Two of my former colleagues from HuffPost who also took buyouts last month launched a new Substack-based news outlet called Public Domain, all focused on public lands reporting. It's seriously excellent and, if this is an area of interest for you, I absolutely recommend subscribing. 

Here are a few good examples of their work: 
https://www.publicdomain.media/p/wildlife-colorado-trapping

https://www.publicdomain.media/p/trump-blm-nominee-kathleen-sgamma-federal-landere-is

https://www.publicdomain.media/p/montana-leaders-flirt-public-land-transfer-movement

Substack seems like the last bastion against internet enshittification

X meanwhile has the holy trinity of enshittifiers:
1. Fast thoughts — slop
2. Fast feelings — political outrage
3. Fast money — shitcoins

What allows SS to grow without leaning into any of these? Or maybe they do and I’m just not aware

I think it all boils down to direct  – or more direct – ways of monetization.

They incentivise you to optimize for quality – rather than quantity in the form of pure engagement farming.