Journalism, as an institution, suffers from booms and busts. The blogging generation, despite being overpopulated, is helping spur resurgence in the online field. More and more news appears online, however, it is easy to get lost in the overflow of content. The same article on Syria can be found authored by 17 different people, undermining the stability of established news sources that rely on original commentary to thrive. But from enormous quantity comes inevitable quality. As the success of blogs such as Ezra Klein’s demonstrates, readers and sharers are learning to better discern between the good and the bad.
Last week, Klein, creator of the Washington Post’s widely read Wonkblog, announced that he is leaving the established paper to pursue a new, more autonomous — and lucrative — venture. Vox Media, the up-and-coming media conglomerate funding Klein’s project, agreed to be a hands-off participant in the operation. Wonkblog, under a new name yet to be decided, will find itself free from the historic weight of the Post.
Around 2008, journalism lost its footing. Technology evolved rapidly as newspaper writing and distribution stagnated. Clunky iPad apps and bloated websites did little to benefit the cause. Now, as major industry players are finally realizing the necessity of a strong online presence, high-caliber journalists are leaving, having come to the same realization years earlier.
Klein’s move is not without precedent. Andrew Sullivan, founder of one of the first major political blogs, split from online news source The Daily Beast early last year. In his first six months as an independent blogger, his team raised almost 80 percent of their $900,000 goal from subscription fees, nearly matching the yearly funding they were receiving while working under Tina Brown at the Beast. Shortly after, statistician Nate Silver left The New York Times because “he went against the grain,” in spite of the fact that his blog, FiveThirtyEight, attracted 20 percent of the paper’s online traffic in the days surrounding the election. Around the same time, Glenn Greenwald left The Guardian, and Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg of AllThingsD left the The Wall Street Journal. In each instance, personal brand trumped storied legacy.
Unfortunately most of the blogs on the web are not Wonkblog. Everyone is looking for an audience, and the Internet provides a good place to find one. But buried beneath the seemingly endless nonsense that infiltrates our Facebook news feeds is gold. Klein’s success proves the merits of entrepreneurial journalism. That he has found such favorable reception so quickly — he is only 29 — is further evidence, providing hope for young, amateur writers who want to achieve similar success. Klein’s transition will continue to make waves in the journalism community, all the while threatening the supremacy of established players. Major American newspapers should take notice. Journalism, at least when unencumbered, is alive and well.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Feb. 4 print edition. Omar Etman is a deputy opinion editor. Email him at [email protected].