Smashing is a new free app meant to help people who are “drowning” in content and need help navigating the media ecosystem. After you select your interests, Smashing will show you “only the best” relevant content; readers can upvote and comment on articles as well as help curate articles. The app offers AI features that allow users to see “all sides” of a story, to turn it into a satirical news item, or to poke holes in it, among other default options. (What could possibly go wrong?) Chandler notes in his announcement, “I think we’ve come across a winning combination of people curating and an AI matching content to readers.”
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
