attention-economy - Mercury Local

The Attention Economy Is Collapsing. Good.

August 20, 2025August 7, 2025 by Peter Cellino

AI summaries are stealing traffic, digital ads are built on bad data, and publishers are left holding the bag. The Charlotte Mercury unpacks the collapse of the attention economy—and what comes next.

How the Attention-Merchant Ad Model Bankrupted Local Newspapers

August 20, 2025June 14, 2025 by Peter Cellino

Interruptive ads once bankrolled local news. Big Tech swallowed the model, CPMs cratered, and hedge funds finished the job. Here’s how attention merchants gutted hometown papers—and what’s next.