NPR

After a grueling 2023, here are four predictions for media in 2024

Lengthy strikes. Layoffs. Hikes in subscription fees. It was a long year in media. TV critic Eric Deggans looks ahead at what's coming next and believe it or not — it's not all bad.
The numeral 2024 in Times Square in New York City on Dec. 20. 2023, after traveling across the country, beginning in Los Angeles.

Given how turbulent 2023 turned out, saying it was a challenging year for media feels like the understatement of the decade.

Here's what we survived: Two lengthy strikes by Hollywood writers and performers which paralyzed new production, crippling the business in ways we're just beginning to fathom. Layoffs in the media sector totaling more than 20,000 positions, according to one study. Hikes in subscription fees which hit consumers of almost every major streaming service, including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and Apple TV+, and confrontations between media companies and cable providers leading to questions on whether cable TV can even survive in the streaming era.

But experience has taught me that, when it comes to the media business, things are

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
The Dos And Don'ts Of Lending Money
What do you do if a loved one asks to borrow a big sum of money from you? Experts weigh in on when it's OK to fork over the cash — and when you should probably say no.
NPR4 min read
A Lawmaker With A Brain Disease Used Voice Assist To Back Her Bill On The House Floor
Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia was diagnosed last year with rare disease that makes it hard to speak. She still advocated for a bill renaming a post office in her district – and the House passed it.
NPR3 min read
FTX Says It Will Return Money To Most Of Its Customers
FTX says that nearly all of its customers will receive the money back that they are owed, two years after the cryptocurrency exchange imploded, and some will get more than that.

Related Books & Audiobooks