Embedded

Kate Lindsay argues that major social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter) are dying as genuine social platforms due to AI-generated content flooding feeds, while predicting a shift toward long-form content on platforms like YouTube, Substack, and newsletters that have proven more durable and resistant to AI dilution.

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Nick and Kate discuss the origin and evolution of their media newsletter Embedded, from its accidental launch on Substack during the pandemic to nearly being absorbed into The Atlantic. They reflect on early mistakes, the value of reader monetization, and why declining The Atlantic's offer was ultimately the right decision.

Kate Lindsay, editor of Embedded, discusses her decade-long struggle with replying to texts, a New Year's resolution she has failed at every year since at least 2017. She acknowledges owing responses to multiple people despite liking them and finding the conversations non-threatening, attributing her poor texting habits to a personal failing she repeatedly excuses.

Episode 75 of Hip Replacement features Kate Lindsay discussing her relationship with The Sims and gaming habits, while the episode also covers Patreon's user exodus, the New York Times Amy Griffin piece, and a lesbian bar's role in journalism.

Steven Hyden, music critic and author of a book about The Strokes, discusses his media consumption habits, skepticism toward AI and gambling apps, and his theory that public shit-talking has migrated from social media to private group chats. He emphasizes the importance of struggle in creative work and expresses concerns about the decline of traditional institutional media.

The author argues that humans anthropomorphize AI systems, projecting human qualities onto them through examples like Anthropic's Opus 3 blog and an AI actress named Tilly Norwood. This tendency to treat AI as sentient entities is being exploited by both media and AI fear-mongers to create false narratives about AI capabilities and risks.

This media gossip newsletter covers Nick's personal experiences at events, an interview with writer Ross Barkan following plagiarism allegations, and criticism of journalists providing free publicity for an AI chatbot startup.

Comedian Taylor Tomlinson shares her selective approach to internet consumption, prioritizing long-form content like Substack and podcasts while limiting algorithmic social media to specific times. She emphasizes the importance of thoughtful digital boundaries and expresses concerns about AI and the challenges Gen Z faces growing up online.

Kate Lindsay, editor of Embedded newsletter, announces that the publication's five-year mission to highlight "what's good on the internet" no longer feels viable in an era dominated by AI, capitalism, and algorithmic exploitation. She reflects on her lifelong anxiety about existential threats and how the internet's transformation into a profit-driven, divisive space has made it increasingly difficult to find authentic good content worth celebrating.

Media Gossip covers industry events including the Status Summit and a Poynter salon, with a major controversy emerging over Substack's Emmy live chat sponsorship by Polymarket, which prompted writers to distance themselves from the event.