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A Message From Our Editor

By AJ Brinnand

TenEighty is a celebration of internet culture…

Since we launched our physical magazine and website in 2014, our aim has always been to champion the creator community. We set out to shine a light on stories that don’t get discussed in the mainstream media and amplify the voices of creators and viewers around us. That defines who we are and it’s at the forefront of our minds every day.

We recognise that it’s now more important than ever to use our platform to better reflect the communities from which we grew. TenEighty is written for everyone. So it should represent everyone.

As the Black Lives Matter movement has become a global talking points in recent weeks, our editorial team released an internal statement to writers about our commitment to amplifying black voices, better considering representation in our content, and diversifying our team. We realise that we can do better and we know that we must do better.

“The only way we can solve this issue is through exposure, through education, through compassion, and through empathy” – Emmanuel Acho, 2020.

Speaking now as the Editor of TenEighty, I am appalled by some of the past comments and actions of our founder and former editor. Yesterday he stood down and I want to clarify that the actions of individual members of our team, past and present, do not reflect the views or beliefs of everyone. I am still trying to process everything, which I learned about on social media at the same time as others, while coming to terms with the loss of my business partner, former editor, and one of my closest friends. I am heartbroken.

I also want to take time to clarify that we are a volunteer publication. Everyone who contributes to TenEighty, myself included, does so without pay. TenEighty does not turn a profit and we have always been clear on our website, during the application process, and in emails with new writers that joining the team is done so on a voluntary basis.

We have never profited from the time and dedication our writers have given us, and I have personally invested thousands of pounds into TenEighty because I’m passionate about the team we have built and believe in what we do. We have always been flexible with our team schedules and I have always been vocal at events and in internal team meetings that real lives, jobs and studies, and our mental health should always come first. We would never think badly of someone for prioritising their own needs above TenEighty. We have always tried to do our best for our team, provide opportunities for everyone, and have fun while doing it. I apologise to anyone who feels that we haven’t delivered on those aims.

I announced to our team this morning that we will be taking a hiatus from publishing content, starting today. This will currently last for the month of July, but may be extended, and may potentially be indefinite. We need time to listen to what is being said, take time away to process everything, and decide what to do next. This includes taking an honest look at our team and lack of diverse voices.

In addition to holding ourselves accountable as a team, we always welcome any feedback. However, we know that it’s sometimes hard to give honest feedback directly, so we have created an anonymous feedback form. This will be part of our learning and listening process and will remain open for the foreseeable future. We welcome constructive comments from anyone: writers, creators or viewers. You can submit them out via this Google Form.

As we take this step back, I encourage you to revisit some of our coverage from the past few weeks around Black Lives Matter and the issue of racism:

Published 25 June 2020.

About AJ Brinnand
All singing, rarely dancing Social Media Manager for big brands (Oh, and TenEighty UK). Hanging around on YouTube since 2008... and still here.
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