Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Megan Greenwell

@greenwell.bsky.social

20K followers 280 following 1.3K posts

Journalist. My book Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream is out now! Order it here: https://bookshop.org/a/109816/9780063299351

bookshop.org

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · Jul 17

I'm very excited that BAD COMPANY entered its third printing this week! You'd better buy it now before you're relegated to a copy from the fourth printing...

Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream

Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream

bookshop.org

10 44 320

Reposted by Megan Greenwell

Peter Orlowicz @peterorlowicz.bsky.social · 1d

Oh hey, I knew this from @greenwell.bsky.social 's book Bad Company, but looking forward to the documentary!

Blake Leyh @earlofedgecombe.bsky.social · 1d

If you think you know why US newspapers died, this feature documentary now streaming for free on PBS might surprise you. It wasn't the Internet. Newspapers were specifically targeted by vulture capitalists.

I composed the score for the film, which features electric cello & Crowfoot guitars.

Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink

A handful of journalists rebel against a hedge fund that is gutting newspapers nationwide.

www.pbs.org

7 25

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

omg thank you, I love libraries!

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

tysm I think I got momentarily nostalgic for the glory days of low-stakes internet beefing

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

lol apparently it’s a “known issue” that if someone blocks you on LinkedIn there’s no way to delete or even see their many unhinged comments on one of your posts, so ty to those who sent me screenshots of this dude calling me “Mean mean Megan.”

comments from Jay: Megan Greenwell Wow, that was mean.
Sorry for educating you on the industry and M&A world.
Like Reply
Jay D. 0 • 3rd+
2h •••
School Leaders | Author of After the Ga...
Megan Greenwell Unlike you, I wrote my book out of passion, not for sales. Never track sales.
Its endorsed by some of the great business and industry leaders. Thanks for the mean and evil message. Sheesh.
Like Reply
Jay D. 0 • 3rd+
1h
School Leaders | Author of After the Ga...
Megan Greenwell question for you: I read your book, I understand the stories. Have you personally ever done a PE deal? Have you ever been through due diligence and transition? Have you ever felt the pain?
Again, my book was written to help others, solve a major pain, and change the world for the better. Thanks for your mean and awful message

more comments from Jay:

Megan Greenwell lol I even gave you kudos earlier for the book. You just went total "Karen" on me and have an ego. A journalist writes a book for sales....way to go!
Like Reply
Jay D. © • 3rd+
1h (edited) **•
School Leaders | Author of After the Ga...
Megan Greenwell sent a while back, also gave you positive reviews online.
I say I hope your book can find its place, a positive affirmation, and you reveal your true character.
Mean Megan. Mean mean Megan.

10 54

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

so mean to a stranger who leapt into my mentions to tell me my book was dumb lol

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

lol did he? he seems to have blocked me.

1 1

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

lmao bless you

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

oh my god

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 2d

I cannot overstate what a bad idea it is for a man I have never heard of to cannonball into my *LinkedIn comments* to attempt to slag my book. I'm both a reporter and a petty bitch, JAY.

comment from Jay Dixon: Your message was big about 10 years ago when the PE world was fighting the narrative. It's changed, hope you can find your place

reply from Megan Greenwell: The book is a bestseller with a Kirkus star and a glowing review from the New York Times, so it seems like the message is still plenty big, but thanks for the unsolicited advice from someone I've never heard of whose book seems to have been read by approximately 12 people. Hope you can find your place!

11 24 510

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 3d

I was gonna offer my kingdom for journalists taking one single statistics class, but honestly this is just basic reading comprehension??

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 3d

Always check the primary source rather than relying on another journalist’s summary, exhibit 47,932. (NYMag on the left, actual survey on the right)

From NYMag: “A long-running survey by Sallie Mae and Ipsos captures the shift: In the mid-2010s, around 85 percent of parents and students said that college was an investment in the future; by 2024, just 56 percent felt that way. And only 41 percent said in 2024 they were willing to "stretch themselves financially to obtain the best opportunity for their future," versus nearly 60 percent a decade earlier.”

The actual survey: 56% “strongly” agreed that college is an investment in the future, but another 32% “somewhat” agreed — for a total of 88%. 47% strongly agreed that they would stretch financially, plus 38% who somewhat agreed.

1 1 29

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 4d

Mom, can you come pick me up? They're playing "it's actually fine for K*tie P*rter to be an abusive boss because men do it too" again, and I'm scared they're going to dig out their "Carry Yourself With the Confidence of a Mediocre White Man" shirts.

1 13 180

Reposted by Megan Greenwell

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 5d

Oh hell yeah, free shipping on BAD COMPANY (and every other book!) from the angels at @bookshop.org today and tomorrow!

8 43

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 4d

oh the film is really good!

Reposted by Megan Greenwell

Pete Croatto @petecroatto.bsky.social · 4d

Oh, I will watch this. (Also, please read @greenwell.bsky.social’s excellent “Bad Company.”)

Steve Mullis @stevemullis.net · 4d

The documentary "Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink," about how Hedge fund Alden Global Capital is gobbling up newspapers across America and gutting them, is available to watch on PBS.

Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink

A handful of journalists rebel against a hedge fund that is gutting newspapers nationwide.

www.pbs.org

2 7 26

Reposted by Megan Greenwell

stacy-marie ishmael @smi.bsky.social · 5d

criticism is not the same thing as "being mad at" for the love of all the things

5 40 210

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 5d

I think if the headline of a column by @sulliview.bsky.social called my hiring "weird and worrisome," I'd simply disappear from society and live off the land, but I suppose our respective capacities for shame is one difference that has existed between Bari and me for going on 20 years now.

Rob Michlowitz @arvrrob.bsky.social · 5d

The brilliant @sulliview.bsky.social on the horrible appointment of Bari Weiss as Chief Editor of CBS News.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Bari Weiss is a weird and worrisome choice as top editor for CBS News | Margaret Sullivan

When Weiss was named editor-in-chief, it was the latest turn in the network’s confounding departure from its roots

www.theguardian.com

1 19 140

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 5d

public transit in phoenix, you are god’s strongest soldier.

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 5d

just the most on-brand thread, very proud of u (how’s the soda situation though)

1 10

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 5d

ah geez thank you

Reposted by Megan Greenwell

Jim Whitney @jimwhitney.bsky.social · 5d

And widely distribute Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, @greenwell.bsky.social's deeply researched, insightful and compelling look at the impacts of private equity across key sectors, including housing, of the US economy.

1 2 10

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 5d

Oh hell yeah, free shipping on BAD COMPANY (and every other book!) from the angels at @bookshop.org today and tomorrow!

8 43

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 6d

hell yeah pal!

1 2

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 6d

I opened every week! 😭 gonna try to unsubscribe and resubscribe and see if that works.

Megan Greenwell @greenwell.bsky.social · 6d

wait, is it still a newsletter? I remain subscribed but it stopped coming to me months ago, so I assumed they weren't sending it anymore!

1 2