The Sternberg Effect
Blog
The pandemic is forcing media to transform in subtle and not-so-subtle ways
Print pub shuts down; newspaper chain closes office space I’ve been in a wistful mood lately. Perhaps it’s because I spent a few days at my parents’ house, rummaging through the remaining detritus of my childhood. Perhaps it’s because I just had a birthday, which is always a good reminder of our mortality. And speaking … Continue reading
From circulation to subscribe to donate, a media story
The circle’s getting smaller all the time At the beginning of last decade, as legacy magazines inched towards a digital environment, you could always tell which publications were embracing the 1s and 0s and which ones were paying lip service. And it was usually exemplified by the one department that carried the most weight. Editorial? … Continue reading
Volkswagen is No.7 on the Fortune Global 500 list
The car is the thing on the road that takes you back to your abode The annual Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 lists dropped yesterday, and they’re interesting lists, as far as lists go. With all the ink spilled over Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google and Microsoft (well, maybe not as much MSFT as … Continue reading
Journalism's trust problem
It’s an editorial and a business challenge It’s weird taking a week off when you don’t have a job to take off from. And it’s also weird when taking a vacation means going to your parents’ house for a few days while they were away because they have a pool and you need a change … Continue reading
When the government comes for journalists
This is what happens when executive power grows unchecked. Hello Friday my old friend. Quick housekeeping before we jump in: After 3 months, and 70-straight issues, I’m taking next week “off” to recharge the batteries. So the next issue will be August 10. Attack on the press continues. The Nation’s Ken Klippenstein reported yesterday how the … Continue reading
Defector enters a crowded field at a confusing time
Changing the model from rooting for the jersey to rooting for the player comes with some questions Deadspin was a good blog. But can it be a good media business? Yesterday, Defector, the new media company built by 20 former Deadspin staffers, said that in the first day since its unveiling, it grabbed 10,000 subscribers. … Continue reading
Are you ready for a tech fight?
LOL it’s gonna be a clown show In 1998, Microsoft, the world’s preeminent software company headed by the world’s wealthiest person, was sued by the Department of Justice for operating as a monopoly. Imagine a world where your only choice for a web browser was Microsoft Explorer. Because of this lawsuit, Microsoft wasn’t able to … Continue reading
The ad agency free fall
Industry needs curiosity to see the path ahead. While newsrooms across the nation—from the New York Times to the L.A. Times—publicly grapple with systemic racism, with journalists and staffers applying pressure to leaders to be more transparent about everything from salary inequities to job promotions, ad agencies are also taking a hard look in the … Continue reading
Sinclair postpones airing conspiracy theorist interview
Maybe advertisers should start being consistent in which media they support. It’s been 136 days since the country began its sputtering lock down (give or take a day or three) and we are living through what can only be called a complete failure of governmental leadership. At the same time, we’re seeing corporate responsibility take … Continue reading
Tide turns for bad media CEOs and editors
The days of berating staff seem to be numbered. Hopefully. Hello and welcome to Friday! Lots of new subscribers this week. Thank you! So this is probably a good time to do a quick tl;dr of this here newsletter. This is a daily newsletter by me, Josh Sternberg, about the inner machinations of the media … Continue reading
The Morning Brew newsletter will bring in $20 million in revenue this year
A discussion with CEO Alex Lieberman When you think of the rise of newsletters, Morning Brew, the five-year-old, 2 million subscriber-strong business newsletter has to be top of mind. With five products (four newsletters, one delivered to each of its vertical audiences [general business, retail, emerging tech, marketing] and a podcast), the 45-person company will … Continue reading
Twitter's stand against QAnon
The platform takes steps to be an arbiter of truth. Will Facebook follow? Last night, Twitter took the unusual step of standing up for … something. The company announced that it was effectively choking QAnon—the conspiracy-laden community of Americans that believe, well, an anonymous tipster by the name of Q, using coded-language, has proof that … Continue reading
The dangerous media pyromaniacs
Can’t start a fire without a spark Bad-faith arguments—in politics, in media, in science, wherever— are nothing new, but at a time when the country is a tinderbox, it doesn’t help that the people who influence millions are pyromaniacs. Last night, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, returned to the airwaves after taking a week off, perhaps … Continue reading
Tom Cotton's NYT op-ed was the blueprint for Oregon
And the police-state will only get stronger In what seems an eternity ago, but was only last month, Senator Tom Cotton wrote an op-ed for the New York Times. The fallout, from a media perspective, was loud and swift, as it directly led to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor James Bennet. It left … Continue reading
11,027 media layoffs so far this year
Many more to come. And just like that, it’s Friday. This is the 60th edition of The Media Nut, and I am very thankful for all of you who are here. It’s also been 90 days since I was laid off by Adweek. I, perhaps naively, thought I’d land in a newsroom by now. Even … Continue reading
Unnecessary Journalism Phrases
- How about “lifeless body” when describing a dead person? Here’s a good (bad)...
- bobbymacReports: A growing number of stories with a growing number
- Alliterative Journalism Phrases
- Apologies on the lack of posts
- While not necessarily an unnecessary journalism phrase, friend...
- 50. Old Man Winter - 11/7/11
- Push The Envelope Submitted by unretrecissement and her...
- 49. A.M. in the Morning/P.M. in the Afternoon/Evening, at Night - 11/3/11
- 48. Emergency Situation - 11/2/11
- 47. Roll(ed)(ing) in his/her grave - 10/31/11
