I have a theory about takes like this. @olivertraldi and @DouthatNYT, I'd love some feedback.
Basically, it's a story of elite overproduction. The job market for journalists and writers has collapsed, even as J Schools and MFA programs churn out grads at a record clip.
Basically, it's a story of elite overproduction. The job market for journalists and writers has collapsed, even as J Schools and MFA programs churn out grads at a record clip.
Meanwhile, many of the most important stories of the day require in-depth knowledge of a specialized field (e.g. public health, climate science, global finance) that few have the patience or ability to master.
Lastly, up until quite recently, ours was an extraordinary period of relative peace and prosperity, at least in North America. No Cold War to report, a terrorist threat in retreat. So what's an aspiring journalist to do? What crusade can he join? What mission can he make his own?
Simple: The Culture War. No special knowledge is seemingly required. The barriers to entry are low. Fellow elites are likewise obsessed and eager to play along. And as for the stakes, they are hilariously easy to inflate. The result speaks for itself. 
How do we solve this problem? Partly it will take care of itself. As the journo market continues to crash, media elites will have to leave the business, abandon Brooklyn, and learn a respectable trade. I don't know, maybe become academics. COVID no doubt accelerates these trends.
In the meantime, I suspect that people like Yang or Weiss, young journalists who cut their teeth in the Culture War trenches, will grow angrier, more frustrated, and more competitive with their fellow elites. I call this the Aggressor Ideology, and folks it will not be pretty.
I really should write a book about this one day. But for now, Shabbat shalom.
