"The Siliconian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in wireless gold, Crying Media Company Vertically Integrated! As all before them they willfully extirpated: The Back of the Book and the Front and the Middle, Until all that was left was digital piddle, And Thought and Word lay dead and cold."

This poem really is really depressing. I hope it's not our future?

I'll get down voted, or Hell flamed(I really hate this cliched way of speaking), but here goes; I'm all for progress, but I don't want to dumb down journalism so it fit's in a digital format. After reading that poem I started to think about the book A Brave New World, and odly enough I looked up how old someone needs to be if they want to be a US President--yea--I forgot.

One other thing has been on my mind after reading this article, and reading a lot if comments on HN over the years. I'll paraphrase because I'm old and lazy, 'Apple didn't break the law. They were required to maximize shareholders profits. I don't see a problem?' I've seen this line of thinking a lot. In my world, my father taught me, "Just because it's legal son--doesn't make it right!"

Maybe it's just me, but being Editor of a magazine like the New Republic requires a very special person--a little age and wisdom(not out of a college text book) seems like it would go a long way? Along with a long apprentiship that many Journalists were once required to endure?

Don't get me wrong, I value youth and believe a lot of entrenched men of authority should be put out to pasture, but when it to situations like what transpired at the New Republic--my butt twitches. I picture the new editor sending back stories with TLDR. Ugh-