If there’s something about last month that felt especially dark, it’s likely the confirmation that many of the so-called innovations and disruptions that took root during journalism’s Information Age transition ultimately failed. You could pack all the familiar terms into a George Carlin–style breathless monologue: clickbait, Facebook, death-of-the-homepage diversification, sponcon, Trump bumps, pivoting to video, pivoting to VR, pivoting to A.I.
This downturn won’t spell the end for digital media. Nor will it be the last time that tech-fueled, deus-ex-machina-like fixes are attempted industrywide. But perhaps the lessons from our current mediapocalypse will better prepare us for the industry’s future. We can’t rely on the tech world to “save” journalism. Trusting in any one “revolution” will ensure we make the same mistakes