Craigslist: How an Accidental Disruptor Reshaped the News Industry

Craig Newmark's Craigslist, a simple classifieds website, unexpectedly reshaped the news industry. Its cheap and efficient service quickly displaced newspaper classifieds, leading to significant losses for many newspaper giants. However, the article argues that the decline of newspapers wasn't solely due to Craigslist, but rather a combination of reader loss and failure to adapt to digitalization. Craigslist's success lay in its minimalist design and focus on user experience, while newspapers failed due to slow reactions and ineffective responses to digital transformation. Newmark himself transformed from an unassuming programmer to a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, donating his vast fortune to support journalism, cybersecurity, and veterans' causes.