How Many NY Times Journalists Does It Take to Write 500 Words?

And other dismal stories from the culture business

Here’s my latest arts & culture briefing—with news and views you probably won’t find elsewhere.

I’m covering a lot of ground today:

• Famous musicians setting up on OnlyFans;

• Trouble at The White Lotus;

• Pay-to-play in the book review business;

• More signs of an artist backlash against tech;

• A dead composer who still makes new music;

• Crimes Mark Zuckerberg is committing with my books;

• And other sundry topics and opinions.

But first, let’s turn to the New York Times…

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How many journalists does it take to write a 500-word article?

When I see a byline like this—showcasing a big team of journalists—I expect in-depth investigative reporting.

But this article in the New York Times was just 508 words.

There were no direct quotes from interviews or sources. And the news wasn’t any different from what CBS, NBC, AP, and other outlets reported that same day.

And it gets better. At the very bottom, the editors added another credit:

So there were actually six people involved in this short article. That’s more people than the Lakers’ starting line-up.

In the past, I’ve made fun of short songs that require a half-dozen (or more) composers. And don’t even get me started on executive producers in Hollywood.

But songs and movies are far more complicated than reporting of this sort.

I’m no fan of AI-written journalism. But it will take over the entire newspaper business if every story requires a committee. (Hat tip to Ken Kirsh for calling my attention to this.)

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Why would a famous musician join OnlyFans?

Why would an esteemed recording artist join a platform for sex workers and adult performers?

In the case of Kate Nash, she went into debt by going on tour. Other artists have faced similar challenges, and many have cancelled road trips in recent months. But Nash had a different plan—joining the adult entertainment platform.

“I don’t have rich parents,” she explained. “I don’t know a millionaire that would invest in me.”