How Short-Form Clips Took Over the Internet

About this episode

This episode discusses the rise of short-form video clips and their impact on media consumption and attention.

In this episode of Galaxy Brain, Charlie Warzel talks with business writer Ed Elson about the rise of the “clip economy”—the idea that short video clips pulled from podcasts, livestreams, and other long-form content have become the dominant unit of online media, not just a promotional tool. Elson explains how figures like Andrew Tate pioneered armies of paid clippers to flood social platforms with content and how the viewership numbers on clips often perform better than the original shows. Warzel and Elson discuss what this means for legacy media organizations, as well as the broader societal costs of phone-driven attention erosion. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Charlie Warzel

Guest: Ed Elson

Topics covered

• clip economy
• short-form content
• media
• attention erosion
• legacy media

Keywords

• short video clips
• podcasts
• livestreams
• viewership
• media organizations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Atlantic

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