@atomicpoet [[The only benefit that institutional journalism has nowadays is cultural gatekeeping.]]

It's also doing most of the investigative reporting that's going on in this country. Investigative reporting, and accountability journalism more broadly, are difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Institutional news outlets (be they the NYT or the county's local weekly) are about the only places where journalists can get it done. A few journalists do it independently, but not many.