‘The Indiependent’ is an online platform that was born in July 2014. I started the site after writing for a number of online platforms as a teenage music reviewer, where I felt frustrated at the lack of constructive criticism I received. It often felt like my articles would be published without any form of editorial feedback. I wanted to create a space where young writers could develop their own distinct writing styles in a low-pressure environment. It’s essentially a shared blog – rather than worrying about how to use WordPress or building a social media following, our writers can focus on just writing.
It’s been over six years now since I first started the website, and we have published over 5,000 articles to date. Our contributor team has changed a lot since I first launched the site, with many of the original team going on to study Journalism, English, History, Film or Media at university level. A few of our team members have gone on to have successful careers with print or broadcast media outlets, landing coveted graduate scheme positions, or apprenticeships.
That’s the whole point of the site; The Indiependent is a place for writers to use for as long as they want to. I’m proud to be able to continue to offer the journalists of tomorrow an opportunity to find their own voice.
Beth Kirkbride
Founder/Music Editor
You can read more about what led me to set up the site here.