Cynical or not, this is perhaps the most concise and "rage free" summary response to the frustrating question "What the hell happened to the news??"
It reads like a matter of fact progression of incentives and choices over time.... No finger pointing, no blaming, no judgement... really more of a "history thusfar" than media bashing.
(If you think this qualifies as media bashing, I suspect you might benefit from checking your assumptions)
I'll be saving this one line in particular:
"Then somebody discovered outrage had better margins."
Unfair, Bryan. We joined the rodeo for the right reasons. Most of us. Media bashing merely amplifies MAGA and the corrosive distrust of institutions. We need to talk….
Totally right about evolution of (news) media when it becomes a product, but that’s old news, many things in society when they are a product (for profit) turn into travesty of themselves - healthcare, education, scientific research, the arts, that’s unregulated capitalism.
So bashing that is fine, but without pointing out the right way it’s just a cheap cynicism. Public option, regulated in some way seems like a good start for brainstorming the way forward. There are people who are in all it for the right reasons.
You're absolutely right about (most of) the celebrity accounts. Some of them are funding actual organizing or legal battles. Some are just making money. But there are definitely folks out there doing real journalism. Sometimes real journalism doesn't pay enough to keep the lights on. That's the rub. @Ellie Leonard and @Kait Justice are both doing real journalism and keeping their eyes on the Epstein ball. There are others. It's not all engagement farming. And of course, those of us who are little fishies in the big substack pond are often providing a lot of context, interesting takes, different views, but the celebrities overtake the views with their breaking news, which is sometimes breaking. Mostly not, though.
The informed citizenry has become the outraged citizenry. Driven by algorithms that reward and addict them with dopamine hits that drive engagement and revenue. The business model of the current media is not only killing information-rich journalism; it’s umdermining American democracy itself.
We should all be outraged about these authoritarian moves to silence what is left of a free press. What's the alternative? Should we shut up? Or just give up? I suppose we can acquire our residencies and passports and develop our escape plans. Then we can be smug in our superior vision while we watch Rome burn. How smart we are. And how sad.
Very true, say I as a retired Aussie journalist. When Murdoch's News Corp took over our regional news organisation, they destroyed it in several years, after stripping the assets.
Now I write Aussie history on Substack. I don't have editors and it's not my main income, although paid subscriptions are very welcome.
The legacy media are mostly now worthless in Australia, except for the public ABC and SBS, which survived tge attempts of the previous Liberal-National Morrison governmentto myzzle them.
As for America, many of the best outlets seem to be based outside America, looking in, horrified, as they should be.
I agree that instead of news , there is constant Trump bashing. Ok, but it's now tiring and never stops. I have then reduce my Substack subscriptions and watching the "news". Instead where are the needed actions to fight this tryanny?! What do we read now?! It's hard but let's not throw in the towel! I didn't serve 38 years in the US Army and National Guard for this!!
I'm outraged that you would write this! Oh, and I stopped watching the "Can't Bother Seeing" network years ago. Still like Substack, tho! Mostly, anyway.
This platform’s become like a Wild West penny candy store for rage & indignation. You’ve cited a couple of ‘vendors’ in your post here today that I’m deeply disappointed in because I think they used to be better, but have now gotten more into the ‘Look at me, I’m a celebrity!’ modality.
And of course, as you say: ‘Ain’t that America…’-it’s all about money. Every gold rush generates a lot of fool’s gold.
That being said, I don’t want to lose hope. I’m sure your ‘outlook’ might not be totally popular with the ‘Gotta grow my subscriber’ list crowd & the obvious griftage of the two Michaels-as in Cohen and Wolff and others, but your work is always a call for discernment. Discernment is good. Our ‘Have it Your Way’-everybody gets a Happy Meal prize with their ‘Breaking News’/‘You Won’t Believe This!’ diet of empty informational calories needs to learn how to USE discernment. It’s one of the things that whoever created this universe and subsequently us humans gave us brains to make use of.
So-to me, you are one of those who does use his mind. With the help of the standard I’ve discerned you as setting, I’ve trimmed my ‘intake’ of information and editorializing on this platform considerably. Bottom line, your work represents hope for better communication of the realities we face. .
That being said, re: ‘60 Minutes’, I surely hope that Scott Pelley goes a different route than what you’ve predicted. We’ll see.
Anyone who read about that staff meeting hoo-ha and didn’t think he would be escorted out the door by Mme. Weiss’s goons shortly thereafter isn’t paying attention. I’m sure the Pelley KNEW he was done before he even opened his mouth and frankly, I’d love it if the whole crew said ‘Suck on it, Bari’ and walked.
But again-thanks for this column. It helps me feel that I’m not insane when I feel like I’m just being had by a lot of the ‘Hey, look me over!’ carnival barking that’s going on on Substack.
Cynical or not, this is perhaps the most concise and "rage free" summary response to the frustrating question "What the hell happened to the news??"
It reads like a matter of fact progression of incentives and choices over time.... No finger pointing, no blaming, no judgement... really more of a "history thusfar" than media bashing.
(If you think this qualifies as media bashing, I suspect you might benefit from checking your assumptions)
I'll be saving this one line in particular:
"Then somebody discovered outrage had better margins."
"the news"
Breaking! You won’t believe what Bryan Del Monte just said! Dramatic Massive Video at 5!
I can hardly wait for football season!
Unfair, Bryan. We joined the rodeo for the right reasons. Most of us. Media bashing merely amplifies MAGA and the corrosive distrust of institutions. We need to talk….
Are you suggesting that Bryan Del Monte is cynical?
He’s a closet romantic, is my take :)
Are you suggesting that Bryan Del Monte is cynical?
Accurate, but highly cynical. You leave us with no ability to reform and that’s probably true too.
Do you have any ideas about how news can be just news? Will money always decide what’s news?
I second the sentiments herein expressed.
Totally right about evolution of (news) media when it becomes a product, but that’s old news, many things in society when they are a product (for profit) turn into travesty of themselves - healthcare, education, scientific research, the arts, that’s unregulated capitalism.
So bashing that is fine, but without pointing out the right way it’s just a cheap cynicism. Public option, regulated in some way seems like a good start for brainstorming the way forward. There are people who are in all it for the right reasons.
You're absolutely right about (most of) the celebrity accounts. Some of them are funding actual organizing or legal battles. Some are just making money. But there are definitely folks out there doing real journalism. Sometimes real journalism doesn't pay enough to keep the lights on. That's the rub. @Ellie Leonard and @Kait Justice are both doing real journalism and keeping their eyes on the Epstein ball. There are others. It's not all engagement farming. And of course, those of us who are little fishies in the big substack pond are often providing a lot of context, interesting takes, different views, but the celebrities overtake the views with their breaking news, which is sometimes breaking. Mostly not, though.
The informed citizenry has become the outraged citizenry. Driven by algorithms that reward and addict them with dopamine hits that drive engagement and revenue. The business model of the current media is not only killing information-rich journalism; it’s umdermining American democracy itself.
We should all be outraged about these authoritarian moves to silence what is left of a free press. What's the alternative? Should we shut up? Or just give up? I suppose we can acquire our residencies and passports and develop our escape plans. Then we can be smug in our superior vision while we watch Rome burn. How smart we are. And how sad.
Very true, say I as a retired Aussie journalist. When Murdoch's News Corp took over our regional news organisation, they destroyed it in several years, after stripping the assets.
Now I write Aussie history on Substack. I don't have editors and it's not my main income, although paid subscriptions are very welcome.
The legacy media are mostly now worthless in Australia, except for the public ABC and SBS, which survived tge attempts of the previous Liberal-National Morrison governmentto myzzle them.
As for America, many of the best outlets seem to be based outside America, looking in, horrified, as they should be.
I agree that instead of news , there is constant Trump bashing. Ok, but it's now tiring and never stops. I have then reduce my Substack subscriptions and watching the "news". Instead where are the needed actions to fight this tryanny?! What do we read now?! It's hard but let's not throw in the towel! I didn't serve 38 years in the US Army and National Guard for this!!
I'm outraged that you would write this! Oh, and I stopped watching the "Can't Bother Seeing" network years ago. Still like Substack, tho! Mostly, anyway.
I wish I shared your optimism.
We don’t solve anything by retreating to our corners. I always thought the 24-hour news cycle was bad for the country.
Thank you. You’ve nailed it.
This platform’s become like a Wild West penny candy store for rage & indignation. You’ve cited a couple of ‘vendors’ in your post here today that I’m deeply disappointed in because I think they used to be better, but have now gotten more into the ‘Look at me, I’m a celebrity!’ modality.
And of course, as you say: ‘Ain’t that America…’-it’s all about money. Every gold rush generates a lot of fool’s gold.
That being said, I don’t want to lose hope. I’m sure your ‘outlook’ might not be totally popular with the ‘Gotta grow my subscriber’ list crowd & the obvious griftage of the two Michaels-as in Cohen and Wolff and others, but your work is always a call for discernment. Discernment is good. Our ‘Have it Your Way’-everybody gets a Happy Meal prize with their ‘Breaking News’/‘You Won’t Believe This!’ diet of empty informational calories needs to learn how to USE discernment. It’s one of the things that whoever created this universe and subsequently us humans gave us brains to make use of.
So-to me, you are one of those who does use his mind. With the help of the standard I’ve discerned you as setting, I’ve trimmed my ‘intake’ of information and editorializing on this platform considerably. Bottom line, your work represents hope for better communication of the realities we face. .
That being said, re: ‘60 Minutes’, I surely hope that Scott Pelley goes a different route than what you’ve predicted. We’ll see.
Anyone who read about that staff meeting hoo-ha and didn’t think he would be escorted out the door by Mme. Weiss’s goons shortly thereafter isn’t paying attention. I’m sure the Pelley KNEW he was done before he even opened his mouth and frankly, I’d love it if the whole crew said ‘Suck on it, Bari’ and walked.
But again-thanks for this column. It helps me feel that I’m not insane when I feel like I’m just being had by a lot of the ‘Hey, look me over!’ carnival barking that’s going on on Substack.
Thank you, Bryan
Clear as day. Thank you.