After 20+ years in journalism, I decided it was time to start complaining professionally. That's why I launched Editor in Grief with my friend and former Daily News Editor-in-Chief Jim Rich. This is our first episode and we're diving into the dumpster fire that digital media has become.

Jim and I have seen it all. We watched newspapers scramble to adapt to digital, saw the rise of blogging (I was part of that problem at Gizmodo), and now we're watching AI companies pretend they care about journalism. Someone needs to document this mess, so why not us?

This week we talk about all the hits - Facebook, OpenAI, Google, and countless amazingly gullible journalists who believe everything they say about the future of media. Let’s dig in! Here’s a rundown of the show, blow-by-blow.

Facebook Finally Admits What We All Knew

Mark Zuckerberg just announced they're scaling back fact-checking, moving operations from California to Austin. Jim made a great point in our discussion - why are we surprised? Facebook was never a journalism company. They just played one on TV when it suited them. Now that the pressure's off, they're dropping the act.

The Craigslist Myth

Here's something interesting Jim brought up: everyone blames Craigslist for killing newspapers, but he sees it differently. Craigslist actually made classifieds better. They innovated. Compare that to Google, Facebook, and now OpenAI - they're not improving journalism, they're just positioning themselves between news organizations and readers, skimming value off the top.

OpenAI's Latest PR Move

Speaking of OpenAI, they just announced a three-year deal with Axios to fund local newsrooms in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Boulder, and Huntsville. Jim and I both rolled our eyes at this one. We've seen this movie before - tech company swoops in promising to save journalism, ends up causing more damage. Their big example of AI success? Using it for restaurant recommendations. Because apparently, Yelp never happened.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Jim thinks news organizations should abandon social media entirely. Is he right? Maybe. He's definitely right that chasing tech solutions hasn't worked out well for journalism so far. The Wall Street Journal might be the only success story, and they did it by basically ignoring all the "innovative" advice they got from Silicon Valley.

We're planning to bring on more guests - mostly people who've been laid off, since anyone still employed in media is too nervous to speak freely. Can't blame them. The industry's in a weird place when the only people who can talk honestly about it are the ones who've already been shown the door.

Here's what I know: Jim and I have spent decades watching this industry evolve, devolve, and sometimes just implode. With "Editor in Grief," we're going to document it all, one scotch-fueled conversation at a time.

Want to join us? Have a question for us? Drop us a line at hello@keepgoingpod.com and we’d be happy to invite you and your grievances onto the show.