The problem is not long-form journalism. The problem is shitty long-form journalism that randomly jumps between the events actually being described and the biography of the people involved.
"It was a long cold night in November 2016, Tuesday, which was Taco day in the cafeteria. The suns ray appeared yellow, and trees were unable to photosynthesize ... "
This is the natural consequence of every college prep high school teaching the dreaded 5 paragraph essay, and in turn students learning on how to load it with as much fluff as possible. Instead we should have focused on clear and concise writing. I didn't learn how to write properly until college. Quality over quantity.
"It was a long cold night in November 2016, Tuesday, which was Taco day in the cafeteria. The suns ray appeared yellow, and trees were unable to photosynthesize ... "
Last paragraph:
"So X is now faster because of Y."