Can journalists really make a living on Substack?

A few high-profile writers are thriving. For most, it’s still a grind.

It seems like every week — sometimes multiple times a week — a journalist leaves their media outlet to start their own publication, usually on Substack. Terry Moran, Karen Attiah, Jennifer Rubin and Norm Eisen. The list goes on. Some, like Attiah, joined Substack after being fired from their outlets. Others, like Rubin, left legacy media, citing concerns about the priorities of corporate and billionaire-owned publications.

But a bigger question lingers beneath the headlines and high-profile exits: Is independent journalism on Substack actually a viable career for someone without a large following?