Queer Media’s Not Dead
After what seemed like an upsurge in LGBTQ media—with mainstream stalwarts like NBC and Condé Nast launching queer-focused publications—the past couple of years have dealt a silencing blow to the LGBTQ news landscape. Leading outlets have shuttered. Enterprising beat reporters and cultural voices bounce from layoff to layoff, their work seen as too niche to justify their salaries. Independent queer newspapers and digital sites barely manage to stay afloat due to a lack of advertising and other funding streams. But while industry leaders often fail to prioritize LGBTQ coverage, there is more news on the LGBTQ beat—and more reader demand—than ever before. From major federal policy changes and history-making Supreme Court cases to corporate diversity efforts and groundswells in cultural acceptance, the stories are there waiting to be told.
How Outsourced Fills The Gap
Every Wednesday, Outsourced delivers razor-sharp analysis of the top LGBTQ stories, events, and trends. You’ll read the best journalism on queer and trans topics, get caught up on what thought leaders are saying, and learn about new developments that impact the LGBTQ community. You’ll learn who to follow, which experts are really owning certain topics, and what’s going on in LGBTQ media itself. In addition to news, you’ll get plain-English explainers on stuffy things like legislation and court rulings, updates on leading LGBTQ advocacy groups, and some lighter fare like memes and queer art. Basically, whatever it takes to counterbalance the nonstop garbage fire that is the 2020 news cycle.
Who Makes Outsourced?
Hi! I’m Mary Emily O’Hara, and I’ve been a journalist for…phew, a long time. I have been specializing in LGBTQ beat reporting for about five years, but beyond that, I’ve always considered it my mission to help tell stories that impact all kinds of underrepresented communities. In recent years, I’ve held staff positions at Adweek, INTO (Grindr’s short-lived but award-winning LGBTQ news site), them., NBC News and MSNBC, The Daily Dot, and VICE. I have seen my share of media layoffs, and I’m familiar with the pain of advocating, unsuccessfully, for more coverage of minority voices. Outside of my profession, I am your typical kombucha-drinking, tattooed nonbinary femme dyke with too many dying houseplants. That is to say, yes of course Outsourced will make constant references to astrology. Outsourced is a labor of love, and a way of continuing my own LGBTQ beat reporting during the pandemic unemployment crisis, so I really hope you can subscribe. Also, buy a gift subscription for a friend. Also, email Maryemilyohara@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities. You get the idea.
Who Reads Outsourced?
Outsourced is for everyone who needs or wants to know what’s happening in the news that especially impacts the LGBTQ community, or wants to read news filtered through a queer lens. I’m starting with a weekly news roundup, but the goal is for Outsourced to grow into a LGBTQ newswire of sorts. That means I hope reporters and editors will use it to source LGBTQ coverage. It’s also must-read material for anyone working in LGBTQ advocacy and policy: legislators, nonprofit leaders, researchers, and more. Beyond that, I hope that—no matter who you are—you’ll find Outsourced useful and entertaining.
