A combination of capitalism, corporate media failures, and anti-journalism propaganda has convinced a lot of people that journalists exist to turn a profit. They no longer seem to realize that the purpose of journalism is for them, the people.
Now that we’re in the era of influencer journalism, which is often pseudo-journalism, I believe people will only further associate the practice of journalism alongside building a personal brand and monetizing it. That is the logical conclusion of journalism under capitalism.
It’s also increasingly the only way for journalists to survive and do journalism (myself included). But it’s not really tenable for the amount or depth of journalism we’re used to having. So as long as this model continues, I would expect a lot less investigative journalism, for starters.
Feb 4, 2026 15:41And that is exactly why this is happening. People who were at risk of being held accountable through primarily investigative journalism have worked tirelessly to ensure that such journalism is too legally risky, too financially unstable, and too unpopular to thrive.
There can be huge benefits to being an independent journalist in the creator economy. For me, I’m actually more prolific, happier, free to speak my mind, etc. But there are also limiting downsides, and it’s far from possible for everybody. It’s really only possible, I think, for a few.
We need newsrooms. We need to be able to allow groups of journalists to work together and thrive. That’s how you make sure everything is getting covered and getting covered well. But the corporate media model has been on its last legs for a while. There’s gotta be something else.
