On Leaving Medium

My decision to leave Medium

The author, Joe Duncan, at the palace at Knossos in Crete, Greece

Today, I announced I’m shifting away from Medium to devote my professional energy almost exclusively to Substack. You can read that here. I wanted to write this to explain my decision—which wasn’t made lightly—to focus on The Science of Sex and The Unrefined, both here on Substack.

In the words of Thomas Sowell, there are no guarantees in life, only trade-offs, and Medium’s Boost program has wrought some rather unfortunate trade-offs. Medium’s once-vibrant conversations are now muffled. The same community I once embraced feels vacant. Truthful conversations have become quite difficult on Medium.

The Cycle of Annoyances

Just today, I opened Medium and was greeted with the worst article I’ve read all year—riddled with misleading and false information with few sources cited, terrible logic, and laughably bad fearmongering—from a Ph.D. who should know better, no less. 

But, it’s a socially acceptable flavor of fearmongering propaganda that passes muster enough to be boosted and granted prioritization in the various channels of distribution. My instinctive reflex was to pen my own story in response, offering another view that would, as usual, be a research-based deep dive on the subject that would allow readers to decide what they think is best after comparing perspectives. If it was 2019–2021 Medium, that story would have already been published.

But I acutely know that story would be thwarted by the Boost program.

I haven’t even penned the first word, and I know this to be true.

I know it to be true because I spent two long years on an article covering the same topic, most of it spent thoroughly researching every aspect as I poured through scientific data with a fine tooth comb, with data from the NIH, FDA, and the countless other sources I meticulously probed. That could’ve pre-bunked the article I read today by nearly a year.

It was rejected.¹

Two long years spent on an article that went nowhere and an important topic languishes. It still has not been, and will not be, addressed.² Now, that topic is only being covered through a very narrow lens it impacts millions of lives.

There’s a feeling of profound helplessness watching disinformation and misinformation spread across the platform, knowing that, no matter how hard I try and how many hours of research, writing, and editing I pour into attempts to correct and combat that disinformation, it’s all for nothing. The years of experience, the hours of labor, the care, and verve that have gone into the above pieces—all of it for nothing.

Now, if you think this is a “my article didn’t get picked, so I’m taking my ball and leaving” exit, I get it. But please understand that I published that article at the beginning of this year and have defended Medium relentlessly since that happened. Did it sting that an article I worked so long and hard on didn’t get boosted? 

Of course it did.

But it didn’t hurt enough to make me quit.

This is bigger than me and my writing. I’m deeply concerned with what happens to the truth when conversation is suffocated in this fashion. This concern is so significant, I’ll be taking a considerably painful pay cut by leaving (and I appreciate each one of you paying subscribers for your support). There are principles that matter more than money to me.

The Importance of Expertise

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had this experience—of feeling like I can’t even begin to discuss a subject that’s important to me—within the past year. I can only conclude that an unintended consequence of the Boost program is that some people aren’t permitted to discuss some subjects, at least not if their views—no matter how accurate, true, or well-researched—don’t fit a very narrow window of acceptable perspectives.

This isn’t credential envy. Anyone who knows my work knows how vigorously I’ve defended — and will continue to defend — academic achievements, the importance of knowledge. I think people with credentials should be able to speak and not be drowned out by the noise of the masses who may be well-intended, but uninformed. It’s easy to be a backseat driver with complex subjects. Medium should prioritize expertise. 

But that prioritization isn’t happening either.

I recently wrote about how U.S. elections work from the perspective of my off-platform career, spending three days on a story that clarified how the voting process works behind the scenes, which I’ve done professionally for over a decade. Three editors reviewed it and I created custom artwork for the header image, as usual, all for a story from long-time personal experience in a career I’m knowledgeable in.

That story, too, was smitten by the invisible hand of the boost team.³

As was another story I wrote a few months ago about American Democracy. I’ve worked in politics both professionally and as a volunteer for fourteen long years now, doing everything from non-partisan, volunteer voter registration drives to working for major U.S. political parties, Congresspersons, and Senators. It’s my area of expertise. 

When I write about my passions, with thoroughgoing research, a unique perspective (trust me, no one told that story), one that’s thoughtful and respectful, it gets rejected. When I write and speak from the heart about my lengthy experience working in professional politics, it’s rejected, irrespective of quality, with little rhyme or reason.

Writing on Medium is like playing Russian roulette with my time and, even as I’ve followed their guidelines and suggestions to the letter, I’ve found myself squandering that precious time, time that could be spent elsewhere talking about what matters.

Now, let’s talk about what matters without faceless barriers.

1. Two years is a pornographically long time to spend crafting an article in 2024, and you’d expect the effort to somewhat track with the results, but that hasn’t always been my experience.

2. I don’t write things just to pay the bills. I write them because they’re meaningful to me.

3. This was truly the unforgivable sin. We’re in the midst of an election year of the utmost importance, while disinformation abounds. Clearing up misunderstandings about U.S. voting is an urgent priority that was thwarted despite credentialed experience.