From GQ, Michael Wolff looks at how Alan Rusbridger’s dream of making The Guardian a major digital player in the US has drained its finite resources. Pop goes the digital media bubble: Tech companies won’t save journalism — so who will? (and more) Will Oremus on what mainstream media can learn from the Mail Online — seriously. Journalism isn’t dying — but it’s changing way faster than most people understand. Jack Shafer on why BuzzFeed’s exploding watermelon won’t destroy journalism. Humans are losing the battle against Kardashian-loving algorithms for the soul of new media. These journalists dedicated their lives to telling other people’s stories — what happens when no one wants to print their words anymore? Now, there’s one more reason to be a journalist — you can help save journalism.
Panama Papers leak signals a shift in mainstream journalism. With new columns and newsletters, ProPublica is trying to attract new readers and have more fun. The game of concentration: The Internet is pushing the American news business to New York and the coasts. Steve Coll on a hole in the heart of American journalism. The demise of local news may be ruining Congress. Good news at the Washington Post: Gabriel Sherman goes inside the paper Jeff Bezos bought and Donald Trump banned.
From Mother Jones, Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery on what’s missing from journalism right now — and a slightly scary experiment to try and fix it. “Journalism, 2016: MoJo spends $350,000 for a story that generated $5,000 in ads. A billionaire crushes a news outlet he doesn't like”. The shadowy war on the press: How the rich silence journalists. What’s next for Gawker writers? Max Read on how Gawker had “died” a dozen times before, but it’s never died like this; the question remains, who killed it? Josh Marshall on ads and the demise of Gawker. Enemy of the PayPal: Chris Lehmann on how Gawker’s financial ruin highlights Silicon Valley’s moral bankruptcy.
