In partnership with: Outpost for Ghost publishers

Today, Atlanta-based journalist Mario Guevara was deported by ICE to El Salvador, a country where press freedom advocates warn he is likely to be arrested. Guevara, who built his career covering policing and immigration for Spanish-speaking audiences through Mundo Hispanico and his outlet MG News, represents the precarious reality many journalists face: the very act of reporting can put their freedom at risk.

This story matters for the creator-journalism ecosystem because Guevara embodies the strengths – and the vulnerabilities – of independent reporters who build deep trust with their communities. Guevara reaches audiences often overlooked by legacy outlets, live streams enforcement actions (his son livestreamed news of Guevara’s imminent deportation on Facebook), and gives visibility to people navigating immigration systems in real time. And yet, without the institutional protections that larger newsrooms sometimes provide, he is exposed to immense personal risk.

For funders, institutions, and peers, Guevara’s case is a stark reminder: supporting creator-journalists isn’t just about sustainability or innovation – it’s about protection, legitimacy, and solidarity.

If you want to stand in solidarity with Mario and others facing similar risks, you can support organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders, or Lawyers for Reporters, which provide urgent legal and advocacy support for independent journalists at risk. (If I missed another group worthy of mention here, reply with the information and I may add in to the web version.)

📌 “Once a reporter at a mainstream outlet achieves a certain level of prominence, people now ask them why they stay,” writes Casey Newton in a post reflecting on the first five years of Platformer.

📌 Taylor Lorenz talked to six TIkTok news creators for Interview and found a multitude of opinions on audience engagement, trad media and monetization.

📌 Kate Lindsay writes about The Verge’s Mia Sato, who she says, cracked the journalism TikTok code – using the platform both as a promotional tool and as a source.

📌 Jason Koebler says the AI-ification of news keeps him up at night, but says 404 Media has a resiliency plan – and it’s working.

📌 “The idea that independent journalism is an immediate financial windfall is deeply misguided.,” writes Substacker Chris Cillizza.

📌 Syracuse University announced the launch of what it calls the nation’s first academic center for the creator economy.

📌 Congrats to Sophia Smith Galer for being named a 2025 Change Maker by TikTok for “redefine[ing] how news and investigative storytelling live on social platforms.” Galer recently sat down for a MUST-LISTEN interview with Creator Spotlight’s Francis Zierer.

📌 Future has launched a program to run creator-led content across its portfolio of media brands including Marie Claire, Homes & Gardens and Who What Wear. Creators will be hand-selected and paid flat fees as contributors, reports Axios.

🪐 This newsletter is presented in partnership with Outpost 🪐

Have you heard of Outpost?

Outpost is a marketing and monetization tool for Ghost. They’re an independent publishers cooperative, not bankrolled by billionaires. They work directly for publishers and all publishers get a say in what they build.

You can use Outpost to automatically send upgrade, retention and win back messages to readers. If you’re running a Ghost publication, and you want to expand your revenue potential this year, you should really check out Outpost.

📌 TikTok announces the launch of its creator rewards program in Mexico.

📌 Ahead of New York Ad Week, Ad Age published this guide for creator on how to connect with and get noticed by brands.

📌 From welcome sequences to win back campaigns, Dan Oshinsky shares five automation every newsletter needs.

📹 WSJ’s Julia Munslow leads an online ONA meetup designed to teach journalists how to make “scroll stopping” social video. Scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5. Sign up at the link.

✈ Join me Oct. 19-21 in Salt Lake City for the inaugural Business of Local conference.

📌 I’m also headed to Philadelphia on Nov. 8th to take part in KleinCamp. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, it’s worth checking out. The conference leans into hands-on innovation thinking and tickets are only $20.