Jay Rosen
@jayrosen.bsky.social
Let's see... 39 years teaching journalism at NYU. A critic who tries to be useful. PressThink: the name of my subject and my site. My book: "What Are Journalists For?" (1999, Yale University Press)
I thought you reached lift off here...
"So stop hitting yourselves. Bad acting executives like Bezos and Lewis and Weiss are deploying your own misguided internal critique against you, to do the bidding of journalism’s most powerful enemies."
"So stop hitting yourselves. Bad acting executives like Bezos and Lewis and Weiss are deploying your own misguided internal critique against you, to do the bidding of journalism’s most powerful enemies."
February 12, 2026 at 1:52 AM
I thought you reached lift off here...
"So stop hitting yourselves. Bad acting executives like Bezos and Lewis and Weiss are deploying your own misguided internal critique against you, to do the bidding of journalism’s most powerful enemies."
"So stop hitting yourselves. Bad acting executives like Bezos and Lewis and Weiss are deploying your own misguided internal critique against you, to do the bidding of journalism’s most powerful enemies."
I've tried to get this point across myself. Here, @brianbeutler.bsky.social does a great job of it. Liberal bias is a political tool — not a critique of performance — and it will assert itself regardless of how well the newsroom does on truthtelling and fairness. www.offmessage.net/p/a-requiem-...
February 12, 2026 at 12:10 AM
I've tried to get this point across myself. Here, @brianbeutler.bsky.social does a great job of it. Liberal bias is a political tool — not a critique of performance — and it will assert itself regardless of how well the newsroom does on truthtelling and fairness. www.offmessage.net/p/a-requiem-...
If you ever groaned at a "both sides" treatment of an issue you care about, you might gain something from Brian's post.
Marty Baron's Post thrived because it took meaningful steps away from false balance, toward a defensible north star. As long as media execs insist financial pressures require wooing back right-wing audiences, why help them build a false sense that this is possible? www.offmessage.net/p/a-requiem-...
February 11, 2026 at 11:18 PM
If you ever groaned at a "both sides" treatment of an issue you care about, you might gain something from Brian's post.
Also, in this situation a good answer to "what do you want" is "what do you got?"
February 11, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Also, in this situation a good answer to "what do you want" is "what do you got?"
None of this is new to Brown.
February 11, 2026 at 6:02 PM
None of this is new to Brown.
"We own it, we're ending it, and we don't want to talk to anyone who wants to buy it. Don't call us; we won't answer you."
www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...
That appears to be the current status of the Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh. Via @dankennedy.net
www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...
That appears to be the current status of the Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh. Via @dankennedy.net
Efforts to keep Pittsburgh Post-Gazette operating appear to stall
In less than three months, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is scheduled to close up shop and go out of business.
www.cbsnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:01 PM
"We own it, we're ending it, and we don't want to talk to anyone who wants to buy it. Don't call us; we won't answer you."
www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...
That appears to be the current status of the Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh. Via @dankennedy.net
www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...
That appears to be the current status of the Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh. Via @dankennedy.net
Yes. There are many cases like that.
February 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Yes. There are many cases like that.
I'm touched that you're worried about the distribution of my labor.
The idea that I'm trying to get Bezos to listen to me is bizarre. Have a sweet day.
The idea that I'm trying to get Bezos to listen to me is bizarre. Have a sweet day.
February 11, 2026 at 4:49 PM
I'm touched that you're worried about the distribution of my labor.
The idea that I'm trying to get Bezos to listen to me is bizarre. Have a sweet day.
The idea that I'm trying to get Bezos to listen to me is bizarre. Have a sweet day.
Didn't say anything like that. I think he's disqualified himself as owner of the Post.
February 11, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Didn't say anything like that. I think he's disqualified himself as owner of the Post.
We know very little about his thinking. It could be on purpose, and I am open to that.
It could also be a combination of bad hires and massive incompetence among the leadership, neglect by the ownership, and the killer: cozying up to Trump on behalf of his other properties.
It could also be a combination of bad hires and massive incompetence among the leadership, neglect by the ownership, and the killer: cozying up to Trump on behalf of his other properties.
February 11, 2026 at 4:32 PM
We know very little about his thinking. It could be on purpose, and I am open to that.
It could also be a combination of bad hires and massive incompetence among the leadership, neglect by the ownership, and the killer: cozying up to Trump on behalf of his other properties.
It could also be a combination of bad hires and massive incompetence among the leadership, neglect by the ownership, and the killer: cozying up to Trump on behalf of his other properties.
2/2 As Brown says, treating audience data as your assigment desk is a bad idea. Editorial judgement is what creates value.
ALSO... it's important for newsrooms to understand their audience in a deep and nuanced way. "The data" should be helpful with that.
These two things are not in conflict.
ALSO... it's important for newsrooms to understand their audience in a deep and nuanced way. "The data" should be helpful with that.
These two things are not in conflict.
February 11, 2026 at 4:09 PM
2/2 As Brown says, treating audience data as your assigment desk is a bad idea. Editorial judgement is what creates value.
ALSO... it's important for newsrooms to understand their audience in a deep and nuanced way. "The data" should be helpful with that.
These two things are not in conflict.
ALSO... it's important for newsrooms to understand their audience in a deep and nuanced way. "The data" should be helpful with that.
These two things are not in conflict.
Tina Brown telling Bezos he's wrong:
“'The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.' No, it’s not the data that tells us, Jeff. It’s the intellect and enterprise of journalists searching out stories that readers didn’t know." tinabrown.substack.com/p/bafflement...
I agree but...
1 of 2
“'The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.' No, it’s not the data that tells us, Jeff. It’s the intellect and enterprise of journalists searching out stories that readers didn’t know." tinabrown.substack.com/p/bafflement...
I agree but...
1 of 2
Bafflement with Bezos
The whole debacle of the Washington Post brand hara-kiri last week dispatched the myth that a tech billionaire could save serious journalism.
tinabrown.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Tina Brown telling Bezos he's wrong:
“'The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.' No, it’s not the data that tells us, Jeff. It’s the intellect and enterprise of journalists searching out stories that readers didn’t know." tinabrown.substack.com/p/bafflement...
I agree but...
1 of 2
“'The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.' No, it’s not the data that tells us, Jeff. It’s the intellect and enterprise of journalists searching out stories that readers didn’t know." tinabrown.substack.com/p/bafflement...
I agree but...
1 of 2
I had seen the Post's Two Hundred Million subscribers "goal," and probably noted to myself, "Jeez, that's a lot."
But it wasn't just a lot, it was a tell. Top management at the Post wasn't serious. That's a number that you put out there because you don't know what to do.
Read Parker's piece. 2/2
But it wasn't just a lot, it was a tell. Top management at the Post wasn't serious. That's a number that you put out there because you don't know what to do.
Read Parker's piece. 2/2
February 10, 2026 at 11:33 PM
I had seen the Post's Two Hundred Million subscribers "goal," and probably noted to myself, "Jeez, that's a lot."
But it wasn't just a lot, it was a tell. Top management at the Post wasn't serious. That's a number that you put out there because you don't know what to do.
Read Parker's piece. 2/2
But it wasn't just a lot, it was a tell. Top management at the Post wasn't serious. That's a number that you put out there because you don't know what to do.
Read Parker's piece. 2/2
"The Post, the Times, Axios, and Politico combined don’t reach 100 million monthly viewers, and that includes people who aren’t paying. Two hundred million was delusional."
This post by @parkermolloy.com is loaded. Read it.
1 of 2
www.readtpa.com/p/jeff-bezos...
This post by @parkermolloy.com is loaded. Read it.
1 of 2
www.readtpa.com/p/jeff-bezos...
February 10, 2026 at 11:33 PM
"The Post, the Times, Axios, and Politico combined don’t reach 100 million monthly viewers, and that includes people who aren’t paying. Two hundred million was delusional."
This post by @parkermolloy.com is loaded. Read it.
1 of 2
www.readtpa.com/p/jeff-bezos...
This post by @parkermolloy.com is loaded. Read it.
1 of 2
www.readtpa.com/p/jeff-bezos...
"When in doubt, draw a distinction."
Not sure where he got it, but in grad school one of my teachers taught me that.
This (long) thread is about the key distinctions I rely on as a critic. There's a Twitter version from 2021. This one builds on that one.
I will post them one at a time. Ready?
Not sure where he got it, but in grad school one of my teachers taught me that.
This (long) thread is about the key distinctions I rely on as a critic. There's a Twitter version from 2021. This one builds on that one.
I will post them one at a time. Ready?
February 10, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Thanks, I will give it a try.
February 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Thanks, I will give it a try.
I discovered this last week with my thread of 28 posts. Threads is broken, as you say.
February 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
I discovered this last week with my thread of 28 posts. Threads is broken, as you say.
BlueSky finally adds drafts. techcrunch.com/2026/02/09/b...
I wonder what this means, if anything, for making threads.
I wonder what this means, if anything, for making threads.
Bluesky finally adds drafts | TechCrunch
The move comes as Bluesky’s competitors, X and Threads, have long supported drafts.
techcrunch.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:57 PM
BlueSky finally adds drafts. techcrunch.com/2026/02/09/b...
I wonder what this means, if anything, for making threads.
I wonder what this means, if anything, for making threads.
"People have been trained by social media to read everything in bad faith..." ( @kccomplainsalot.blacksky.app ) is something I struggle with in my space (press criticism and media trends.)
Talking to the 99% of the users who lurk by responding to the 1% that speaks up can be difficult and weird.
Talking to the 99% of the users who lurk by responding to the 1% that speaks up can be difficult and weird.
February 8, 2026 at 7:39 PM
"People have been trained by social media to read everything in bad faith..." ( @kccomplainsalot.blacksky.app ) is something I struggle with in my space (press criticism and media trends.)
Talking to the 99% of the users who lurk by responding to the 1% that speaks up can be difficult and weird.
Talking to the 99% of the users who lurk by responding to the 1% that speaks up can be difficult and weird.