Week 3: The Compromises of Identity and Performance within Slate

Slate has been tenacious in the world of online publishing for over 20 years, a staple of online reporting. In the New York Times this Friday, the article "Slate, the Pioneering Web Magazine, Struggles to Find Identity and Profit" discusses the roadblocks facing Slate as their top editor stepped down and were told that the publication was not profitable. Most recently, Slate has had to begin asking the question of who their core identity is, especially after being sold to the Washington Post, which may have contributed to the decline of their distinction in the online space of housing intellectual debate and contrarian takes. Long term staff members seem to be leaving en masse because of the restrictions being placed on them in order to drive up profitability.

This is an issue facing the internet at large: news and media are becoming increasingly sanitized in order to appeal to advertisers, but the advertising revenue just isn't cutting it anymore. Without a distinction, Slate seems to be struggling to reconcile the growth it sees in their ad-free subscription and podcast growth with the loss of their driving force. It seems that this is a question that they might begin to answer once they become profitable instead of just holding on. Will they be able to clutch to the vestiges of their edgy reputation from their heyday? Or will they be forced to reckon with a new identity? 

While Slate will continue to develop their podcast market, it's unclear if diversifying more will help them create the solid broad subscriber base they need to flourish, or only serve to dilute the energy and direction they've curated.