Neman Lab's 2019 Media Predictions

Neman Lab, the esteemed journalism think tank at Havard University, today releases its closely watched Predictions for Journalism 2019. Below, a selection of predictions from people who you have never heard of and are not reporters but are somehow employed in “media,” full time.

Robert Knubit
Digital Strategist
“In 2019 you’re going to see a marked shift from on-platform to off-platform structures. Conversations anchored in platform-based mechanisms will slowly elongate until they are draped partly, and then fully, off-platform. A year of change for platforms, and the lack thereof.”

Simon Oxblow
Media Studies Monk
“One word: consumer preference verticals. The preference of consumers for verticals speaks loud and clear. But is the establishment listening?”

Galandria Rasmussen
Podcast Theorist
“Fatty Arbuckle once said, ‘How did I become a star? I don’t know how it happened.’ I’m calling 2019 ‘The Year of the Anti-Arbuckle Paradigm.’ This year, everyone will know how they became a star: by paying my startup to subcontract online trolls overseas to bombard their local Patch.com site with astroturf stories about them.”

Smandra Ronaldo
Chair of the Sam Zell Center for Television Excellence at the University of Phoenix
“The question everyone is asking now is, ‘Where is local news?’ I’d love to know. Is it hiding? Is it in a hole? Is it up the chimney? Is it in a tree? Is it in a boot? Is it on the roof? Is it with a cow? Is it upside down?”

John Askmindrakinson
Oiuja Board Interpreter, Buzzfeed
“It’s impossible to talk about the news in 2019 without talking about the increasing threat that authoritarian governments pose to journalism around the world. It’s time to get on board with your local authoritarian leader or get left behind. Don’t be a fucking idiot.”

Delilah Flowchart
Communications Harpist
“Instead of asking ourselves what readers want, it’s time to start asking readers what we want. And the answer is, more money.”

Ka Oat
Yale University Hanger-On
“Lines in the sand. Lines on the web. Lines of people. Lines of text. Where do all of these converge? At the 2019 Lines in Media Conference, held this April 4-7 at the Orlando Hyatt Regency. After the Jeff Jarvis keynote, we all go out for crystal meth.”

Jay Rosen
Inexplicable Media Job Holder for Life
“People will do journalism–online.”