Screaming Into the Void?
Traditional media outlets are promising serious Trump coverage, but do audiences care?
Vanity Fair released this digital cover within days of the election.
Like any post-election cycle, this one has been filled with lots of kvetching. There’s the usual postmortem on what the losing party did wrong, plus lots of warnings about what a second Donald Trump administration will bring. But this round, we’re also getting lots of media declarations, the kind of full-throated promises of deep and diligent coverage of Trump 2.0 that seem unique to this moment.
Example: Within roughly 24 hours of the election being called, ProPublica, the non-profit investigative journalism outlet, had sent a message to its newsletter subscribers simply titled “How We’ll Cover a Second Trump Presidency.” In it, Editor-In-Chief Stephen Engelberg stated that ProPublica would “be devoting a significant portion of our staff to chronicling the effects of what promises to be a drastic change in the role of the federal government in all of our lives.” A day later, ProPublica’s president Robin Sparkman, sent out another missive touting that the organization would hire additional Washington, D.C. staff to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
And ProPublica wasn’t the only one to make such a statement. Large organizations like The Economist and The Guardian, as well as smaller non-profits like Investigate Midwest, all released statements of intent. Most, like Guardian EIC Katherine Winer, cite Trump’s disdain for the media and how he has helped delegitimize news coverage. He called reporters the enemy of the people. He’s encouraged violence against the press. He’s even talked about prosecuting writers, reporters, and media outlets for unfavorable coverage.
And that’s scary stuff, all of which the press should push back on hard as a part of its job to hold government to account. The only problem, though, is how many people care. One of the other large takeaways from this election is the severely diminished power of the news media. While legacy media can still produce breakthrough moments that garner a large audience, like the recent digital cover of Vanity Fair that quickly spread across the internet, traditional media doesn’t drive the national conversation in the way it once did. According to the Wall Street Journal, only 21 million people tuned in on election night to one of three major cable news networks—CNN, Fox, and MSNBC—a 32% decrease from 2020. Newspapers outside of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have watched their subscription bases disappear. The Washington Post suffered a mass exodus in recent months after refusing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. And legacy magazine publishers: They’ve spent 15 years watching their niche markets be eroded by the web and social media. Collectively, traditional media is little more than a side street off the public square.
Instead, what was once alternative news sources have become the dominant information space for large swaths of Americans. Many have raved about how podcasts were one of the keys to reaching voters this cycle, and there’s data to back that up. According to industry tracker Sounds Profitable, 53% of Americans listen to podcasts each month, and of those over half listen to news and political analysis. Sure, Joe Rogan scoops up a lot of that, which might explain why more men listen to podcasts than women, with dudes making up 56% of the overall podcast market. But Trump appeared on 20 different podcasts in the run-up to the election. He hit a lot of different audiences. Of course, none touched his three-hour appearance on Rogan’s show, which reached more people than traditional media has in years, racking up 45 million views on YouTube and 25 million more listens on various podcast platforms. By comparison, TV’s most-watched program right now, NFL football, only averages 18 million viewers a week.
And unsurprisingly, TikTok also pulled in big numbers before the election. According to Pew Research, in four years, the number of Americans who say they get their news from the platform has grown over four-fold. In 2020, only 3% of folks got their news there. Now it’s 17% of the country. Over half of TikTok users (52%) say they regularly turn to the platform for information and analysis from news influencers. The only platform that has higher “news” engagement is Truth Social (57%), which, along with podcasts, serves as the entrance to the right-wing infosphere (see more about this in the Read of the Week).
And while the two mediums have seen massive growth, it’s the result of thousands of voices. But when you have thousands of people shouting at once, it makes it harder to have one collective national conversation. There aren’t shared facts. There’s little common ground. And thanks to the power of algorithms, there’s little mixing of ideologies, the bots instead making sure we all stay in our political lanes.
So, while it’s great to hear lots of the traditional text-based media organizations are going to be rigorously covering Trump’s second presidency, the impact that coverage will have might be muted—unless, of course, they can get Joe Rogan to talk about it.
Stop, Thief!
Neil Vogel is saying the quiet part out loud. The CEO of Dotdash Meredith recently sat for an interview at Adweek’s Mediaweek event. He talked about the fundamental difference between Google and its competitor OpenAI, which is challenging the tech giant in both AI and now search thanks to the launch of ChatGPT Search.
Earlier this year Dotdash signed a deal with OpenAI that allowed the company to train its large-language models on DDM’s content, paying the publisher an annual fee to do so. OpenAI also agreed to partner with DDM on creating new AI-powered tools. Oh, and to also regularly surface Dotdash’s content in response to user queries. That last part seems particularly relevant now that ChatGPT Search is up and running.
Google, on the other hand, has basically told companies to go suck it. “They take our stuff, they read it, they steal it, and they produce an answer that competes with us,” Vogel said during the panel. “We’ve approached them a number of times to do a deal, and they tell us to go fish.”
If publishers don’t like that arrangement, they can always block Google’s bots from crawling their sites, but that would also cause their content to be delisted—i.e. it would never come up in search results, still a vital but diminishing source of traffic. But that might not matter for long. Yes, ChatGPT Search is a game changer. So is voice interaction, which could have long-term ramifications. But publishers have also been busy building both content and infrastructure that capitalizes on user loyalty rather than focusing on bulk traffic plays. They’re trying to create a post-search web that keeps users engaged. Vogel said that many in the industry feel like the fight between Google and publishers is “going to come to a head.” That fight will be fascinating to watch—and might play right into OpenAI’s hands.
Um, No Thanks
At this point, we all have inadvertently signed dozens of legal agreements without a second thought, but sometimes it is worth reading the fine print. That was the case for Steve Ritchie, editor-in-chief of the London-based music website Metal Talks, last week when he tried to snap photos of a Marcus King concert. Hours before the show, he was asked to sign a contract. He refused.
The reason: rising roots rocker King and his management demanded that, to shoot the show, Ritchie did not, in fact, work for Metal Talk but was being hired by King. Worse yet, he was being hired for no fee; the photographs he took would belong to King and his management, and those photos could be reproduced without getting Ritchie’s permission or giving him credit. The images also couldn’t be sold to a media outlet without written consent from King’s management. Whether that also included Metal Talk as well is a little unclear. Even better, though, all the images had to be delivered to King within seven days of the concert—in a high-res format, no less. That’s a pretty steep price to pay to be able to shoot just the first three songs of a concert, the standard any photographer gets going back at least 30 years to when JMM first got a photo pass.
This isn’t the first time musicians have made photographers sign egregious contracts, though. Lady Gaga made similar demands in 2011. Janet Jackson did as well in 2015. Even the Foo Fighters have made copyright grabs, which prompted the Quebec newspaper le Soleil to dispatch a cartoonist to one of the band’s concerts back in 2015. The Car Con Carne podcast broke down the issue in 2021, bringing in a professional photographer and a copyright lawyer to discuss the issue. For any budding shooter, it’s worth a watch.
Ultimately, it’s a cautionary tale for live events photographers to make sure to read any contract thoroughly before agreeing to it. Once you sign, you can be sued for any violations. In the case of King’s contract, that could include posting a photo on your social media, and no one wants to get sued over a pic on the ‘Gram.
Read of the Week
Former Washington Post tech writer Taylor Lorenz has quickly built her own small empire after leaving the legacy newspaper. She has her podcast at Vox Media. She regularly writes for The Hollywood Reporter. And since reviving her old Substack, User Mag, in June, she’s quickly amassed a large newsletter following.
Part of her success: Ignoring the trappings of traditional media, the very kind that forced her to resign from the Post in October. She’s brash, opinionated, and generally spot on in her media criticism and hot takes. One that really stands out, though, is last week’s Substack/Reporter one-two punch on how Republicans have built an influencer ecosystem and why Democrats will never replicate it. While there have already been plenty of dissections on the elections, and there will be plenty more, these two lay out how influencers and President-elect Trump’s eagerness to work with them reached young people in ways that Vice President Kamala Harris couldn’t replicate. Just as importantly, Lorenz breaks down the structural challenges that make it virtually impossible for the left to create its own Joe Rogan. It’s may not the kind of stuff you want to read if you are looking for someone to blame for the election, but the pieces do provide a great snapshot of how the balance is tipped dramatically to one side.
Party Time
It’s time to party! The Times-Delphic will be celebrating its mere 140th birthday on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. in the TD’s office. It’s a potluck, so bring your favorite journalist-friendly eats—think anything that can be consumed quickly and on deadline. There will also be games, which JMM hopes include grammar trivia because nerdy! The party is open to all, regardless if you’ve had a TD byline. No birthday gift is expected, but picking up an extra story or three would be appreciated.
Internships, Fellowships, and More
• Hearst affiliate KCCI Channel 8 will be hosting two open houses Thurs., Nov. 21, at its Des Moines studio for students interested in a career in broadcast journalism. Students will learn about positions in news, sales, advertising, production, engineering, and more. The first session runs from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; the second will be held from 2-4 p.m. To register for the event, click here.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is looking to hire Summer 2025 interns. There are multiple positions available, from newsroom gigs to user experience design positions. The AJC is upfront about looking for candidates going to local schools or having local ties, noting that 80 percent of its interns meet one or both criteria. That said, they do want candidates from across the country to apply, particularly those with student media or previous internship experience. Pay ranges from $21.06 - $31.63 depending on the position and intern experience. These are hybrid positions. Get more info and the complete run of available positions here.
• McDonalds (does JMM really need to link to McDonalds?) is hiring a summer 2025 Global Communications intern to work at its Chicago headquarters. The position will help with everything from maintaining the reputation of the brand to crisis management. You’ll work full-time from June 9- Aug. 15. The position pays $25 an hour. Click here for more info.
• The Des Moines Arts Festival needs two graphic design interns for the spring and summer. The positions are part-time from February through the end of the semester, and then full-time through July. There is an undisclosed monthly stipend. Applications are due by Dec. 6. Apply here.
• The Athletic wants a remote audience student intern for summer 2025. The 12-week gig runs from May to August 2025. You’ll be embedded with the Audience team. You’ll make $20 an hour. While remote, you may have to put on actual pants and travel to NYC on occasion, so be warned. Get more info here.
• Delta Dental wants a spring marketing and communications intern who can serve through the summer. An in-person gig, you’ll work 10-15 hours a week during the semester at Delta Dental’s Johnston, Iowa, offices with the possibility of more hours over the summer. You must be a junior or senior, and it’s preferred that you are registered for classes during the Spring of 2025. No word on pay (or free dental care). Check out more here.
• Fox News is looking for candidates for its summer news internship. You’ll be in New York from June 2-July 25. You’ll work 32-40 hours in one of several positions available including news, marketing, or production. You must be at least a sophomore. No word on pay, but you will have to provide your housing and transportation to work. Get more info here.
• Amazon needs you—and not just to boost Prime Day numbers. The retail giant is looking for a summer communications intern for its Seattle office. You must be a rising senior and able to work the 12 weeks from May to August 2025. Pay is $22.84-$36.54 an hour. Get more info here.
• Politico wants you for the summer. The news site is looking for both spring and summer interns for its New York, California, and Washington D.C. offices. You’ll clock 40 hours a week. You’ll write stories for the site, its newsletters, its magazine, and more. Pay is $23 an hour. All internships are on-site, so you’ll have to do some apartment shopping. The deadline to apply for all the positions is Nov. 15. Check them out here.
• Wall Street Journal wants a summer 2025 podcast intern. Geared toward college juniors, the program is designed to give students real-world newsroom experience. You need to have a prior internship and understand audio production and reporting. Being in New York is a requirement. Pay is $28.57 an hour. Get more info here.
• Business Insider is looking for a Life Editorial Fellow. The six-month position begins in January. You’ll work remotely writing content for several of Business Insider’s brands and partners. You’ll be paid $20 an hour and get a chance to work directly with BI’s senior editors and staff. Get more info and apply here. Interested in other Business Insider gigs? Check out this list which includes a Special Projects fellowship and a Graphic Design fellowship.
• Be one of the first to apply for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation summer 2025 communications internship. You’ll work on the non-profit’s magazine, help with its website, and maybe even end up working its RAGBRAI booth (though be forewarned, you may see Prof. Inman in spandex; sorry). Pay is $15 an hour. You’ll work full-time. Applications aren’t due until Feb. 3; you can get a jump on it now here.
• American Public Media, the organization behind Marketplace and great podcasts like “How We Survive,” “This is Uncomfortable,” and “Don’t Ask Tig,” is looking for a spring Marketplace podcast intern. You’ll need to work hybrid in either Washington D.C., Los Angeles, or New York, but you will be working full-time and be paid $20 an hour. Don’t want to move? You can apply for the spring full-time Audio internship, which is fully remote. There’s also a remote Marketplace Digital internship, a Marketplace D.C. Bureau internship, and multiple St. Paul-based positions in brand solutions, radio reporting, and media production. All positions run from Jan. 6 – Jun 6. While there is no application deadline, they want positions filled by Dec. 6. Best to get your applications in sooner rather than later.
Got Some Gossip?
Do you have some essential info or did you win a bunch of Pinnacle and Pacemaker awards like Drake Mag and Drake Political Review? If so, then let JMM know by sending that juicy news on over to jeff.inman@drake.edu. JMM will treat it like these Urban Plains Pinnacle Awards and tell everyone about it.
Finally, the ultimate porch pirate anti-theft device?