Inspired by self-isolation, Alex and Amanda revisit what happened in the media business (that matters) since our last podcast. Recorded in mid April 2020, we mostly set aside commentary on Covid implications as unknowable, so it holds up surprisingly well given its mid-year release. The conversation is a little looser than normal; my repeated laughter (painful to listen to) reveals just how welcome the conversation was amidst weeks of isolating.
Amanda and Alex dig into some recent media headlines to discuss whether and how they matter. We work our way through a variety of Netflix stories including its purchase of distribution rights for The Cloverfield Paradox and Annihilation, its original movie strategy (Bright and more), and what all this means for theatrical distribution. We also talk about going to the theater and some new insights about MoviePass, before finishing off with Netflix' big Ryan Murphy deal.
Recode Media Interview with MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe
Logo by Zack Wall
You’ve already heard what happened this week, but we take the next steps of explaining why it matters and why you should care. This isn’t a place of pontificating and empty predictions, but of getting to the meat of what is going on in media today and the implications for media businesses and media consumers. Knowledgeable outsiders, Alex, a journalist, and Amanda, a professor, consider emerging changes without a stake in the disruptions to explore why the transformative shifts experienced by media today matter to you.
You can subscribe to our podcast in iTunes and can subscribe directly to our RSS feed by copying that link. Send us your questions or suggested topics at DrTVLotz@gmail.com
Amanda Lotz is a professor of media studies at the University of Michigan and author of several books about media and media industries including The Television Will Be Revolutionized and Portals: A Treatise on Internet-Distributed Television.
Alex Intner is a journalist who specializes in reporting on the arts and media industries. You can find his writing in The Michigan Daily, where he was an arts writer and web developer.
