Terrible Journalism & Interesting Statistics - Rob Orchard

Rob Orchard is a journalist and the co-founder and editor of Delayed Gratification Magazine. Journalism isn't working. Media outlets are more concerned with being first than being right and stories are built to create outrage rather than insight. Customers aren't happy with this setup, so Rob and his team began a Slow Journalism project which focuses on finding signal from the noise, rather than speedy delivery. Then he found a lot of fascinating statistics about the world. Expect to learn what the most popular crossbreed of dog was in 2020, how the Amanda Knox story shows how modern journalism is totally broken, what you should statistically do if you want to win an Oscar, why the 2010's was a terrible year for original cinema, why there's 2 golf balls on the moon and much more... Sponsors: Join the Modern Wisdom Community to connect with me & other listeners - https://modernwisdom.locals.com/ Get 20% discount on the highest quality CBD Products from Pure Sport at https://bit.ly/cbdwisdom (use code: MW20) Get perfect teeth 70% cheaper than other invisible aligners from DW Aligners at http://dwaligners.co.uk/modernwisdom Extra Stuff: Check out Rob's Magazine - https://www.slow-journalism.com/ Follow Delayed Gratification on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dgquarterly Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #journalism #media #news - 00:00 Intro 00:29 What is Slow Journalism? 05:11 Why the Current Media System is Broken 12:25 Is it Better to be First or to be Right? 16:27 What the Press are Getting Wrong 30:55 Rob’s Side Interest of Data Science 38:45 Data Surrounding Emissions & China 47:13 Post-pandemic Lifestyle Changes Data 54:27 People’s Distrust in Big Tech 59:41 Interesting Sets of Data 1:11:50 Rob’s Favourite Infographics 1:20:31 Where to Find Rob - Join the Modern Wisdom Community on Locals - https://modernwisdom.locals.com/ Listen to all episodes on audio: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Rob OrchardguestChris Williamsonhost

Nov 17, 20211h 22mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Slow journalism fights clickbait: data, media incentives, and consequences

Chris Williamson and editor Rob Orchard discuss 'slow journalism' as an antidote to fast, click-driven news that prioritizes novelty over accuracy, depth, and closure. Orchard explains how Delayed Gratification revisits major stories months later, adding context, follow‑ups, and data‑rich infographics to show what really happened next. They unpack the broken economics of free online content, perverse incentives for journalists, and the psychological impact on audiences of constant, unresolved, anxiety-inducing news. The conversation expands into data storytelling—from COVID search trends to fertility rates and space travel—showing how well-used statistics can illuminate culture, politics, and the future.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Slow journalism closes narrative loops the 24/7 news leaves open.

Most outlets focus on breaking stories and then rapidly move on, rarely explaining long‑term consequences; slow journalism revisits events months later to provide context, follow‑up, and deeper understanding (e.g., post‑Taliban Afghanistan).

Click-based economics structurally reward shallow, fast content.

When monetization is driven by pageviews and targeted ads, it’s rational for editors to commission dozens of short, sensational pieces rather than a few costly, in‑depth investigations, pushing journalism toward celebrity gossip and outrage.

The internet massively undervalued content, and anchoring now traps us.

Early norms that news, podcasts, and online writing should be free set price expectations; attempts to charge later clash with anchoring bias, forcing outlets into freemium/paywall models instead of simply making people pay for quality from the start.

The training pipeline for serious journalists is being hollowed out.

With local news collapsing and few stable staff jobs, aspiring reporters have fewer places to learn and be mentored, pushing many into churn‑style content roles or precarious independent projects and weakening the overall ecosystem.

Speed-first news production increases the risk of serious errors.

The Amanda Knox misreporting by the Daily Mail—publishing a fully written, incorrect verdict story with fabricated color—illustrates how prewritten templates plus pressure to publish first can put outright falsehoods into the permanent record.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

We’re the seagulls following the trawler. Our slogan is ‘Last to breaking news.’

— Rob Orchard

If you sat down to construct a news ecosystem from scratch, it wouldn’t be this.

— Rob Orchard

When we began content creation on the internet, we misjudged what you should be paying for and what you should expect for free.

— Chris Williamson

Good news costs money. You’re sending people to difficult and scary places on your behalf so you can get information.

— Rob Orchard

I don’t know a single person whose relationship with technology doesn’t need work.

— Chris Williamson

Slow journalism vs. fast, click-driven news cyclesEconomics of free content, paywalls, and media business modelsNews psychology: open loops, outrage, anxiety, and novelty biasData visualization and infographics as a journalistic toolExamples of media failures and speed-over-accuracy errorsBig tech, surveillance capitalism, and public trust in data useGlobal statistics: COVID behavior, climate, China, fertility, and culture

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