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The Colab Brief - 152: Bezos, Barstool, and the Death of Old Media

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Ash + Lizzy
January 25, 2025

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The Washington Post just cut its PR team saying it would no longer be promoting journalism. According to PRWeek, the brand will be shifting focus to “talent promotion” because 'personalities and creators will lead the future of media.'

This isn’t a completely new model - media properties like Barstool Sports and The Ringer built their empires on the backs of individual personalities who amassed large followings of their own.

But a legacy, Tier 1 publication favoring star personalities over institutional authority definitely represents a step change. We’re moving away from a world of building influence through coverage in pubs like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times and toward a world of getting your message out to as many places as possible.  

So, how do you get your story out there when attention is split across a thousand different voices instead of a select few prestigious news outlets?

The New Rules of Distribution 🌀

Attention is your most valuable asset. Here’s how to get more attention and build awareness, whether you’re a seasoned startup or just starting out: 

  • Build your own distribution: The CEO-as-influencer trend isn't going away. More leaders are going to build their own mini-media platforms through newsletters, podcasts, and social channels - becoming their own distribution engines.

    Strong distribution does double duty: amplifies company news while creating a platform that draws other leaders and influencers to you, boosting your brand through association.

  • Pay for distribution: Paying influencers isn't new. But we're seeing more brands invest in creating spaces and series that draw influencers to them.

    Tarte Cosmetics does a great job at this: the annual 'Trippin' with Tarte' brand trips cost millions, but it’s become a must-watch, anticipated digital series. Getting invited is now a stamp of approval for influencers.

  • Be everywhere: Everyone points to Trump’s appearances on Theo Von and Rogan instead of CNN. But don’t forget Pete Buttigieg was the first to run this PR strategy when he ran for President back in 2019 - he appeared everywhere, from The Skimm to Barstool to niche podcasts like 'Pete the Planner.' (There’s a great profile about that strategy here.)

    This approach is going to become standard. Despite the time investment, we’re going to see more CEOs on niche, targeted podcasts and newsletters. The audience may be smaller, but the engagement is deeper, and leaders walk away with high-quality content for social. The key is to build the right relationships with individual creators and get away from the spray-and-pray method of the past. 

The Bottom Line 📍 

When anyone can create code, marketing assets, and fully functioning apps in minutes, the differentiating skill is the ability to command attention.

 The winners will be those who:

  • Build authentic relationships with individual voices

  • Develop their own distribution channels

  • Create content worth sharing

  • Think like media companies, not just sources

📱 New in non-traditional media

Tracking the newsletters, podcasts, and creators reshaping media influence.

  • 📰 In the news

    Substack just announced a $20M Creator Accelerator Fund to help writers grow their audiences and migrate over from other platforms. Read more here.

  • 🎤 Spotlight on climate creators

    Looking to round out your coverage with more newsletters and podcasts? Here are some favorite non-traditional media outlets to pitch your next story [climate tech edition]:

    • 📧 Climate Tech VC

      • Climate tech deals and news every Monday

      • Written by Sightline Climate, a market intelligence platform

      • 60,000+ subscribers

    • 📧 Volts

      • 1-2x weekly newsletter covering climate tech and policy

      • Written by David Roberts, former Vox and Grist reporter

      • 77,000+ subscribers

    • 📧 Keep Cool

      • 2x weekly newsletter

      • Written by Nick van Osdol, climate writer and investor

      • 18,000+ subscribers

    • 🎧️ Catalyst

      • Hosted by Shayle Kann, an investor at Energy Impact Partners

      • Focus on leveraging tech and AI to decarbonize the planet

      • Weekly episodes

    • 🎧️ CleanTechies

      • 2x weekly interviews with top climate tech founders and VCs

      • Smaller subscriber list but quality interviews

  • ⭐️ Favorite story of the week:

    “The Limits of Founder Friendly: What Happened at Bench & Why Its Board Pushed Out Its Founder” - Eric Newcomer, Newcomer newsletter

    • The end is behind a paywall, but it’s a true new-age media story:

      • Accounting startup, Bench, shut down suddenly. The shutter was picked up by several outlets.

      • The formerly-ousted CEO of Bench wrote his account of what happened in a LinkedIn post that racked up almost 6,000 likes

      • Eric Newcomer, formerly of Bloomberg and The Information, worked his deep network of contacts to tell the full story from both former employees’ and investors’ point of view

🎧️ Industry chatter

We joined the Shorty Awards’ podcast last week to discuss 2025 comms trends: revenue-driven PR, non-traditional media, and agency model disruption. Listen here.

E126: Why The Colab Built The Anti-Agency by It's No Fluke

Ashley Mann is a seasoned communications and PR professional with 15 years of expertise in B2B and B2C technology. Her experience spans both agency and startup environments, where she has honed her approach to strategic communications. As co-founder of The Colab, she partners directly with high-growth companies to uncover and amplify their core mission. Ashley brings a unique perspective shaped by extensive experience in consumer and technology sectors, focusing on delivering impactful, mission-driven communications strategies. Lizzy Harris is a co-founder and Partner at The Colab, the leading anti-agency for B2B and B2C tech companies. Having worked at agencies and in-house over the last 15 years, Lizzy built The Colab with a vision of turning the traditional agency model on its head, with a hyper focus on transparency, communication, and overexceeding metrics. She is passionate about forging authentic partnerships with clients, helping them define their narrative, and driving measurable business outcomes through tailored strategies.

creators.spotify.com/pod/show/shorty-awards/episodes/E126-Why-The-Colab-Built-The-Anti-Agency-e2tppqr

⚡️ Steal this pitch

Here’s the exact pitch that landed our client expert commentary in the Financial Times:

  • Subject line: “Intel announces AI fabric chip for AWS ([CLIENT] available for commentary).”

  • Pitch

    Intel just announced that it will produce an AI fabric chip for AWS on Intel 18A. Would you be interested in chatting with chips expert and CEO of [CLIENT] about Intel’s expanded collaboration with AWS to advance US-based chip manufacturing, and what it means for Intel’s position in the chips landscape? Please let me know and I’d be happy to arrange a call.

  • Tips for pitching expert commentary:
    Make the offer clear and concise:

    • X news just happened

    • We have x person available to comment on YZ

    • Here are a few points on the expert’s contrarian opinion

    • Include the expert’s bio and LinkedIn

    • Include the PR person’s phone number

💫 Client Wins

Our clients are making headlines. Check out recent coverage in publications like Forbes, Venture Beat, and Yahoo!

Want coverage like this? Say hello.

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