How to Save the Media

A clear-eyed examination of why modern media lost public trustand what it will take to earn it back.
A clear-eyed examination of why modern media lost public trustand what it will take to earn it back.

Social networks tore apart a media industry that had taken two hundred years to build, swapping broadsheets and broadcasts for algorithms and addiction feeds. Now what?

The media is in chaos even though its fundamental job hasnt changed. The demand is still there: people still crave great stories and robust reporting. And theres no shortage of supply: there are more creators than ever. But the old models built to connect the supply and demand no longer work.

As a young journalist, Hamish McKenzie knew the ground he was stepping onto was already shaky, and that was even before he worked for and then tangled with Elon Musk. When he teamed up with Chris Best and Jairaj Sethi to found Substack, he bel