Henry Blodget.

Henry Blodget. | Digitas Photos

The 60-second interview: Henry Blodget, editor in chief and CEO, Business Insider

POLITICO: Not surprisingly, Business Insider in 2015 looks a lot different than early iterations. There's been a big increase in the amount of original reporting, and you've built an impressive roster of journalists. Do you think that transformation had a big impact on your value as a company, and attractiveness to potential suitors as an investment proposition?

BLODGET: Thanks. Our goal has always been to get better every day. We're excited about the progress we've made, but we're still at the beginning of what we ultimately want to offer our readers and viewers. Digital is the richest, most powerful journalistic medium yet invented. We and our "suitor" (Axel Springer) are very excited about the future.

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POLITICO: What can Business Insider do differently, or better, than fellow well-heeled digital media sites like Buzzfeed.com, or Mashable.com, or Vox.com? Do you view these sites as rivals to be outdone, or more collegially?

BLODGET: We admire all of those companies, and we don't view ourselves as competing with any of them. Unlike tech, journalism isn't winner-take-all. The shift to digital is generational, and it is creating an ever-larger opportunity for companies that embrace the medium and don't try to retrofit print or broadcast journalism models to it. As long as we do a great job in digital and serve the digital generation, there is plenty of room for all of us.

POLITICO: Do you predict any philosophical clashes with Axel Springer, in terms of business strategy? More specifically, how do you see the company's efforts to curb Google's stranglehold on search in Europe?

BLODGET: Axel Springer's philosophy is to encourage its subsidiaries to operate independently, and we're excited to do that. At the same time, Springer has an amazing history of independent journalism, embraces digital, and operates in 40 countries. So we think we can learn a lot from them.

POLITICO: Maybe it's a concern that never quite goes away, but there seems to be worry about a digital media industry bubble. Do you think that fear is warranted? And, if so, which media companies do you think are best prepared to survive?

BLODGET: I don't think we're in a "bubble," per se, but this industry is cyclical, and I think we're near the peak of this cycle. At some point, boom will turn to bust, and then there will be a lot of consolidation. That consolidation will include legacy media, too, by the way. In fact, at some point, I expect digital leaders to absorb some of the legacy companies.

POLITICO: In media coverage of the Axel Springer deal, the "comeback" narrative seemed to be a popular one when talking about your career. Do you see merit to that, or do you think it's been overdone?

BLODGET: Given the depth of the hole I fell into 15 years ago, pretty much anything could have been described as a comeback. But I feel fortunate and grateful for where we are, and I will forever be thankful to everyone who gave me a helping hand.

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