Do you read Ben Thompson’s “Stratechery” newsletter? He sends a freebie once/week (subscription is $100/year; #worthit.) He usually devotes one analysis weekly to media (“Media Mondays”…but not always Monday.)
He has published several pieces about aggregation theory and how that has led us to a media duopoly (Google and Facebook) as well as its effect on politics, the break down of many media conventions etc. Really thoughtful work that lucidly explains what is happening without over-philosophizing or romanticizing defunct business models and their values. He has also written predictively about television’s business model and, if past is prologue, he’ll be right. “The Great Unbundling” is one of my favorite of his analyses.
On other days he writes on the dynamics of business technology and the technology business.
One of my commitments post-election, by the way, is to pay for more content (rather than arrive at it for “free” through aggregators. I bought the subscription to Ben’s newsletter in part because of this resolution, but mostly because it’s a damn fine daily jolt of smart.
A few fave posts:
AGGREGATION THEORY
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
https://stratechery.com/2015/aggregation-theory/
DOES UBER HAVE A STRATEGY PROBLEM?, NETFLIX AND AGGREGATION THEORY, GOOGLE TRIPS
Posted onTuesday, September 20, 2016
https://stratechery.com/2016/does-uber-have-a-strategy-problem-netflix-and-aggregation-theory-google-trips/
THE GREAT UNBUNDLING
Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2017
https://stratechery.com/2017/the-great-unbundling/
THE VOTERS DECIDE
Posted onWednesday, March 2, 2016
https://stratechery.com/2016/the-voters-decide/
Ethan McCarty 