The Unthinkable Just Happened
Read that headline again. Let it sink in. No, it’s not a typo from our late-night editing desk, nor is it a satirical piece from The Onion. In a move that has sent shockwaves from Wall Street to media hubs worldwide, CBS News was just taken over by a Substack.
The grand old institution of American journalism—the home of Walter Cronkite, the iconic ‘Eye’ logo—has been acquired. Not by a rival network, not by a tech behemoth like Google or Apple, but by Substack, the platform that empowers individual writers to launch their own newsletters.
This isn’t just a business transaction; it’s a digital coup. It’s David not just slaying Goliath, but buying his armour, his castle, and turning it into a co-working space for independent sling-shot enthusiasts.
From Broadcast Tower to Bedroom Studio
For decades, the flow of information was a one-way street. A few powerful institutions with towering broadcast antennas decided what was news, and we, the public, consumed it. CBS was the epitome of that model. Now, the platform that symbolises the absolute decentralisation of media—where a single writer in their bedroom can build a bigger, more engaged audience than a primetime news show—holds the keys to the kingdom.
This acquisition is the global culmination of a trend we’ve been witnessing for years. We’ve seen the slow, creaking decline of legacy media worldwide as independent journalists, disillusioned with corporate pressures, took to platforms like YouTube and Substack. They built loyal followings not through flashy graphics or deafening debates, but through trust, expertise, and a direct connection with their audience. They proved that you don’t need a multi-million dollar studio to break a story; you just need a microphone, a Wi-Fi connection, and credibility.
What Does a Substack-Owned CBS Look Like?
Substack didn’t buy CBS for its satellite trucks or its sprawling newsrooms. It bought a brand, a legacy, and an audience, likely with the intention of gutting the old machinery and replacing it with its own agile, creator-centric model.
What does this mean for the future of news?
- Imagine the legendary ’60 Minutes’ being replaced by ’60 Musings,’ a curated bundle of the week’s best investigative newsletters.
- Imagine the CBS Evening News anchor being not a polished teleprompter-reader, but a celebrated independent journalist with a massive Substack following, delivering the news with their own unfiltered analysis.
The gatekeepers have not just been bypassed; they’ve been bought out by the people who were once kept at the gate.
A New Media Map, With Unanswered Questions
Of course, this seismic shift raises terrifying questions. Will the relentless pursuit of subscription numbers lead to more sensationalism and echo chambers? Will rigorous, resource-intensive investigative journalism—the kind that requires a corporate legal team and deep pockets—survive when the newsroom is replaced by a network of freelancers?
But for a moment, let’s park the cynicism. What happened today is a fundamental redrawing of the media map. It’s a declaration that power no longer resides in the corner office of a skyscraper, but in the inbox of a subscriber. The old guard, with its rigid hierarchies and advertising-dependent models, has been shown to be a dinosaur waiting for the meteor.
Today, the meteor, wearing a hoodie and powered by venture capital, finally struck. The revolution, it turns out, will not be televised. It will be delivered straight to your inbox, with a convenient ‘unsubscribe’ button.
