About The Monetization of Fear
We’re all being manipulated and exploited in various ways via fear—because we live in an attention economy and algorithms reward negativity. As a result, various bad actors are monetizing that fear, but I rarely see any media discussion about this phenomenon. (Of course, in a click-based media environment, many outlets benefit from leveraging fear themselves.)
Fear is often used to pit segments of the population against each other instead of against the actual enemy. It’s a tactic beloved by authoritarians, who often create or exaggerate threats to swoop in to act as the savior. Fear tricks people into thinking they must choose between safety and security or individual freedoms and democratic values. That false dichotomy is dangerous!
In an attention economy, fear is a potent and insidious weapon—and that's exactly why we don't want this newsletter to make you feel hopeless. As the saying goes, knowledge is power—so we tackle difficult subjects using critical thinking and, yes, even humor, thanks to my background as a satirist.
I also plan to tackle “less serious” topics from time to time because, damn, we all deserve a break from the madness.
My goal is to build a community of critical thinkers, raise awareness about fear-based manipulation, and redirect all my social media rants into something meaningful. Join me! I’ll bring the snacks.
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About Fiona
I’m originally from Florida, but it’s not my fault. (I used to use that as a little icebreaker in job interviews to distance myself from my home state as it ramped up its craziness.)
I studied English at the University of Florida because back in Ye Olden Times, it was still possible to work your way through a state school, especially if you got some Pell grants. After that, I got my master’s in English at the University of Miami while waiting tables. (Fun fact: my coworkers at the time called me “Diane” and made me say “Saaaam” because, apparently, my voice sounds a lot like Shelley Long’s.) In keeping with my nickname, I originally wanted to be a literature professor, but I realized while getting my master’s how precarious academia already seemed (and that was in the 1990s!)
To pay off grad school, I lived with my mother for two years while working a job in PR and pulling two shifts of doubles on the weekend. Then, I moved to New York City and temped until I got a job in ecommerce (because my boss hated writing copy). I currently work as a content strategist, editor, and writer and am becoming certified as a book coach, which means I guide writers through the process of writing a book.
In 2018, I co-wrote a satirical piece for McSweeney’s that went viral. After an editor reached out to us, it became a book called New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay. (It’s PG-13, I swear!)
My co-authors and I also founded The Belladonna, a satire site that features female and non-binary writers. We spent four years actively involved in the day-to-day editing before handing it off to our amazing and talented managing editors. Running a site is a BIG task, and they are doing a stellar job, so check it out!
If you’d like to hire me to write something for you or work with me to develop a book, please reach out!
What Do I Get If I Pay for a Subscription?
I plan to write a piece a week, barring illnesses and, I don’t know, meteor strikes. I’m also hoping to build a community. If you can pay, I’d very much appreciate it. I know that I’d love to subscribe to a lot more people than I can afford, so I wrestle with this myself.
That said, a paid subscription would help me devote more time to writing this newsletter and would also allow me to develop this concept as a podcast. I’d love to interview subject matter experts and talk about things that matter.
So, get in, loser. We’re going Substacking.
