So is just what the shakeout will give rise to, since technology is continually revolutionizing economic institutions. Consumerism will recede, resulting in a smaller role for advertising and marketing. The process has a political component. This, in turn, means journalism that is vital to all of society, news that's less a source of entertainment than of ideas and debate. They grow more amiable and have more ideas in proportion as they have less money or less hope of making it in large quantities.
Nothing concentrates the mind, in other words, more than a serious economic downturn.
This is no to say that fluff will vanish, but it may indicate that more balanced fare will return to the table. The process may be painful, involving layoffs and liquidations. Yet, while the outlook is not promising for the business of journalism, it may be promising for the craft of journalism.