Political reporter Adam Nagourney joins the Hacks to discuss the upcoming Iowa caucus and the battle between Haley and DeSantis. They also delve into the challenges faced by Biden, the difficulty of conveying economic confidence, and the process of writing a book about The New York Times. The episode concludes with a discussion on encouraging participation in the Iowa caucuses and the challenges, contrasts, and messaging in the Biden campaign.
The New York Times has successfully adapted and thrived in the digital age, embracing digital platforms and innovative strategies like the Wirecutter, but the decline of local journalism remains a concern with implications for democracy.
The New York Times challenged conservative traditions and embraced a digital-first approach, breaking with print-focused norms, attracting subscribers in new markets, offering lessons in business survival and company culture.
While the New York Times has navigated the digital landscape, the decline of local journalism affects democracy and accountability at the local level, leading to nationalization of politics and less scrutiny of local institutions.
Deep dives
The New York Times' successful transformation in the digital age
The New York Times has successfully adapted and thrived in the digital age, overcoming challenges other journalistic institutions have faced. The paper has embraced digital platforms, expanded its readership nationally and internationally, and shifted its focus away from traditional print deadlines. It has become a digital powerhouse, attracting subscribers and generating revenue through innovative strategies like the Wirecutter. However, the decline of local journalism remains a concern, as newspapers across the country struggle to survive, which has implications for democracy and the coverage of local issues.
The evolution of the Times' business model and cultural shifts
The New York Times' journey to success involved challenging the conservative traditions and cultural norms of the newspaper industry. The paper shifted its mindset from print-focused to a digital-first approach, prioritizing posting stories immediately and reaching readers across various platforms. The leadership, including former publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., played a crucial role in driving the transformation. They embraced change, broke with traditions, and pursued strategies like expanding national and international coverage to attract subscribers in new markets. The Times' experience offers lessons in business survival and company culture for other industries facing digital disruption.
The importance of local journalism and the uncertain future
While the New York Times has successfully navigated the digital landscape, the decline of local journalism remains a pressing concern. Newspapers across the country are struggling, cutting newsrooms, and reducing local coverage. This loss has a significant cost in terms of coverage of state houses, city halls, and local issues. The coverage void can lead to the nationalization of politics and less scrutiny of local institutions. The question of how to sustain local journalism in the digital age remains unresolved, affecting democracy and accountability at the local level.
Biden's pressure and focus on vengeance
The podcast discusses how Trump is under enormous pressure due to ongoing court cases and highlights his speech that is filled with vengeance and fascistic language. It also mentions Biden's campaign and how he is not effectively addressing concerns about his age and lack of enthusiasm among younger voters.
Importance of contrasting Biden with Trump
The podcast emphasizes the importance of drawing contrasts between Biden and Trump. It suggests that focusing on the future, highlighting Biden's ideas, and presenting a strong contrast between the two candidates can help win over voters. It also touches on the Israel-Palestine conflict and its potential impact on Biden's approval ratings among younger progressive voters.
This week Axe and Murphy were joined by ink stained Hack, Adam Nagourney. Adam is a political reporter for the New York Times and author of “The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism”. The Hacks discuss the upcoming Iowa caucus, the battle brewing between Haley and DeSantis, the cost of Thanksgiving, messages from presidents past, eating crow, and slicing the salami a little too thin. Plus, Murphy dabbles in ventriloquism.
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