Ashton Pittman, a journalist for the Mississippi Free Press, joined the app Bluesky about five months ago. At the time, he was the only Mississippi journalist using the platform. However, since then, at least 15 other Mississippi journalists have joined, citing the platform’s welcoming environment and lack of algorithmic suppression of links.
Bluesky’s audience engagement has been booming, with posts receiving 20 times more engagement on the platform compared to Twitter. The platform’s co-founder, Jack Dorsey, built Bluesky as an initiative funded by himself, with the goal of creating a more open and welcoming environment for journalists, publishers, and creators.
Journalists who have switched to Bluesky have reported a significant increase in traffic to their work, including articles and newsletters. Rose Wang, Bluesky’s chief operating officer, quotes The Guardian’s statistics, stating that the platform’s traffic is higher than its competitors.
Some journalists who have switched to Bluesky include Erin Reed, an independent journalist covering trans rights issues, and Talia Lavin, a journalist and author who covers the far right. Both reported an uptick in anti-trans speech and other forms of bigotry and harassment on Twitter.
Journalists and writers have also reported that Bluesky is a more welcoming environment, with less toxicity and more diverse topics and stories being discussed. Pittman has received story tips and ideas on the platform, while Reed has reached readers who are learning about the topics she covers for the first time.
The shift to Bluesky has also led to a significant increase in fundraising for some organizations, including the States Project, a state legislative campaigning group. According to director of research Aaron Kleinman, the group’s fundraising efforts made more money on Bluesky than on Twitter in 2023.
Overall, Bluesky’s platform has been seen as a more positive and welcoming space for journalists and writers, with fewer algorithmic limitations and less toxicity.