A decade ago, brands dictated trends. Today, the rise of social media and direct-to-consumer models has empowered consumers, making it harder for large brands to push a narrative. Brands must now listen to consumer feedback to stay relevant.

A core principle for maintaining journalistic integrity is to treat access as a liability ("poison") rather than an asset. By operating without a dependency on privileged information from powerful sources, a journalist can maintain an independent viewpoint. Paradoxically, this very independence often makes them more attractive to sources, thus increasing access over the long term.

Initially naive about PR, creators now see celebrity appearances as transactional. Realizing they are being used for promotion, some have started charging movie studios and publicists for access to their audience, reversing the traditional media value exchange.

Gus Wenner views personality-driven creators as the modern embodiment of legendary journalists like Hunter S. Thompson. This talent-first approach, once central to iconic media brands, has been lost by many traditional publishers but is key to winning in the current landscape where personalities build the brand.

Chef Alison Roman suggests The New York Times had a "don't get too famous" culture, feeling threatened when a creator's personal brand grew too large. This highlights the conflict legacy media faces in cultivating talent they need but cannot fully control.

The media landscape has fundamentally changed. Value is no longer concentrated in institutional brands like the New York Times. Instead, it has shifted to individual, 'non-fungible' writers who can now build their own brands and businesses on platforms like Substack.

Previously, athletes were terrified of being misquoted by newspapers, their only channel to the public. The rise of social media gives them a direct line to fans, enabling them to counter false narratives, express their personality, and reduce the media's power over their public image.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, trading favorable coverage for access to powerful sources is no longer the best way to get a story. In the modern media landscape with diverse information channels, reporters find more impactful and truthful stories by maintaining independence and refusing to play the access game.

CBS News acquiring Bari Weiss signals a strategic shift: legacy media outlets are buying influential independent creators to regain credibility. As audiences increasingly trust individual voices over institutions, these giants are co-opting top creators to bring that trust—and their audiences—back under a corporate umbrella, reversing the traditional talent pipeline.