404 Media Podcast: Zines Are Back

Date: December 10, 2025
Hosts: Joseph, Sam, Emanuel, Jason

Episode Overview

This episode centers on 404 Media's announcement of their first-ever print zine. The hosts dive into the resurgence of physical media among independent publishers, the hands-on process of making a zine, and the unique value of tangible, algorithm-free storytelling. The latter half covers a big story of the week: Instagram's secret generation of SEO-bait headlines for user posts on Google—without user consent or visibility.

The Return of Zines and Physical Media

Why 404 Media Is Making a Zine (02:17)

• Format and Content:

  • The zine is a 16-page, 5x10-inch booklet focusing on ICE's surveillance tactics, featuring original and revised versions of previous reporting.
  • It’s to be distributed at a benefit concert for CHIRLA, an immigrants’ rights organization in LA, and mailed to buyers.

• Motivations:

  • The team loves the tangible experience of print: “There’s something very tangible and physical about the printed word... it just feels good, you know?” — Jason (03:48)
  • The move is described as both an experiment and a way to subvert big tech algorithms:

    "With print media, I really like the fact that it's going directly to the people who buy it... It's a different distribution method...it's one that's not moderated by algorithms." — Jason (04:43)

Tackling the Logistics of Zine Production (06:33–12:41)

• Production Method:

  • Printed via risograph, a Japanese screen-printing technique known for its vibrant colors and manual process.

    "It's a type of printer that was designed for mass production...you print one color at a time...very cool effects." — Jason (07:04)

  • Artist Very Alvarez created the cover art; layout was handled by Ernie Smith (of Tedium newsletter), who did everything on Linux, outside the Adobe/AI ecosystem.

• Challenges:

  • Manual labor and tight print deadlines.
  • The permanence of print:

    “If you have a typo or, you know, say something a little bit like off on the internet, you can go and you can fix it. You can’t do that with print.” — Jason (11:16)

• Why Risograph and Local Printing?

  • Favored for its DIY, artistic appeal and to be part of a community of independent publishers.
  • Picking paper stock, hand-assembling, and even making post-production videos/posts part of the process.

The Wider Movement: Other Media Returning to Print (13:40–20:27)

• Major Examples:

  • The Onion resurged as a print paper after new ownership; aiming for more print subscribers than the Washington Post.

    “The Onion, I believe, is now the 11th largest newspaper in the United States, like one year after relaunching.” — Jason (15:54)

  • Mentions of other niche magazines: Savor (food), Mushroom People, Wild Eye (photography).
  • Nostalgic and practical reasons for the trend: digital fatigue, desire to support “human things made by human beings”.

• Downsides and Realities:

  • Print is expensive, slow, and logistically complex.
  • Distribution has historically tripped up larger outlets (e.g., Vice's failed print strategy when distribution fell apart).

• 404 Media’s Place in the Print Revival:

  • Starting intentionally small and experimental:

    “We're starting extremely small. This is extremely small. Extremely, like, experimental... but it’s still cool and worth doing.” — Jason (22:36)

Story Highlight: Instagram Generates Hidden SEO Headlines

Lead segment: “Instagram is generating inaccurate SEO bait for your posts.”
Dissected by Emanuel, with Joseph asking questions.
Key Segment: 28:03–39:57

Discovery & Context

• Reader tip-off: Author Jeff VanderMeer noticed Google search results for his Instagram posts displayed clickbaity, AI-generated headlines not written by him.
• Example:
  • Google result:

    “Meets the bunny who loves eating bananas. A nutritious snack for your pet.” —Headline for a bunny video (30:39)

  • Actual content: short video of a bunny eating a banana.

Digging for Answers

• Not alt text:

  • Instagram does auto-generate alt text for images, but this wasn't that. The headlines were more like classic SEO headlines—capitalized, catchy, sometimes misleading.

• Technical approach:

  • Emanuel checked page source and used Google’s "Rich Results Test" tool to see what Googlebot reads.

    "I discovered that there was hidden...a pretty long and detailed description that also reads as if it’s AI generated...I checked with some people...they were like, nope, I have no idea what this is." — Emanuel (35:03–36:02)

  • Google confirmed: it’s Instagram providing these titles, not Google making them up (37:24).

Community & User Reaction

• Users, including authors and cosplayers, felt misrepresented:

  “Yeah, I try to be very thoughtful and intentional in how I present myself on social media...and then these automated tools make it so you might search for me and you’ll get this kind of clickbaity...low brow way of presenting his content.” — Emanuel quoting Jeff VanderMeer (38:50)

• Emanuel:

  "People feel...misrepresented...you’re trying to portray yourself in a certain way, and then Instagram just...spits out a thing you didn’t write." (39:29)

• No clear response from Instagram/Meta yet.

• Joseph:

  "Honestly, it was like a pain to get...it looks bad." (39:04–39:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Part of that is we operate on the Internet and we distribute our stuff through these algorithms that are controlled by Big Tech...we wanted to create something really tangible and human." — Jason (04:04–06:32)
• “If you have a typo...on the Internet, you can go and you can fix it. You can't do that with print.” — Jason (11:16)
• "We're starting extremely small. This is extremely small. Extremely, like, experimental..." — Jason (22:36)
• "Many years ago...it became good practice to have a separate box in the CMS...where you would write a headline specifically for Google." — Emanuel (33:46)
• “You post something to your Instagram account, you’re trying to portray yourself in a certain way, and then Instagram just...spits out a thing that you didn’t want to represent you.” — Emanuel (39:29)

Key Timestamps

• 02:17 – Introduction of the 404 Media zine project
• 04:43 – The value of physical distribution and escaping algorithms
• 07:04 – Risograph printing method explained
• 11:16 – Irrevocability of print vs. digital
• 13:40 – Trend of indie media reviving print; The Onion and others
• 18:16 – Why zines resonate artistically and with indie identity
• 20:27 – Forecast: more zines/magazines coming from 404 Media?
• 28:03–39:57 – Instagram’s hidden SEO headlines controversy
• 38:50 – Author Jeff VanderMeer on feeling misrepresented

Recap

This episode offers a deep dive into both the romance and realities of independent print publishing—its creative satisfaction, logistical headaches, and revival in an algorithm-dominated age. It also showcases 404 Media’s investigative strength, uncovering Instagram's opaque SEO manipulations affecting user representation on the world’s largest search engine.

Listeners interested in zines, independent journalism, or how tech subtly reshapes online identity will find this an insightful, candid, and occasionally nostalgic episode.