There were two factors here: one was the prestige of the platform, and the other was the transformation that began with the invention of the microprocessor. Both required luck.

Today, it probably wouldn't be a newspaper. It might be a website. However, we don't know what the next transformative technology might be. There must be some former 23yo's who are already on track via the web or smartphones, or perhaps AI or VR. The next one could be in a medical field, such as genetics. Take your pick ;-)