Fighting Media's Managed Decline

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I subscribe to a lot of media newsletters. Listen to a lot of media podcasts. Read a lot of media news. And so much of it is just so negative. There are plenty of good reasons for this and if you’re reading this newsletter, I probably don’t need to remind you of them.

The question remains, then, what to do about it? There are actually huge opportunities still. We do not have to accept the managed decline of journalism and the media more broadly. I’m not just talking about everyone starting their own Substack or podcast, although those platforms do absolutely provide opportunities. I’m talking about taking a step back and owning your work, doing bold work and properly using the tools at our disposal instead of jumping through every algorithmic hoop that tech companies put in our way. Trust the audience to want to read and watch things made by actual humans!

Most importantly, before we deal with all the technical issues – getting ad rates up, the difficulty of selling subscriptions and so on – we all have to take pride in our industry again instead of constantly saying its best days are behind it. We have to ensure our work is, at the very least, useful. (It sounds obvious, but it is not always the case.) Making sites readable and usable would be a start. It would show readers we care.

Riches in Media Niches

A host of successful products and projects exist right now – everything from the seemingly all-powerful New York Times to startups like 404Media, Semafor and The Mill. Under the auspices of existing companies or fame, “The News Agents” and “The Rest is Politics” are thriving. The Ringer remains strong. The Free Press is doing so well that founder Bari Weiss was the subject of a somewhat… snarky… NYT profile. New things can be built. Old institutions can be reinvigorated.

When it comes to startups, the niche products are often the best – we all remember the disaster that was The Messenger. With this in mind, I have high hopes for Oliver Darcy’s “Status”, much as I resent the extra competition and his inevitable success. Focussed sites like The Verge continue to do well too. Yes, websites with adverts can still work!

Ironically, some podcasters, newsletter writers and columnists have done rather well covering the media’s demise, almost taking glee as the profit from it. They usually have had a rather nice career in conventional media previously and then get paid to endlessly comment and smirk as the fire rages behind them.

Ultimately, whether striking out by yourself or working in a big organisation, it is worth remembering that the journalism must come first. No, it isn’t simply the case of having a brilliant story or a beautifully written piece and expecting the audience to come flocking. It. Will. Not. Happen. You have to do the work of engaging with the audience. But a brilliant story or a beautifully written piece is a pretty good foundation from which to build.

I’m not naive. Believe me, I know how difficult things are. But an attitude shift might just help us find some good solutions.