The Reading Garden: 3/7/25
Welcome to this week’s Reading Garden, where every Friday we spotlight three must-read articles that we’re paying attention to, and break down what they mean for legacy media.
Let’s get started.
1. The creator economy is facing an authenticity crisis
One of the biggest draws of the creator economy has always been its authenticity, but with the rise of AI-generated content, even that is under threat. Pinterest is facing major backlash, and other major platforms that prioritize algorithms over real connection could be next.
As a result, alternative players are stepping in to offer more creator friendly solutions. This opens the door for legacy media to bridge the gap.
The question is: how?
Substacker-in-Chief Ben Odell will tackle this very question in Monday's article. Stay tuned!
2. Robert Rodriguez launches Brass Knuckle Films, turning movie fans into investors
This week’s award for tearing down the walled garden goes to Robert Rodriguez, who just launched a company inviting fans to not only invest in action films, but actually be part of the filmmaking process. Fans will get exclusive previews, set visits, discussions with Rodriguez and his team, and even the chance to pitch their own movie idea.
Sure, crowdsourced projects aren’t new, but the key difference here is Rodriguez himself, a director with a cult following.
By making himself accessible and bringing his audience along for the ride, he’s playing the creator game, but at its core, this is about keeping his passion for indie filmmaking alive. And it just might work…
3. YouTube Is About to Look Even More Like TV
YouTube is revamping its TV app to feel more like a traditional streaming service. Meanwhile, Netflix is leaning in on social features, encouraging users to share and interact with content in ways that feel straight out of the YouTube or TikTok playbook.
Are the two leading TV platforms seemingly trying to emulate each other?
That matters much less than what it says about the bigger picture, which is that both platforms are laser-focused on improving content discovery. Legacy media shouldn’t see this as an indication that the traditional TV experience is disappearing, but simply evolving. And in this new era, interactivity isn’t only an added feature, but an essential component of keeping audiences engaged.