Outkick founder and syndicated radio host Clay Travis said shifting business models have altered the way media consumption occurs. During his radio show Friday, Travis cited The New York Times and The Washington Post as examples of outlets that feed narratives to keep their millions of subscribers engaged in their product.
“The Clay & Buck” host said newspapers across the country have had to shift their business imperative following the evolution of classified advertisements, which were once the dominant stream of revenue for the traditional paper.
“So back in the day, if you wanted to buy a puppy, or a used car, or a place to rent, the classified ads charged you by every line and by every word, they made money hand over fist,” said Travis. “Then Craig’s List came along and that’s the evolution of the business.”
Travis said The New York Times was one of the first newspapers that promised to cover news from a neutral perspective.
“Suddenly, they were able to sell their newspaper to everybody in the city whether you were a Democrat or a Republican, it was the newspaper of record in the city it was not partisan,” said Travis. “And then the radio came along. Suddenly we had this popular culture emerge where people could just gather around the radio.”
Travis said there was a 50-year period where radio created a vacuum for consumers that ended in the early 1980s when cable news rose to prominence.
“Cable was all about serving niche audiences,” he said. “ESPN for sports, CNN back in the day used to try and serve everyone for news.”
Travis stated that as cable news evolved and Craig’s List diverted most advertising revenue away from newspapers, companies were forced to turn to a subscription-based model.
“The circulation business collapses with the internet and instead of selling advertisements designed to appeal to the largest possible audience, the new business imperative becomes that we have to get subscribers digitally,” he said. “If you look at the numbers, the New York Times and the Washington Post overwhelmingly have left-wing subscribers.”
Travis added because The New York Times and The Washington Post cater to mostly Democrats, there is an insatiable appetite for news reported from one side.
“They are not in the business of telling you the truth,” he said. “They’re in the business of telling left-wingers what they want to hear.”
