A growing number of journalists are leaving major outlets and launching independent, low-overhead media ventures using platforms such as Substack and YouTube. High-profile departures include figures like Don Lemon and Paul Krugman, and some independents, including Matthew Yglesias, report higher earnings than before. Oliver Darcy left CNN in 2024 after disagreements over resources, launched the Status newsletter, hired former coworker Jon Passantino, and reports a profitable two-person operation within a year. Many ex-staffers find autonomy, direct audience monetization, and editorial control attractive compared with returning to large legacy organizations.
Now things are different: A slew of big names, from Don Lemon to Paul Krugman, have left big media companies, for varying reasons - and seem to be making a go of it on their own. They publish their own posts on platforms like Substack, and push out their own video on YouTube. In a handful of cases, like former Vox columnist Matthew Yglesias, they are making much more than they did at the old gigs.
For now, that group includes Oliver Darcy, the former CNN media reporter (and former Business Insider politics editor) who left the network in 2024 - because, in his telling, the company didn't want to give him more resources. Now, Darcy's Status newsletter is a must-read in media circles, and Darcy says his two-man operation - he hired his former coworker Jon Passantino earlier this year - is profitable after its first 12 months.
Collection
[
|
...
]