Are We Not “Us”?
Why Contributor Credit Matters in Music Journalism
I’ve been writing for various music and movie review sites for years. Some big, some niche, some with budgets, some built on love and caffeine. But there’s one thing most of them have in common: when it comes to the About Us page, they include the “us.”
Recently, I pitched a small, respectful suggestion to the owner of a music site I write for. It was simple:
“What if we added an ‘Our Writers’ section to the About page? Just a small nod to the team who contributes content — name, maybe a photo, short bio. Other outlets I write for do this, and it helps give the site a richer editorial presence.”
I figured this would be an easy win. Recognition is the least a site can offer when contributors are unpaid. But the response was a professional “maybe someday”, a polite deferral that, let’s be honest, often means never.
And I get it, people are busy, running a site is a labor of love, and design updates aren’t always plug-and-play. But here’s the thing:
If the writers aren't “us,” who is?
There are about 7–10 of us volunteering our time to write reviews, interviews, and features that keep the wheels of the site turning. We’re not just background noise. We're the voices. We're the lifeblood. And if you’re not willing to put your people on your About Us page, you’re sending a quiet message that their work is good enough to publish… just not good enough to acknowledge.
That might not be the intended message, but it's the one people hear loud and clear.
Visibility Is Currency
In indie journalism, most of us aren’t getting paid. What we are hoping for is visibility, portfolio building, bylines, and the chance to be part of something that looks and feels professional. If you take away even that basic recognition, you devalue the very people keeping your content pipeline alive.
We don’t need a parade. We’re not asking for a statue. But a bio and a photo are basic respect. That’s saying, "Hey, this team matters."
Why It Matters
It fosters trust. Readers connect more when they know who’s behind the words.
It encourages pride. Writers take ownership when they feel seen.
It builds culture. Acknowledging contributors makes the whole team stronger.
It helps retention. Want your volunteers to stick around? Let them know they matter.
It makes the About Us page a lot more interesting than just listing the site owner and editor like it’s some kind of throne room.
If You Run a Site…
Here’s my friendly advice: Add a contributor’s section. Even if it’s just a list of names and links to their author pages. You don’t have to go full Rolling Stone with headshots and bios (though that’s cool, too). Just show people that their work, and they themselves, are part of the “us.”
Without the contributors, most of these sites would be ghost towns with one person standing in the middle shouting into the void.
And if you’re a contributor yourself, ask for the credit. Ask politely, respectfully, but ask. Your words have value. And your name deserves to stand next to them.
Have you ever written for a site that ghosted its writers? Or one that did it right? Drop a comment. I’d love to hear your experience and what contributor credit means to you.
In a world where people frequently feel invisible and like their contributions don't really matter, even a little appreciation goes a very long way. It costs nothing to make sure the people who contribute to a publication, group, organization, etc. know they matter, so I've never understood why it seems to be such a hard sell.
Totally. I 100% agree that it matters and is worth the time to do. I was just pointing out that for someone else running a site, it may also matter, but not as much as other things they are trying to do with limited time. It might not be the case that they don’t care. We all say no to things that matter, every day, in our process of apportioning the time we have to other things that matter. But it’s good that you bring attention to the feelings you and others have about it, so hopefully giving credit will get more time from those who hear your message and decide to reorganize what priorities get their time.
In the context of a website, for example, they could cover one less band that month, in exchange for spending the time creating a staff page instead. The band loses out, but the staff get recognized, so it’s just a transfer of that time cost from one party to another based on values.