Factually! with Adam Conover

How Capitalism Murdered Journalism with Margot Susca

May 29, 2024

58:53

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Adam Conover discusses with Margot Susca, a professor at American University, how private equity firms have dismantled journalism, leading to a decline in investigative reporting, loss of accountability, and conflicts of interest. They explore the detrimental impact of capitalism on journalism, emphasizing the urgent need for public awareness and regulatory guardrails to address the crisis.

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Quick takeaways

Private equity firms dismantle journalism for profit, leading to reduced accountability reporting.

Lack of journalistic resources results in decreased coverage of critical issues in local news.

Regulatory safeguards are crucial to curb private equity's destructive control over newspaper chains.

Deep dives

The Decline of Local News and the Role of Private Equity

Private equity firms have deliberately targeted and decimated local newspapers by buying them as financial assets to extract as much money as possible, leading to a significant decrease in investigative reporting and accountability journalism. Not just a natural result of increased competition, the decline of local news is a calculated effort by wealthy entities to dismantle the newspaper industry, with private equity ownership rising significantly over the years.

Introduction

4min

The Role of Private Equity in the Decline of Journalism

15min

Impact of Wall Street Hedge Fund Thinking on Journalism and Entertainment Industries

3min

Importance of Quality Journalism and Its Impact on Society

6min

The Erosion of Investigative Journalism

14min

Seasonal Allergy Relief and Business Journalism Discussion

6min

The Impact of Capitalism on Journalism

16min

Discussion on Capitalism's Impact on Journalism and Potential for Change

3min

We’ve been discussing the slow death of journalism for a long time, but what if it didn’t just “die”? This week, Adam speaks with Margot Susca, a professor at American University and author of Hedged: How Private Investment Funds Helped Destroy American Newspapers and Undermine Democracy, about how private equity firms have dismantled journalism and betrayed America. Find Margot's book at at factuallypod.com/books

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