Revitalizing MEDIA INDIGENA

Why taking a break after 147 consecutive weeks is the best guarantee of many more episodes to come—and how you can help

It’s been quite some time since we at MEDIA INDIGENA did a check in with you, our awesome patrons; in fact, it’s been almost two whole years. Back then, we were some ten months and 45 weeks into things; we now sit at nearly 150 episodes (147 to be exact), or close to three uninterrupted years of weekly programs, attracting an ever-growing base of listeners and support in the process. Of course, none of this would be possible without your vote of confidence, and for that we are both humbled and grateful.

Today, however, we reach out to let you know that MEDIA INDIGENA will be going on a much-needed short-term hiatus. Something other shows do on a routine basis, but a move we’re only making now. The reasons for doing so are manifold, but they all boil down to one person—that person being me, Rick Harp, MI host/producer since it all began back in March of 2016.

Frankly, my friends, I am fried. Burnt out. And, some days, feeling very nearly at my wit’s end. 

Here’s the thing: it has been nothing short of amazing to witness MEDIA INDIGENA’s growth and evolution. But for all the rewards that come with making this show, it’s important you know that the podcast is far from the only thing on my plate, and it is that combined workload which has made navigating and fulfilling my personal and professional responsibilities a serious challenge. 

Accordingly, MEDIA INDIGENA will soon be going on hiatus until mid-February, so that we can rest, recover, and reflect on how the podcast might evolve from here. 

I give you my word: once I take the time I need to refuel and recharge, the MI roundtable will be back, and in a form that you can help shape.

. . . . .

WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

Here’s what I hope happens next, including how you’ll be a part of it. Because, again, it’s you who helped get us this far and it’s you who will ultimately help get us to where we want to go.

> Add your voice: take our survey

One way to contribute is to complete our short survey about the future of MEDIA INDIGENA. As we consider the show’s evolution, we’re curious whether an hour’s worth of content every week is the minimum you expect of us, or if your listening habits and expectations are such that you’d be open to us potentially altering the program’s frequency, duration, or both. To what extent might such adjustments affect the level of your support every month?

As a 100% audience-supported media outlet, MI’s work ultimately relies on what our audience is ready, willing and able to support, making your input on this exercise essential.

> Add your voice: be part of our livestream!

I also want to invite you to be a part of our upcoming ‘pre-hiatus’ episode this Sunday at 1 pm ET—a live episode we’ll stream on-line! (Please sign up here: it's free.) There, we’ll take your questions and comments in real time via phone or chat about anything you might want to discuss, including what you like about the show, what you might wish to see adjusted in terms of format or approach and, of course, the hiatus itself. If you prefer, you may simply email me your questions or comments ahead of time, and we’ll be sure to discuss them on the live show (the address is rick@mediaindigena.com if the link doesn't work).

WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE MI

I want to be as transparent as possible about what is about to happen, why, and what the optimal outcome would be: namely, to right-size the relationship between the time and energy I invest in this work with the return I see on that investment, factoring in its impact on my overall economic and mental well-being.

And so, in the interest of transparency, here’s something I thought you should know: outside of our roundtablers’ weekly conversations, it's yours truly alone who bears the lion’s share of the work that makes the podcast happen—from coordinating its production, to the refining of its raw audio into a finished product that now averages one full hour a week, to distributing and marketing it through our various channels (not least, our @mediaINDIGENA Twitter account, which just surpassed 20,000 tweets to what will soon be 25,000 followers). These exact same tasks are typically performed by entire teams of people at places like CBC Radio. (Teams whose members take time off every summer and every Christmas, I might add.)

Which means, if I’m to going to both make the podcast and make a living, I’ve currently no choice but to take on other work. I’d ultimately love for that to change.

LOOKING AHEAD

Perhaps the greatest irony in all of this is that the timing of our hiatus comes on the heels of some pretty major milestones for MI: for example, never have we enjoyed more listeners or patrons.* Our first-ever live-audience shows (in Edmonton and Winnipeg) a few months back have also been highlights, precisely the kind of event we aspire to grow in both scale and number. 

It could be said that MEDIA INDIGENA is at a crossroads. We’ve been here before. Obviously, we all love doing the show—and by ‘we’ I mean myself, Ken, Brock, Kim and Candis—and we’re all loathe to imagine our lives without it. As difficult as it can be to discuss certain subjects on the program, our weekly get-togethers have proven to be a true source of shared solace, joy and intellectual enrichment. I feel fortunate to call all of these fellow roundtablers my friends, some of whom only came into my life because of the podcast. 

But rest assured that what is ‘for now’ won’t be forever: it is my sincere intention that this temporary respite not become a permanent retreat. Some of the workload I now carry is of a fixed duration. Yet it’s become all too much, all at once, and I owe it to everyone who supports me and my work to provide them with my best efforts; with only so much of me and my time to go around, that’s meant making this difficult choice. 

Still, because this break is so unprecedented for MI, and because I never take anyone’s support for granted, I imagine some patrons may opt to discontinue their pledge while we’re on hiatus. If that includes you and aren’t sure how to go about it, let me know via email (rick@mediaindigena.com).

And with that, I invite you once again to be part of our upcoming livestream and to fill out our short survey. Thank you for taking the time to read this message; I am genuinely hopeful that we will all one day look back upon this move as the right course of action at the right time, one that ultimately ensured the long-term viability of MEDIA INDIGENA.

Proud of what we’ve already accomplished with these initial 147 episodes (soon to be 148)—a body of work large enough to fill almost six straight days of listening—they constitute a rich repository of insight on an impressively diverse array of subjects. I mean no exaggeration when I say that, for me, doing the show has been like a weekly university seminar. I have learned so much from the other roundtablers these past three-odd years. 

My hope of course is that there are many more such conversations to come, especially as the challenges facing our collective future grow ever more urgent. I look forward to hearing what you think about how we might approach the show's next phase together, in a manner that is both sustainable and viable for those who create it. 

Ekosi,

Rick

. . . . . . 

* Our most recent quarter boasted a record-setting average of 2,259 downloads per episode (in the 30-day period after release); on the Patreon pledge front, we hit an all-time high of 332 monthly patrons contributing some $2300 as of 31 December 2018. (Though we seem to have since taken a post-Christmas credit card hit, sliding back to 320 patrons and $1997). Another stat of note: the year-over-year increase from 2017 (some 77,000 downloads, including listens to older shows) to 2018 (over 141,000). All in all, these are fairly respectable metrics for a so-called ‘niche’ show promoted entirely through word of mouth and social media. Your patronage helped make it possible!