Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Schniper.
Hi Matthew, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started in journalism in 2004 and have been a professional food critic since 2006, building on 10 years prior culinary industry experience. I worked in both back- and front-of-the house as well as management during my time in restaurants.
I was the Food & Drink Editor for the Colorado Springs Independent until being laid off in March, 2023, when the newspaper shuttered. Side Dish with Schniper was born a week later to continue my work independently.
I publish a free, weekly food and drink newsletter on Substack, as well as periodic reviews and travel content. I also co-host and co-produce a periodic podcast segment under Side Dish’s banner.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We were constantly having to evolve in the newsroom to stay current and adjust to reporting styles. When I started, YouTube wasn’t a thing yet and we weren’t blogging on our website. We got up to speed on all social media platforms as they took root, and more and more of our work weeks became juggling our print content with online responsibilities. It was constant adaptation, all while watching our industry decline as newsrooms shuttered and media jobs were lost nationwide. The writing was on the wall for us; we just weren’t sure when it would all go down.
Transitioning to Side Dish from my newspaper work happened virtually overnight. It was drinking from a firehose for pretty much the first two years. I went from just taking care of writing duties to wearing every hat as a sole proprietor business. I had to figure out monetization while hitting the road running with weekly newsletter content. That took me around nine months to crack the code; I created a unique sponsorship model that’s since been looked at by others around the country (to see if it’s replicable in their markets).
Still today, just keeping up with weekly publishing demands is a full-time++ job. I maintain the same weekly deadline structure I’ve been working under for 21 years.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In a landscape now dominated by influencers I still do real journalism. Though I maintain active social media presence and produce some similar online content, the core of what I do still comes from a long-form journalism background. As an individual content producer, I’m now placed in an entrepreneurial journalism category of food & drink media.
I write food reviews and business and people profiles, as well as curate a number of smaller sections in my weekly newsletter. That includes event listings, news briefs, occasional travel pieces and other one-off content. At the heart of the work, I’m a storyteller. I love taking pictures and telling peoples’ stories and being a “gastrodiplomat” — acting as a trusted and relatable mediary between the hospitality industry and consumers.
I’m proud of annual awards from the Society of Professional Journalists (inside of a four-state Rocky Mountain Region) and the loyal following I’ve developed over the years.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Skip this question – irrelevant
Pricing:
- Side Dish With Schniper is free to subscribe to.
- There’s an option to support the work and become a paid subscriber at $5/month or $50/year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sidedishschniper.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidedishschniper/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SideDishWithSchniper/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-schniper/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sidedishschniper
Image Credits
Lauren Hug and Ryan Hannigan.
