PopMatters is an international magazine of cultural criticism and analysis, which has been independently owned and operated since its inception. Our scope is broadly cast on all things pop culture and we are the largest site that bridges academic and popular writing in the world. We provide intelligent reviews, engaging interviews, and in-depth essays on most cultural topics in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, sports, theatre, the visual arts, travel, and the Internet. Since 1999, PopMatters has been providing smart readers with sharp, entertaining writing on a wide range of topics in pop culture, offering a refuge from the usual hype and gossip. PopMatters cultivates smart writers from the world-at-large. Our staff ranges from the multiple-degreed and/or well traveled, to young writers of high caliber, to ‘seasoned' folks who punch the 9-5 clock, regardless of what type of degree, if any, they may hold. PopMatters recognizes that creative, compassionate intellectuals reside in all levels of society, in all types of societies, and we value their ability to provide intelligent, entertaining cultural criticism in the form of thoughtful, magazine-style essays. Many of our writers are called upon for their opinion by notable members of the media such as the BBC, NPR, MSNBC, Radio Australia, and VH1. Publications such as USA Today.com, Alternet.org, and Imdb.com regularly pick up links to PopMatters articles and post quotes from PopMatters writers. Our articles are also indexed by all English language Google News sites and by NewsNow in the UK. Naturally, this value for our staff and our content extends to great respect for our readers, who also hail from many parts of the world, are inquisitive and savvy, and bring many experiences and expectations to this magazine. Our intent is to reach the broadest possible audience with intelligent and thought-provoking writing that is often not readily available within the mainstream mass media.