more ****.

We will not be something for everyone. We will be everything to someone.

Mediocre content that’s created for SEO purposes. We will be creating content for our audience, not for Google search results.

If you want to see this happen and believe there’s value for the cycling community and industry with what we can create, here’s what you can do to help:

Register your interest below. We want to bring you along on this journey every step of the way. We are starting from a blank piece of paper and this will be the only way we can reliably communicate directly with you.

Register interest here:
https://substack.com/sign-in?redirec...se&justTrying=

[thwart]

That looks promising.

Fingers crossed and following…

[kiwisimon]

I'd be up for that.
depends on pricing.

[mhespenheide]

Sounds like The Cycling Independent, at https://cyclingindependent.com/

[Baron Blubba]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Sounds like The Cycling Independent, at https://cyclingindependent.com/

That's what I was thinking, right away.

I'm interested, but I think that if you are going to make a statement like this, touting the quality of your writing, it would make sense to edit a little more judiciously.

Also, I'm sick of the word 'content' and the acronym 'SEO'.

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Sounds like The Cycling Independent, at https://cyclingindependent.com/

No disrespect to TCI, but their content misses my interests by about a mile.

CT fit my needs of understanding bike tech + current events with (relatively) unfiltered editorializing. TCI provides neither.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

No disrespect to TCI, but their content misses my interests by about a mile.

CT fit my needs of understanding bike tech + current events with (relatively) unfiltered editorializing. TCI provides neither.

I'd never heard of TCI until now, but after a window shop I agree, if this new endeavour is a "CT2.0" it's a different beast and significant level up from TCI.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Sounds like The Cycling Independent, at https://cyclingindependent.com/

I still haven't forgiven Patrick Brady for that awful article he wrote in bicycling magazine that was supposed to be about riding in Japan, but was actually about his failing marriage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCJ_dUNdCTI

The ethos of The Cycling Independent seems to be "how much can we write about cycling without our readers learning anything."

I'd much rather read Dave Rome explain the nuances of 10 different chain tools than read about how a chain tool is actually a metaphor for happiness.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by prototoast

I'd much rather read Dave Rome explain the nuances of 10 different chain tools than read about how a chain tool is actually a metaphor for happiness.

I think Dave would say that a good chain tool is a metaphor for happiness though.. he just isn't so on-the-nose with it. I love listening to him talk about that stuff on the pod. And I also love that Caley rides and has a soft-spot for Campagnolo, even if he (and the rest of the gang) appear to know less about Campy than your average Paceline'r*. Maybe they need a Crusty Fries guest blog on the new site.. Ye Olde Patate needs a wider audience, if he's available.


*I of course have to tip my hat to Shoddy regardless - just listening to him say 'Campagnolo' is reward enough....

[oldpotatoe]

Our coverage will be fiercely INDEPENDENT. A member-first business model allows this, and it will __ fascinating to see what new forms of content this results in without traditional constraints.

Geez, alert the editor...

I realize that a site like this has to 'pay the bills', pay the owners(traditional constraints), etc but a 'members only' site will turn some off, even if they DO understand why it's that way. Particularly with the TON of free cycling content now available...Yup, a lot of it is junque, just to sell something but a lot of it isn't.

[glepore]

I like the TCI podcast but don't read the site. Whatever Caley does should be interesting and I'll subscribe for a trial, but I'll miss James if he doesn't come over.

[AngryScientist]

Have to admire their perseverance i suppose. Tough days to be a journalist of any sort. Well into my adulthood, i have neither the patience or risk tolerance for a career that might not work.

A paid subscription model probably makes sense for them. I agree that there is a ton of content out there, and much of it is just complete garbage and freelancers fighting for clicks, likes and eyeballs. If a subscriber is willing to pay for content, it is more likely they will actually read it since they are paying for it.

I'll be curious to see what becomes of this, and if the model will prove to be viable. I think it can work.