Mountain Tūī will leave Substack

Substack claimed “Journalism is better when it’s backed by live markets” in its partnership with Polymarket. Really?

First: What does this mean for me, as a subscriber?

If you are a paid or free subscriber

You do not have to do anything.

I will find a way to migrate elsewhere which is seamless to you.

What if my paid subscription renewal is coming up?

1. You can set up a paid subscription on Ko-Fi which will keep your paid reader rights

2. OR you can allow the paid subscription to renew automatically.

Either way, your paid subscription will be migrated seamlessly to you so no action is required on your part.

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Why are you leaving Substack?

I first learned of Substack’s partnership with an American gambling site called Polymarket from J. P. Hill, under his piece: “Substack doesn’t want writing or journalism – they just want profit”

Apparently, Substack announced the deal with the tagline:

“Journalism is better when it’s backed by live markets”

If that doesn’t make you gag, it’s probably because journalism isn’t in your wheelhouse, but it should make every person with integrity think again.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Polymarket is the “new game” that allowed an anonymous account called “Magamyman” to make US $553,000 betting on the death of Iran’s leader.

It also allowed a number of Trump insiders to make millions of dollars betting that the USA would attack Iran - just a day before it happened.

Democrat Senator Chris Murphy explains more here:

And of course, the money always ties back to our favourite Kiwi citizen

That’s right - war and murder and insider knowledge is now being used for profit.

And Substack is positing it as “journalism”.

I didn’t receive an email about the Substack-Polymarket partnership, but it solidified a long simmering thought process that it’s time for Mountain Tūī to leave here too.

I joined in mid 2024, but soon I noticed Substack was not the platform it professed to be.

Some of its top authors and publications it boosts include anti-science influencers, far right advocates, and they appear to practically host anyone who lets them profit.

I ranted about it on Notes and Emily Writes also expressed some consternation at the time.

It’s not a surprise of course.

I quickly realised where I was operating, and became fairly vocal at one point, which saw Substack referrals my way plummet.

It’s no big deal. I accepted that - and it’s not my style to stay silent out of fear.

I’ve had a fun run here and it’s been great.

Met amazing people, authors such as Ryan Ward, Rosie Whinray, Entangled Curiosities, Sophie S. , Frank Macskasy, Anna McMartin, Melanie Nelson, enjoyed articles from countless others including Ganesh R Ahirao, Catherine Knight, Edward Miller, Paul Singh, Stephanie Cullen and Annie.

Pulled my hair out at Bryce Edwards who makes far too many serious, analytical mistakes to be a credible source anymore to my mind.

53 Substack publications recommend this one - many of whom I deeply respect, and thousands read it daily.

Not bad for a native bird with a white beard who just came here by chance.

Why did you join Substack in the first place?

I joined Substack only because Reddit’s r/newzealand subreddit moderators used various tactics to ban me after criminal posts of mine like "Do you know what the Coalition government has done in its first 100 days?" and "ACT are deeply affiliated with Atlas Network"and "I'm concerned about this govt's attacks on our media, academics and judiciary".

They banned me by calling me a “novelty account” despite being an individual with sincere interests and politically new, and later when I went back when they unbanned me again, claimed I had a “political agenda” when I posted news about National defunding RNZ and sharing the latest media articles on health privatisation.

Of course, they also deleted those RNZ and health privatisation posts that hundreds of users had upvoted and expressed surprise at.

i.e. in their enthusiasm to sideline me, the moderators there de-prioritised public interest. That to me is the real issue.

It was what inspired my post “Angry Tui” last year -

Soon after that, the r/newzealand moderators banned me again - claiming I breached their solicitation rules for posting a Youtube video, when I had done so previously without issue.

I knew they were just looking for a reason: it was always their intention.

But that was the only reason I started Substack in the first place - someone said it might be a good idea, so I came on not knowing what it all really meant.

The entire ecosystem here is designed to influence authors - telling us how much money we make and how many subscribers we have, and how our stats are improving or not.

If I unpay-wall articles, they no longer appear on my “Top Posts” feed too - prioritising paywalls over free content.

And while I have spent far too many hours writing and sourcing content, and working to help illuminate our current affairs, and am grateful for the financial support and payments that has come my way to help me, I don’t appreciate manipulation.

Everything in this place is encouraged to help Substack make money from the blood, sweat and tears of authors, or in some cases, AI writers or propagandists - whatever it is.

It’s the height of capitalism pre-regulation and pre-responsibility.

What kept me so long - even as I became increasingly vocal - was that I knew that if I didn’t write, others would.

There is enough misinformation and disinformation in every corner of our world.

I thought that as long as I had a role to play, I could do it.

Do we leave and let the others take play, it’s a moral dilemma I frequently consider.

Real accounts cannot beat the power and pure technological might and money of astroturfers and troll farms and unadulterated money that powers so much of the right.

It’s our world today and almost unavoidable.

It’s a race to the bottom right now, not only in politics and disinformation/misinformation, but also in norms:

• MPs now have to spend inordinate amounts of time on social media or they are considered “in-active”

• Dramatic headlines are used to attract viewers for political channels.

• People pine for drama and confrontation.

• Everything is soundbites over deep analysis and investigation.

• The lack of nuance by some in the left can be as stark and tiresome as those on the right.

My publication is tiny - it’s not a Webworm or a Bernard Hickey or the great Emily Writes - it’s 1/100 of that.

I joined late and don’t have benefits, or shareholders or incentives like some of the early writers do, or protections or extra conditions either.

The last time I went on a pause, I lost a large number of paid subscribers, which took me out from the Top 100 political writers here, which I found curious, but acceptable.

One reader wrote to me to chastise me for taking a break - which didn’t even impact her financially.

People will be people. Many don’t understand how much work this type of work takes.

When I first wrote, my posts were met with surprise, skepticism, or not knowing - nowadays what I share is much less of a surprise.

Much less needed.

People often share with me my own posts and graphics too - from Willis being on track to borrow more than Labour’s full two terms (that may change if National increasingly assume privatisation and keep cutting core services), to NZ consuming 30% more Russian disinformation than the USA, to of course Atlas Network content to recent Ministry of Justice crime numbers.

My posts have covered Chris Bishop’s law breaking to NZ First corruption to Nicola Willis & Neil Quigley’s RBNZ cover up to health privatisation warnings before it happened - and Cecilia Robinson’s Arataki PHO / Tend Health successes under Luxon.

I’ve defended multiple Green Party hit jobs and explained why Labour has done well - despite the tsunami of disinformation against them.

So I think whatever happens, it will be OK.

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Thank you to each and everyone of you!

Every day my life has been enriched by the people who read and post here.

Seriously - thank you.

Thank you.

Every day it gives me hope and optimism in human nature and for the kindness and depth of those I see around me. I am constantly uplifted by this.

The people I have met who have not kept their word or have taken my work without credit are surpassed by those that do keep their word and credit works - and that’s encouraging because on par, humans are kind and many can be selfless - and that’s all it’s ever been about.

I am humbled by you.

Please give me time to figure out what I dread - technical migration and administraton.

If it takes me longer than I want, I will post here on Substack until then.

Thank you and may I recommend all writers and readers look at places apart from Substack - or at least not fund its operations once your subscriptions run out.

It’s a fast moving world, and we can all do our best to review our own parts, understanding that while we can never achieve perfection or pristine clarity or avoid messiness and gives and takes, we can do our best with sorting through the odds to find a way that we can live by with our heads held up high.

That’s all a life asks of you and me.

Ngā mihi nui,

Tui