Reflections on media, attribution, and the need for deeper journalism.
A friend recently joked, “You wrote the AJC story, didn’t you?” Well—no. I contributed to the story, but the reporter wrote it. Here’s the article in question, in case you missed it: AJC: Blake is Home Depot’s ‘calmer-in-chief’.
Now, about that phrase—“calmer-in-chief.” Yes, I coined it specifically for this story. It’s not unfamiliar (we’ve seen it used for U.S. presidents before), but in this context, it was a deliberate choice to convey the leadership style Frank Blake brought to Home Depot during turbulent times.
The Speed of Commentary vs. the Depth of Journalism
What’s more interesting than the story itself is the range of responses to it. In today’s media-saturated world, the pace at which people form and share opinions is astonishing. Everyone’s an expert. Everyone has a take. And often, there’s a sense that traditional media no longer adds value, because, well, “we already know what we think.”
Sometimes that’s fair. But often, it’s not.
There’s a real difference between sharing an opinion and investigative feature writing—between tweeting a thought and crafting a story that provides context, history, and nuance.
Perspective Still Matters
I couldn’t have written the AJC piece better—not because of talent, but because I’m not objective. I’m not a journalist. I’m not being compensated to ask questions from a neutral stance or spend hours shaping a feature from multiple sources.
That’s the gap that still exists—and needs to exist—between journalism and commentary. And that’s exactly why deeper feature writing is more important now than ever. As information floods in from every corner of the digital world, we need thoughtful voices who can slow the pace and bring clarity to the noise.
Who Will Pay for Perspective?
Here’s the real question: Who’s willing to pay for real perspective?
Will dollars flow to the big-name outlets? Niche platforms? Independent bloggers? Substacks? Twitter/X pundits?
No one knows for sure. But here’s what’s certain: The market still craves insight. Still wants to understand the “why” behind the headlines. Still needs writers and thinkers who go beyond the rapid-fire takes.
And for that, there’s value—if not always compensation.
What do you think? Is feature writing still worth the investment in a fast-take world? Who do you think is doing it well right now?
Let’s keep the conversation going.