The New Yorker's George Packer takes a bemused look at Ezra Klein's new digs, Vox Media, which self-blurbs as "one of the fastest-growing online publishers, focused on lifestyle brands that connect with passionate audiences ... [and] is solving the problem of developing high-value digital journalism, storytelling, and brand advertising at scale."
Packer's sarcasm about such empty techno-hipsterism may write itself, but David Carr, the NY Times media correspondent, helps Packer along. Writes Carr: "Everything at Vox, from the way it covers its subjects, the journalists it hires and the content management systems on which it produces news, is optimized for the current age." Observes Packer: "Surrendering to jargon is a sign of journalism’s dismal lack of self-confidence in the optimized age of content-management systems."
Klein's mission statement--that he wants "to create a site that’s as good at explaining the world as it is at reporting on it"--seems straightforward enough. It conceals, however, two enormous problems that worldly explanations can't solve: only readers in least need of explanations will visit his site, and virtually all will arrive leaning to the left--meaning those most in need of rudimentary enlightenment will continue clicking on RedState.com, Breibart and Glenn Beck.
Independent voters will, in the meantime, stay glued to reality-TV shows.
Hence the already enlightened will become a trifle more enlightened, those of aggressive ignorance will only wallow in more, and that great and holiest of electoral grails, the swing voter, will remain tuned out--until he's influenced by the last 30-second political ad (courtesy the Koch brothers) of the next campaign.
Astute diagnosis as always, PM. But at least Ezra is trying to bridge the divide, as are many others. Nate Silver's forthcoming enterprise at ESPN could very well bring more empiricism into the heart of popular culture, though I'm sure much of the focus will be on sports.
Posted by: Rob | January 28, 2014 at 12:07 PM