Ann Arbor Times

Three professors from the University of Michigan have delved into the evolving media landscape in a recent episode of the podcast Business & Society. The discussion, featuring Sarah Zimmerman from U-M’s Ross School of Business and Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan from the College of Literature, Science, and Arts, focuses on the fragmentation of traditional media and the rise of new forms like influencers.

John Barry Ryan noted that while fewer people regularly tune into traditional news sources, those who do are more demanding. “I think the desire for news among a certain group of people is probably greater than it’s ever been,” said Ryan. He explained that this demand has led to an increased need for diverse content sources beyond mainstream outlets.

Sarah Zimmerman discussed how news consumption might adapt to fit busy lifestyles by offering shorter content. “Making things more bite-sized, more manageable—I think that’s probably where we’re going,” she said. Zimmerman expressed optimism about these changes in contrast to her earlier concerns.

Yanna Krupnikov emphasized teaching critical thinking to future media leaders. She cautioned against attributing significant political events to single media actions. “It is often very rare that something happens in politics because of one journalist or because of one podcaster,” Krupnikov advised her students.

The episode was recorded live at U-M’s Maize X Blue Marketing and Communications Summit. Business & Society is co-produced by JT Godfrey and Jeff Karoub, with audio engineering by Jonah Brockman and editorial production by Mads Henke.