Channels with Peter Kafka The End of Mass Media—and What Comes Next
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Oct 22, 2025 Join Brian Morrissey, founder of The Rebooting, as he discusses the decline of mass media and the rise of small, nimble media ventures. He explains why chasing scale is no longer viable against tech giants like Google and emphasizes the need for publishers to control their distribution. They dive into the impact of AI on content, the significance of building direct audiences, and the evolving landscape of advertising. Morrissey offers insights on new revenue models, including events and personality-driven publishing, while remaining optimistic about niche media opportunities.
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Google Still Controls Traffic
- Google remains the nerve center of the internet and a huge traffic driver via features like Discover.
- Cutting Discover would wipe away large swaths of professional media traffic instantly.
Search Was Gamified, So Google Responded
- Google fixed search because it was being gamed by SEO-focused content, which harmed relevance.
- The internet's history is largely a story of gaming incentives and platform responses.
AI Shifts Search Unevenly
- AI overviews in search affect some categories more than others; news hasn't been uniformly impacted yet.
- AI may expand search volume even while altering distribution dynamics.