However the aspect of Shirky's work that is most compelling to me is the idea that media producers now adopt a deliberately amateurish approach to appeal to mass audiences and to increase output. This allows producers such as journalists to produce relatable 'content', that can be 'consumed' easily and without consideration.
The Guardian has a reputation of being exclusive and intellectual. If that was the case, it is not so right now. The lexis of the Guardian is accessible to a 12-13 year old. More recently, editorial decisions have seen 'content' that is fixated on 'listicles' and click bait, with head scratching headlines that are derided and delighted over on social media. The inclusion of Adrian Chiles as a columnist seems to be a deliberate ploy to create some of the most bizarre and hilarious 'baity columns ever published. I'm sure the fact that he's married to the editor in chief of the Guardian is pure coincidence.
Snide comments aside, this shift to deliberately 'amateurish' articles is indicative of an increasingly difficult media landscape. To minimise risk and maximise profit, legacy media producers must do everything possible to stay relevant, especially because their competition in convergent social media platforms has their content creators working for free, perpetually ensnared by a series of powerful algorithms that are able to automate and maximise 'engagement' in blunt and brutish ways.