A few years ago, before The Good Men Project even had a formal name, I sat with Tom Matlack in his office and we talked about the way that men were being portrayed in the media. The philanderer. The cheater. The corporate greed-monger. The bumbling dad. The pedophile. The sex-addict. The media, it seemed, was portraying men as everything except the hard-working, wanting-to-be-good, loving, complex, thoughtful, kind, intelligent guys that most men really are.
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Now, just a few years later, we are the media. All of you who write, blog, edit, comment or contribute in some way. The collective we that is a part of this community and cares about men and their stories.
And if we are the media, we are the ones that can create change. We can dispel stereotypes. We can uncover truths. We can help drive solutions.
We have all along wanted to be the type of media company that invites its community in to be a part of the very core. Not only do we invite ourselves into the conversations with bigger media — The Huff Pos and the CNN’s, and the Headline News’s, and the New York Times, and the BBC’s of the world — but we are constantly working to invite every individual we encounter to be part of The Good Men Project in some fundamental way. Commenters often become writers. People who find us on Twitter become editors. Bloggers join forces and work together on topics they find important. If you are as passionate as we are about telling the stories of men with truth, honesty and passion the way we are — you’re in. We call it participatory media. You — whoever you are, armed with just a truth, an insight, a story, a love of men — you are the media.
Because we see ourselves as participatory media, we want you to be involved at any level that works for you. If you just occasionally read an article or two, and don’t mind advertising to pay for all of the infrastructure that makes The Good Men Project happen every day — you can continue to see all our content that way, with banner ads that appear throughout the site. We try to make it as unobtrusive as possible while still paying our bills. But it’s a difficult environment out there.
But if you want to be a deeper part of the project, you not only get an ad-free experience but you get to participate in exclusive events which help drive the strategic direction of The Good Men Project. Our newest form of participatory media iis our Social Interest Groups. And we have classes on writing, growing your platform, leadership and social change. You get to participate more deeply. You become a part of the media.
Ready? Sign on up below. Need more info on all of the exact benefits you get? Here it is.
Register New Account
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NOTE: If you have already joined the Good Men Project community as a writer or contributor, log in here before registering. (You can change your password if needed at this stage).
We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Thanks for believing in our mission.
Questions or Feedback? Email [email protected]
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Photo by long-time contributor and wonderful photographer Stephen Sheffield. Please visit his website to see more.