7 Journalists Share What They’ve Learned From Going Solo
Key takeaways
- Media7 Journalists Share What They’ve Learned From Going Solo By Andy Meek,
- Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
- Half a world away, former NPR reporter Tim Mak now writes dispatches about the war in Ukraine outside his Kyiv window.
Media7 Journalists Share What They’ve Learned From Going Solo By Andy Meek,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I report on media as well as its intersection with news and culture.Follow Author Jun 28, 2026, 11:45am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Summary. A growing number of prominent journalists are leaving legacy newsrooms and stable jobs to build independent careers on platforms like Substack and TikTok. Drawing on interviews conducted over the past year with figures like Jorge Ramos, Tim Mak, Chris Cillizza, and Lisa Remillard, this article identifies the common lessons emerging from their experiences. From the importance of owning a niche to the tradeoffs between creative freedom and financial uncertainty.
Journalist Jorge Ramos attends a press conference after a federal immigration raid at a car wash in Culver City, California, on June 11, 2025.AFP via Getty ImagesAt 67, Jorge Ramos walked away from nearly four decades as the most recognized face in Spanish-language TV news to launch a one-man digital news operation — leaving behind the kind of institutional backing most journalists spend entire careers chasing.