This week Francis is joined by essayist and culture critic, Alicia Kennedy. Alicia is primarily a food writer, however also has many refined takes on writing, the algorithm, and the attention economy. Alicia's Newsletter: https://www.aliciakennedy.news/ 00:00:00 Introducing Alicia Kennedy 00:01:38 Rejecting the idea of the creator 00:07:06 Declining media literacy in the digital age 00:12:36 The fragmentation of public intellectualism 00:17:09 Attaching value to greatest achievements 00:19:32 The creator economy tradeoff of freedom and instability 00:29:33 The need for publications that challenge food writing norms 00:35:08 The blurred line between influencers and creators 00:40:13 Building a like-minded diverse community 00:43:58 The key to consistent organic growth 00:47:10 The need for a more horizontal media ecosystem 00:52:32 Navigating platforms with limited audience engagement control 00:57:51 Experience of writing a book vs newsletters