Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11) Prestige media, new media, and the US government, with Kelsey Piper
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Sep 19, 2025 Kelsey Piper, a journalist and co-founder of The Argument, engages in a captivating conversation about the challenges facing modern journalism and governance. They discuss the detrimental effects of social media on meaningful discourse and critique prestige media's constraints. Kelsey provides insights into PEPFAR, highlighting its critical impact and mismanagement during funding cuts. With proposals for reform, she emphasizes the importance of civic participation and engaging with practical realities to rebuild effective media and governance.
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Reviving Principled Liberal Debate
- The Argument aims to rebuild principled liberal discourse by having public, rigorous arguments among like-minded writers.
- Kelsey Piper argues collective norms protect individual courage and broaden honest debate.
Prestige Harms Open Disagreement
- Prestige media struggle to host candid disagreement because their status makes admitting error costly.
- Kelsey Piper says stepping down the prestige ladder can enable more open, honest debate.
Mobs Changed Newsroom Norms
- Social media mobbing created a chilling effect that reduced internal criticism in newsrooms.
- Piper says outlets responded incoherently, sometimes resisting and sometimes capitulating to mob pressure.