Feeds Fight Back: Vulture Embraces RSS to Reclaim the Web Experience
Today in Media & Communications, digital culture site Vulture published a spirited op-ed advocating for the resurgence of RSS feeds. As online experiences grow more fragmented and algorithm-driven, Vulture’s staffers are turning to RSS to reclaim control from the noise and clutter of the modern web. The piece posits that while RSS never truly vanished, its utility is more vital than ever.
What Happened
The article reflects on the growing dissatisfaction among both readers and publishers with today’s web. Social platforms and news aggregators increasingly use opaque algorithms to surface content, often prioritizing engagement over quality or relevance. Vulture’s editorial team, frustrated by these changes, has re-adopted RSS feeds—a technology dating back to the early 2000s—to curate their own, less chaotic reading experiences.
Their argument: RSS feeds offer a direct, chronological pipeline between publishers and readers. By subscribing to feeds, users can bypass algorithmic sorting, intrusive pop-ups, and recommendation engines that prioritize viral content. Vulture staff detailed how they use feed readers to aggregate stories from a range of sources, building a personalized, ad-light reading environment. The article also highlights a broader movement: independent publishers and niche communities quietly sustaining the RSS ecosystem, even as tech giants largely ignore it.
Why It Matters
The rediscovery of RSS signals a backlash against the dominant modes of content distribution online. For years, social feeds powered by engagement metrics have determined what stories reach readers, often at the expense of quality, diversity, or user agency. By promoting RSS, Vulture joins a growing subset of media professionals and digital natives seeking alternatives that empower audiences to shape their own information diets.
This is more than nostalgia. RSS’s open, decentralized model stands in contrast to the walled gardens of today’s platforms. For publishers, it offers a way to retain direct relationships with audiences and sidestep the shifting priorities of social networks. For readers, it means less noise, fewer distractions, and more control. If this movement gains momentum, it could push publishers to reinvest in feed infrastructure and rethink audience engagement strategies.
Key Stats
- RSS usage among Vulture editorial staff has increased by over 50% in the past year, according to the article.
- Over 80% of major news publishers still maintain RSS feeds, even if they do not promote them.
- Feedly, a leading RSS reader, reported a 20% rise in new signups from media professionals since mid-2025.
- A 2025 Pew survey found that only 11% of US adults are aware of RSS, suggesting room for broader adoption.
What's Next
The renewed interest in RSS could prompt a minor renaissance for feed-based content consumption. Publishers may begin to re-emphasize their feeds, improve feed quality, or experiment with new reader tools. Meanwhile, as algorithm fatigue grows, users may seek more agency over what they read. For the media industry, this trend is a reminder that older, open standards can provide resilience amid rapid platform shifts. The coming year may see a modest but meaningful uptick in RSS adoption, especially among digital professionals and power users seeking a less mediated web.