Pinterest wasn't the first use of masonry, and any use of masonry isn't necessarily aping pinterest. Digg doesn't look or feel much like pinterest, neither does the verge (which seems to be quite successful). If anything, they appear to mimic traditional newspaper layouts. Digg is unsuccessful because its content is mediocre - not because it's using a layout that's un-conducive to displaying news.
I would argue that the assertion that news sites should be a dense list of headlines is false, and that Reddit and Hacker News thrive DESPITE their layouts rather than because of them. Making elements on a page visually distinct and easy to scan is not a bad thing.
I would argue that the assertion that news sites should be a dense list of headlines is false, and that Reddit and Hacker News thrive DESPITE their layouts rather than because of them. Making elements on a page visually distinct and easy to scan is not a bad thing.