Breaking free from the large media outlets, Tara Palmeri is rediscovering her voice as an independent journalist and paving the way for some of the biggest breaking news out there.
She spoke with Barrett about what life has been like since becoming independent, the tricks of the trade she took with her, and the ones she left behind.
Krystina Carroll: Tell me about you — Why Media?
Tara Palmeri: I was really inspired by the muckrakers. I remember learning about them in high school. I realized that they had the power of the pen to improve the lives of people who were disenfranchised minorities, people who were immigrants in this country who lived in tenements, frankly, people who were my ancestors on my dad’s side, like Italian Americans who worked to build the bridges and lived in tenements.
[Muckrakers reporting] helped create health codes. I thought it was really cool that Nellie Bly went into an institution, like all of the amazing journalism that happened during that period that I learned about in high school. It really inspired me.
From Playbook and Puck to Going Solo
KC: How did working for the big media outlets help you with your own independent venture?
TP: Through Playbook and Puck, I did a lot of newsletter writing, so I wanted to continue having a conversation with my audience.
I have done multiple podcasts. I found that the medium felt natural to me, and it’s something that I wanted to keep doing. So this was a natural place for me to go: to write for myself in my own name, directly to my audience, and have that kind of intimate connection and really pursue the stories that I wanted to pursue.
KC: How important is it to connect with your audience regularly?
TP: Oh, I’m always churning out content. I think that’s probably how I connect with them all the time. I’ve got a pretty regular schedule. I probably write twice a week, and I have a show twice a week. So there’s a direct line from me to my audience at all times. That’s been really helpful.
Unlearning the Broadcast Voice
KC: Is there anything you’ve had to unlearn from working for larger media outlets?
TP: People don’t necessarily like the broadcast voice. We are trained with that style. I think YouTube is much more personal. They like people who seem more like their friends and people they see on TV. I usually wear a long-sleeve shirt or T-shirt or something, and sometimes I’ll wear a button-down or blazer, depending on the guest, but for the most part, I’m pretty casual. I think [my audience] knows that I’m broadcasting from my home, but it’s a more intimate experience. It’s a podcast, so it’s quite like a broadcast, but [working for larger media outlets] taught me some great skills on how to present.
[Larger outlets] write in a specific way, and everybody on the staff sort of knew to write in that specific way, and it usually mirrored the anchors and their speaking style.
So I kind of had to forget that. I had to not speak in the active voice all the time and be a little bit more self-reflective. And I don’t have to tell a story in one minute and 30 seconds. I can tell the story for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour. There are no restraints.
Finding Her Voice and the Epstein Survivors Series
KC: So is becoming independent almost like finding your voice again?
TP: Yes, it is, although I definitely had a strong voice before I went into broadcast. I think that when you’re a part of a larger organization, you see the people who are succeeding, and you look at them and you think, “Okay, that’s how I can succeed.” And you’re trained by a lot of the same people. Sometimes leaving is a bit risky, but then you can develop your own voice and your own style.
KC: What is your favorite piece you’ve done? Not the one with the most clicks, but the one you are most passionate about?
TP: The series that I did on the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein — that is the most important journalism I’ve done. It’s a podcast series. I was traveling with Virginia Giuffre back in 2019 and 2020. We knocked on the doors of people who had known about her abuse and the doors of people she accused of being complicit in the crimes, and it was a really intense journey. It changed me.
I got to see a remarkably powerful and strong woman up close, but I also saw the side of abuse that people don’t see. It inspired me to continue. I always said that no matter what I do in my career, it will always be the most important work I’ve ever done.
I’m honored that I got to tell her story in that way, through her own voice.
Advice for Aspiring Independent Journalists
KC: For those who are looking to follow in your footsteps and go independent, whether they’re just out of high school or they’ve been in the business for a while, what’s your advice to them?
TP: Be yourself. I think radical independence, being truly you, is the only way to fight against AI. It’s kind of making us all the same, and being unique, even in the rough ways, probably makes you stand out ultimately.
Like fighting [AI] with radical individuality and humanity. That’s the only way [to beat AI], and that’s exhausting, because AI runs really quickly, and the human brain does not run quite as quickly as the AI brain. [To keep up], it’s a lot of work, but I’ve always worked hard.
So there’s something kind of gratifying when I see the notes from people about why they subscribe, and their exact reasons: because of the integrity of the journalism, because I’m not afraid to go after stories that others won’t, and because they appreciate my essence. That means a lot to me. I never really got that kind of direct feedback from my audience before, so it’s nice to have that community.
For anyone who wants to do this, it’s a grind, but I don’t think anything worth doing isn’t a grind.
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