Traditional media models, which have been the foundation of our information for decades, are facing inevitable collapse. By linking mass media and mass advertising, we once believed this model would last forever. But today, it’s clear that era has ended.

At this year’s Weekend.17, American journalist Bob Garfield will provide insights into the downfall of traditional media in the digital age. In the panel “Dead Man Walking,” he will reveal how the digital revolution has destroyed the lucrative symbiosis between media and advertising, once considered a natural force akin to gravity. He argues that just as the Industrial Revolution obliterated manual labor and crafts, the digital revolution has dismantled the business model that made media and advertising so profitable.

Now, these media outlets struggle for survival while social media giants like Facebook and Google amass wealth and together generate more advertising revenue than the top 500 publishers they compete with. The excessive amount of content online is driving down advertising rates, leading to a situation where publishers can no longer fund quality journalism.

Has the era of traditional media truly come to an end? Find the answers in Rovinj.