He Shut Down Time’s Moscow Bureau. Then He Built His Own Magazine

This post is auto-generated from a public YouTube interview for personal study notes. It is not an endorsement. The transcript is machine-derived and may contain errors; refer to the original video for accuracy.

About this video

In 2011, as the golden era of glossy newsweeklies was fading, former Time correspondent Nathan Thornburgh made a bet that serious journalism didn’t have to look the way it always had.

Alongside food writer Matt Goulding, he launched Roads & Kingdoms as a scrappy Tumblr experiment, using food as a gateway into geopolitics, history, and culture

Over the next decade, Roads & Kingdoms evolved from a bootstrapped digital publication into a creative hub for Anthony Bourdain—who invested in the company and used it as a base for ambitious editorial and branded projects.

After Bourdain’s death in 2018, the outlet was forced to reinvent itself. Nathan and Matt shrank the operation and rebuilt it around high-end culinary travel experiences.

Now, they’re relaunching the media arm with a membership-driven model and an annual print magazine

In a recent interview, Nathan reflected on the collapse of legacy media, the perils and possibilities of brand-funded journalism, and why he believes independent, reader-supported publishing offers a more durable path forward.