Written by Valerie Leventhal   

In thinking about the way that Reader Supported News is structured, with some "top down" (articles from the "main stream" media) writers, and then the rest of us Writing for Godot, I see the future of the arts in particular, and possibly all business. The way things have developed in the corporate control of EVERYTHING, there are "big" guys and "little" guys, and never the twain shall meet.

The big guys have all the money and all the power, and the only outsiders who succeed are those who accept the terms and conditions that the big guys impose. If you're a little guy, you never even get a chance to be seen or heard by the majority of people. Those who get noticed by the main stream overlords make lots of money, but usually have to sell their souls to get it. Those who won't do that are left to their own devices, and probably their own lack of money will assure that they never even get on the radar.

In this way, the "top" controls all threats to their power, and arranges things for their own convenience. What they can't buy or co-opt, they can bury or destroy in various ways. If you control the only pipelines for distribution of product (intellectual or material), you can stop the emergence of new things if you don't agree with them, or can't control their output.The internet has gone a great way toward resolving this problem. As a musician (singer/songwriter), and a baby-boomer, in my youth the only way to get known was to get "signed" by a major record label. Only that way could you get air time on the radio, which was also tightly controlled.

During the 60s and 70s, there were some small stations that programmed with a more flexible and creative approach, but they have now been consumed by a few large corporate media companies. With the creation of the web, and organs like youtube, someone like me now has at least a chance of being heard by people all over the world. It's still tough to break through the thousands and thousands of people out there doing the same thing.

What I see with the RSN structure is a sensible combining of "top/down" and "bottom/up" approaches. Instead of being threatened by new content and new talent, those at the top should think of all of us as their "farm teams." Instead of paying a room full of corporate types to find and/or create by committee new talent, and then trying to rein in and control this talent and bend it to their needs, the situation now exists whereby the people with the money can just periodically browse through websites and writing and music and watch the really good content percolate upward under its own steam.

There's organic market research going on to determine how popular (how many hits) certain content providers are, so the money interests can come in after time has created a proving ground for the product, which saves them a great deal of money and trouble. Instead of trying to control the content and spend money on focus groups, etc., they can just wait until something pops up on their radar and then step in to offer their support. If they can make a deal that is agreeable to further distribute something that's already underway - without trying to change it - then it's a win/win situation.

The occupy movement is showing that humanity is finally gaining in self esteem enough to challenge the whole pyramid scheme that has been our society. We all have something to give - and everything is interesting to someone out there; small niche kinds of products and flexible, low budget companies can provide a living for regular people and allow them to do something that makes them, and others, happy and productive. We don't all want or need lots of money.

Speaking for myself, all I want is to be able to live simply and continue to write and make music that will find some kind of audience. I don't need to be different from other people, famous or rich. I am one of the 99%, and I believe that we all have special abilities that are of value to the whole of humanity.So, in conclusion, the future of business and opportunity in the world needs to stop having to do only with the largest companies and the largest profits, and more to do with the greatest number of individuals and the greatest possible satisfaction and happiness.

Reader Supported News is showing us that we can all (whether big or small) exist on the same website and reach the same readership. Eventually, we'll all figure out how to make a living this way if we're not too greedy.