My column for the magazine today looks at the news that broke last month that James Murdoch would buy New York magazine, Vox.com and the Vox podcasting network for an estimated $300 million. The purchase grabbed attention because of what it represented: the most visible move by James to step out of the gargantuan shadow of his father, Rupert. In speaking with James last week, it was clear that he was setting out with an editorial philosophy that carries at least an implicit rebuke of his father’s own populist, winner-take-all philosophy. James is looking toward independent media as a higher-minded, if less lucrative antidote to those forces — an “ideas business.” He argues that the journalism of New York magazine and the podcasts of people like Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway will take on more value as artificial intelligence swallows everything. But it also helps distance him from a legacy he associates with climate-change denialism, the Jan. 6 riots and a widespread decline in civil health. Stay in touch: Like this email? Forward it to a friend and help us grow. Loved a story? Hated it? Write us a letter at magazine@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here to get the magazine newsletter.
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