Google broke the old media bargain. Publishers created; Google kept the audience. That deal is fading — search traffic is declining, referral clicks are drying up, and the borrowed-audience model no longer holds.

Alan Shimel argues the answer is not more content. It is more value.

Alan lays out Techstrong's response: applying Futurum Forward principles to journalism, zigging while everyone else zags shorter and shallower, and investing in substantive long-form work — Techstrong Special Reports that combine journalism, research, analysis and perspective.

But longer does not automatically mean better. Depth has to be researched, accessible and worth the reader's time. So the reports are currently free and ungated — prove the value first, then earn the direct, lasting relationship with the audience.

Alan's commitment on-air: more time on Special Reports. Less time on routine, interchangeable news. Some investigations could become books. And the audience gets a direct question back — what do you want investigated next?

The audience has not disappeared. Give people a reason to seek us out.

The answer is more value. That's what Shimmy says.