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Will the news boom prevent more media outlets going bust?
We have been talking about the ‘Trump Bump’ for years and years. The idea that the more volatile a global situation, the more likely people are to seek out genuine and authoritative news sources is an especially beguiling one. The past two years have demonstrated that legit news sources have benefited from providing that information – but is it enough to save the majority of newspapers?
For the Guardian, Mark Sweney asks if the ‘news boom’ will save more newspapers. I think this is a headline in search of a story, to be honest, as the article fails to address the reality that papers are responsible for creating ‘news’ in many cases. But what’s interesting is the extent to which this is still framed as ‘the tech giants have stolen money from newspapers’.
That’s not true, and it’s never been true, and anyone who says it is lying to you. It, like the idea that people seek out trusted sources in times of crisis, is beguiling because it flatters our journalistic sensibilities. But as Sweney eventually gets around to mentioning – this is a crisis of our own making. We didn’t react fast enough, we’re still too tethered to print, and we’re learning the wrong lessons from these crises.
Nadine White: A year on for The Independent’s race correspondent
There isn’t enough coverage of race in the UK. That’s why – in spite all the shit that comes with it – Nadine White’s work in so vital. In this podcast episode she “reflects on the good, the bad and the ugly that come with the territory”. Frankly, a must-listen.
What if Fox News viewers watched CNN instead?
The more news of a certain bent you consume, you more likely to are to align your beliefs with those outlets. It’s just a fact of reality – you’re bound to believe what you’re told everyone else believes. This is a fascinating study into what happens when people who traditionally watch Murdoch’s favourite news channel are asked to watch something else.
Elon Musk snaps up $3bn Twitter stake
Tesla founder Elon Musk has bought almost a tenth of Twitter shares, worth almost $3bn. Despite his stated goal of improving ‘free speech’ on the platform, you can guarantee this will actually be mostly about preventing people being critical of the thin-skinned, daddy’s boy Tesla owner himself.
This content originally appeared in The Media Roundup, a daily newsletter from Media Voices. Subscribe here: