Here is a quick list of what has shocked, surprised and occasionally impressed me this week.

Including…

• The ChatGPT update that could be a gamechanger
• What happens if you let AI run your social media accounts for a month
• Might subscription social media be good news for publishers’ bottom line?
• The book about the recent history of the media you really ought to have read

And loads more

1. Why haven’t they done that before moment?

The winner of this accolade goes to ChatGPT, which finally introduced the upgrade users had been waiting for – access to online browsing. No longer are ChatTP users constrained by only having access to content that is already a couple of years old. 

The reason why OpenAI hasn’t introduced it before is that it gives a very compelling reason for companies and individual users to subscribe as the feature is only available to ChatGPT users paying for Plus or Enterprise editions for now.

What does this mean for the long-term future of publishing? I bet media companies will be all over the new ChatGPT this week, experimenting once again to see how far they can automate content.

2. Why haven’t they done that before movement – part two?

The internet and social media are flooded with dubious videos of unverified origins, confusing people and imperilling democracy.

No worries because YouTube has a solution. This week the video platform launched an initiative it really probably should have come up with a decade ago, and introduced a new watch page to help users get information from “authoritative” news sources.

The content is “algorithmically generated and dynamic,” YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez confirmed, pulling together long-form video, live streams, podcasts, and Shorts on news stories on one page.

It will be interesting to see how consumers respond, but it is certainly a sign that YouTube is keen to keep mainstream news organisations onside.

3. The really brave media experiment 

We are led to believe that AI is really useful for creating social media posts, but so far, not too many individuals, let alone brands, have let algorithms all over their Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

Pete Boyle from Hackernoon did just that, employing AI to create social media posts for a month and then writing about it. The results are what you’d expect, namely steady but low levels of engagement. Surprisingly, the AI led to a boom in retweets on X/Twitter. On LinkedIn, it also garnered Peter a few more impressions. But overall, it was when he dipped in and created a post for himself that saw the highest level of engagement.

Pete concludes:

“Long story short, the AI content seemed to help increase the daily benchmark of my reach and engagements on social. It also seems to help warm up the algorithms to me. You can see this as the posts that still did the best and got the most engagement and views were the pieces I wrote without AI that focused on real issues my audience faces.

“I believe this is because the algorithms are slowly filtering out and throttling the reach of low-value posts that could be written by AI.

“Moving forward, I think I will keep using these to grow the baseline engagement from LinkedIn.”

Again, this provides more evidence that search and social algorithms are trying to detect AI-generated content and possibly downgrade its value.

4. A must-listen

OnePitch bills itself as a service that helps brands engage “with the right journalists who are ready to connect.” And part of its content marketing strategy is a rather fun podcast called Coffee With a Journalist, where host Beck Bamberger quizzes mainly tech journalists about the stories they wrote, why they write them and how they go about finding those stories.

One of the most recent podcasts with Steffi Cao, a staff writer for Forbes, is a must-listen. She specialises in covering the creator economy and internet culture, and in her chat, she takes us to parts of the creator economy, Twitch streamers, hologram gamers, influencers who start their own coffee shops and more, that don’t often get written about in mainstream media.

It’s a great way to learn more about what might emerge from the creator economy.

5. The big crystal ball gazing moment

There is a lot of chat this week about the subscription, ad-free models that will soon be launched by Meta and Tik Tok. Both Vogue Business and Digiday take a look at whether this move from the tech platforms will be successful and what the long-term implications are.

Vogue Business looks at how much it thinks that the tech platforms can get away with charging users, while Digiday focuses on how the shift might impact the advertising industry. Might it lead to a rebirth of display in mainstream media?

Of course, much depends on how many consumers are prepared to pay for ad-free social channels, but ultimately, brands will lose reach on their social ads, and some might look elsewhere. 

6. A book you should read 

Earlier this week, I talked with Thomas Baekdal, a media consultant from Denmark, about niche media. One of his key positions is that the days of media companies chasing traffic at scale have gone for good, and they need to refocus and think about getting consumers into a habit of searching for their news and content, not stumbling across it in a random way.

The conversation reminded me of Ben Smith’s superb book Traffic, which came out earlier this year. I am still shocked that so many people in the industry haven’t read it yet! It is an insider story of how BuzzFeed, Gawker Media and their rivals (remember Upworthy?) worked out ways to beat the social media and search algorithms to pile up ridiculous amounts of traffic.

Crucially, though, it also explains why the venture-backed publishing mega sites couldn’t keep the traffic or revenue generation up long term. It reminded me once again that accepted wisdom on online publishing is never permanent; it evolves at a quick pace. 

7. Surprising, but not really that surprising news

The invasion of US media by British companies is ramping up, according to the latest figures from Press Gazette. Its traffic updates for September show that AP News is among the top three fastest-growing news sites in the US in September, with visits up 9% year-on-year to 133.9 million.

The Independent also featured among the fastest-growing sites, in tenth place for growth with visits up 17% to 23.1 million. Incidentally, MX3 has an upcoming interview with new CEO Christian Broughton to explain why.

Other big winners include Axios, with visits up 37% to 22.8 million, and US aggregator Newsbreak, whose visitors were up 53% to 19.7 million.

It begs the question, are there any specifically British-only media news companies left? All of them seem to have adopted global expansion plans.

8. Our media lifehack

Podcasts are a great idea, and we’d all love to host them and grab a slice of that $23.5 Bn market value.

But podcasts are time-consuming and tricky to set up, and it takes an age to edit out all those “errs” and “you knows”.

Don’t worry, help is at hand. MX3 has a feature penned by Eric Shanfelt of Nearview Media that explains how to create an engaging AI-generated podcast (in 3 easy steps).

It has very interesting ideas about how publishers can use text-to-speech technology to create podcasts quickly and efficiently. Another method is using RSS feeds to round up the day’s key stories in an audio format.

You can read it all here.

Look out for more media lifehacks on the MX3 website

Interested in more? Go to mediamakersmeet.com for exclusive interviews, updates about our upcoming events, reports and more.

I am Ashley Norris, for Mx3. Get in touch with me here.

Since its birth twenty years ago, affiliate marketing has often been considered a bottom feeder cluttering an editor’s carefully thought out pages. Many publishers felt that its on-site impact just wasn’t worth the revenue generated, or as one editor remarked, “the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze”. 

No longer.

Fast forward to 2023 and affiliate marketing is a vast industry in its own right, generating over $17Bn globally, a figure that is expected to soar to $27Bn by 2027. 81% of brands now use affiliate programs, and in the world’s largest affiliate market – the U.S. – affiliate marketing is responsible for 16% of all internet orders. 

Media companies, spotting the earning potential, are backing up the truck. Future plc announced last year that it was generating over $1 billion annually in eCommerce, a milestone surpassed by Dotdash Meredith a few years earlier thanks in part to its acquisitions of Swearby, an affiliate platform, and Linfield Media. 

The burgeoning affiliate industry is also reflected in the rise of recommendation sites and verticals. The UK’s Sun newspaper, for example, employs a team of nearly twenty for its Sun Selects section whilst The Independent’s Indy Best doubled the size of its team during the pandemic as ecommerce boomed. 

Opportunities, challenges and…..AI

The heady success of affiliate marketing, however, does not come without its challenges. For small to mid tier publishers, low traffic is a significant obstacle, whilst Google’s continuous ‘tweaking’ of its search algorithms is another issue. Moreover, most affiliate publishers operate with three or more affiliate networks which demands considerable manpower and oversight. And then there is the advancing tsunami of AI….

To find out the solutions to these challenges and more, we sat down with the Alzieu brothers, renowned in France as the country’s leading affiliate exponents, both to get a snapshot of the market and more importantly to see where the key global trends are taking us. 

It’s an opportune time – Florent and Vincent were the affiliate pioneers who in 2004 launched Les Numériques (a consumer advice website) which quickly established itself as the #1 destination for French consumers. 

They’ve since spent the bulk of their careers specialising in affiliate marketing, and earlier this year launched Affilizz which is heralded as a significant step forwards because it allows publishers to source over 300M products using a single aggregated platform that is essentially code-free,

“For serious affiliate publishers, you need price comparisons, advanced reporting, the ability to monitor revenues 24/7 across all platforms including social, as well as AI generated link insertions, etc. And that’s what we do. It’s a very advanced global affiliate platform.”

We started by asking Florent Alzieu what key trends he was witnessing…

Mx3 HQ: What are the current trends you are seeing in the market?

Florent Alzieu: The first one is what we term ‘the long tail’. A publisher has thousands of pages of content that are often considered outdated legacy content. Not so! We have seen consistently on our platform that 40% of affiliate revenue is generated from content that is sixty days old or more.

You will not get a lot of clicks out of each piece of legacy content but if you have 1000s of pages of content you simply must monetize that. 

Florent Alzieu, Co-Managing Director, Affilizz

The second trend concerns price comparisons. You need to offer a price comparison as consumers are naturally suspicious about being served up only one product, they simply see it as advertising. We have proved conclusively that the sweet spot is a price comparison between six merchants to be displayed as an on-page widget. Click through rates can uplift by 200%.

Price comparisons are a service to your reader, especially with the cost of living crisis – they are now the first consideration people have when purchasing an item. Besides, if you only put a link to one merchant, people will simply go to Google Shopping or Amazon, and they will buy it there.

Florent Alzieu, Co-Managing Director, Affilizz

The third trend is the ‘deal’. Hard pressed consumers are looking for a deal. We have 300M products on our database and we are always looking at what products have come down in price so we can offer these as special deals. This is immensely powerful as an affiliate tool.

Mx3 HQ: What are the product categories seeing the most success?

Vincent Alzieu: High tech, whilst still successful, is a little saturated. What we’re seeing is more interest in higher margin categories like fashion, beauty and DIY.  

There are still plenty of categories that are not using affiliate marketing to their full potential. It’s still relatively early days and the potential is vast. You can generate revenues from any content across any sector, there is no limitation.

Whatever your sector, whatever your content, you can generate affiliate revenue, but you must know what products most appeal to your own audience. It’s that simple.

Vincent Alzieu, Co-Managing Director, Affilizz

Mx3 HQ: In 2021, the top 50 U.K. publishers generated £86 in average revenue per article, what is it today?

Florent Alzieu: Each publisher is different depending on a multitude of factors. That’s why we have a calculator that allows our publishers to input all the various facets of their affiliate program and it will calculate what they can expect in terms of revenue. We use ECPC (effective cost per click) as the key metric, as it works far better than merely using percentages.

You mustn’t forget social media either. The best publishers we work with generate 30-40% of their revenues through social media. This includes influencers who are generating huge affiliate revenue figures.

Mx3 HQ: Could you expand on the latter? 

Florent Alzieu: There are some influencers who are now generating the majority of their revenues through affiliate marketing, especially on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, etc. However, influencers need good tools and they aren’t in a position to develop their own, so it is an area we are looking into carefully. 

In saying that, we already have some tools that are heavily used by Influencers. For example, we have a tool that creators can use for YouTube which generates a list of affiliate links beneath their videos. 

Everyone is looking at affiliate marketing now, especially with advertising revenues declining. You just need good tools to harness it properly. A publisher at the top of their game could really be generating 25% of its revenue through affiliate marketing.

Mx3 HQ: What threats can you see on the horizon?

Vincent Alzieu: Some publishers make the mistake of using the same affiliate links for their banner advertisements as well as their affiliation links. Then, when ad blockers crawl a site, they can block that particular link. It’s an easy mistake to make, but quite easy to rectify. 

Florent Alzieu: GDPR could also be a threat moving forwards because affiliate marketing and user consent are connected, and we are currently working on a tool to ensure our publisher clients are 100% GDPR compliant.

Mx3 HQ: Do you consider AI a threat or opportunity?

Vincent Alzieu: For us, it’s a clear opportunity. We have just announced the launch of Magic Match, an AI affiliate tool which can dynamically identify and highlight relevant products within content and automatically deploy a range of affiliate links, buttons and price comparison tables. 

Magic Match can understand your content and automatically identify the most suitable and high-performing products or services from our extensive database to generate affiliate revenues. Most importantly, it does this dynamically over time.

Vincent Alzieu, Co-Managing Director, Affilizz

Mx3 HQ: Final Thoughts?

Vincent Alzieu: Affiliate marketing might be twenty years old but there is still a lot of opportunity. Publishers are still quite early in terms of harnessing the discipline because they lacked the tools. That’s now changing – the tools are available – and we’d like to think we’re playing our part.

————————————————–

These are questions that Oren Katzeff has been addressing in the past eighteen months as CEO of Literally Media.

Even if you have not heard of the company, you will be aware of the brands. Know Your Meme, Cheezburger, and eBaum’s World are iconic comedy and culture brands that have their roots in the explosion of the web in the early noughties. The company’s other key brand, Cracked, dates back even further, having started as a print magazine back in the 1950s, a competitor to Mad Magazine no less. They are a company with an unrivalled reach in the comedy/culture sphere of over 200 million people globally each month.

Creating a ‘modern media company’

“The way that I describe Literally Media is that we are a portfolio of Internet culture and comedy brands,” explains Oren.

“The interesting thing is that if I talk to a group of people about any of those brands, there’s usually at least one person, if not more, that points and says ‘My God’, eBaum’s World, or Cracked! I used to spend lunches at college or at my apartment just sitting reading article after article after article.

“So, on the one hand, we’re capitalising on nostalgia. But we also have to transform the brands to deliver what I call a modern media company. The phrase modern media company has been used, but in our case what it means is really redefining the editorial voice for each brand, making sure that we are staying true to what we think works. And what our audience think works”

The tools Oren and his team use to keep the brand fresh are very contemporary. Oren says his team are smart about social, and very data-driven, especially around SEO. He acknowledges, too, that “being not too attached to things that maybe we love but that aren’t performing,” enables the company to push forward.

Tapping into the content creator community

In his eighteen months at the helm, Oren has been resolutely focused on diversifying the company’s revenue sources.

“If you took a snapshot of the company two years ago, we were largely in the programmatic and direct business, meaning we’re driving a lot of content to our.com – over a hundred million pages a month. So it’s lots of impressions. Then over 90% of our revenue derived from the monetisation of ads on site.

“What I wanted to do was to diversify that portfolio of revenue. And that’s really been largely my efforts the last year and a half. So one has been a big investment in video. We have 17 Snapchat shows, and we invested more in the creation of Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok video. And we’ve seen pretty good growth across video in general. Also that largely involves the platforms themselves monetising out content. Snapchat and Facebook monetise our video for us and with TikTok we’re working on direct deals. The Know Your Meme TikTok channel has over two million followers. It’s pretty significant that we’re going to monetise through brand deals.”

A second area Oren has innovated on is the creation of brand live events, which also act as a potential source of new talent.

“We’ve recently launched in the event space under the Cracked umbrella. We’ve done live comedy shows in New York, and we’re looking to expand into LA and in San Francisco. But the nice thing about this model is that it opens the door for us in the creator space. We’re working with a lot more creators today. We can put them on stage to collaborate as well as work with them on content creation.”

It is a win-win for both Literally and the creators. Literally gets to experiment with new talent on new show ideas. They also get access to communities that otherwise might not have been accessible. Meanwhile, the creators are able to generate revenue and grow their own audience.

“Our work with creators lends itself very well to the business of Internet culture, and comedy and memes, and there’s a lot of personality to that,” Oren says.

“We are going to develop our own content and have our own IP. We’re going to collaborate with people on co-creation of IP, we’ll licence some content. We’ll create a connected TV channel as well.

“By the way, when I talk about collaborative creators, I’m not really talking about the top two percent that do very well. They don’t really need us. There’s not a ton that I can do for them either. So I’m happy that they’re doing as well as they are. If they want to collaborate, we can. But there’s a massive percentage of creators who are not making that much money. And so with them, if I can put the audience and revenue opportunities in their hand again, grow their brand and hand in hand grow ours, the business model makes a lot of sense.”

He has tools and data at his disposal about that space that other companies might not have, Oren explains. “I can say to them… ‘Let me tell you what’s hot in the comedy space. Let me tell you what brands are and advertisers are looking for. Let me tell you what’s working on Snapchat and YouTube when it comes to content creation’.  And so, it becomes more of a collaborative relationship with them as opposed to just: ‘Hey, let me put you to work and grind you into creating content.’ “

The social media conundrum

One of Literally’s most intriguing moves has been the increased level of resources they have put into social media channels. In some ways this runs counter-intuitive to a lot of current media thinking, which sees Facebook as unreliable when it comes to delivering traffic and Twitter as becoming less and less influential under its new-ish management.

Oren Katzeff agrees that companies need to be wary of the platforms. 

“The reality for everybody in the media, and I think anybody who says that it’s not like this is lying, is that all relationships with social platforms are what I would describe as ‘tentative.’ It’s like a friend who you can go out to the bar and have a fun time with, or you will have weeks and weeks of great text exchanges with them, and they’re very good friends of yours. And then you have six months where you’re like, what happened to Joe? I don’t hear from him any more…  So I am not going to base all the happiness in life on my friendship with Joe. In the same way I’m not going to base my entire business on how any of the platforms deliver traffic to me.”

“When I first started I talked to the team about this. I stressed to them that we’re not going to get the same level of traffic from social two years from now, that we are today. So I said let’s start building for that moment and to me that comes back to the content, we create the audience that we develop on our own sites. The relationship we build through newsletters, in that direct conversation with them knowing that over time social traffic will become less or lesser part of our business.”

Next on Oren Katzeff’s agenda are the streaming video companies. He believes that there is an opening for the company to debut longform content that would work on those platforms. 

Also he is focusing on brand and advertising relationships. and, ultimately growing Literally sales, 

“We now have more assets than ever before,” he says “Those assets are prime for sponsorship and sales with advertisers. And I hope to make a big mark in that world in 2024.”

You can hear more about the creator economy, the potential or otherwise of NFTs and more in the video conversation below.

The Independent Publishers Alliance, a growing network of independent publishers founded to promote and advocate for their combined interests, has launched an independent ad marketplace.

According to two of the Co-Founders, Alex Newberry and Jon Westbrook, the new ad marketplace will allow brands and advertisers to reach every UK adult solely using the inventory of independent publishers.

Speaking to Media Makers Meet – Mx3, Westbrook says, “A key feature of independent publishers is that they have loyal communities and higher rates of engagement, empowering greater creative interaction with brand advertisers.

With the deprecation of 3rd party cookies, independent publishers have grabbed the opportunity to create a highly engaged media offering that can meet any advertiser requirements at scale.

Jon Westbrook, Co-Founder & COO Independent Publisher Alliance

Founded in 2021, the Independent Publishers Alliance has grown to become an influential voice in UK advertising with its membership of 48 publishers representing 150 online websites and 242M monthly unique users worldwide.

Independent content publishers and their interests have not been represented in the media and advertising industry to date. The Alliance offers support, advocacy and representation to ensure the independent publisher’s voice is heard.

Jon Westbrook, Co-Founder & COO Independent Publisher Alliance

Publishers interested in joining the Independent Publishers Alliance and included for consideration within the marketplace should contact founders@the-alliance.co.uk. For media buyers looking to understand more about the offering, please contact marketplace@the-alliance.co.uk.

We were curious about the answers to these questions, so we surveyed 56 mostly B2B media leaders in April and 64 mostly consumer media leaders in the past month for their views.

The surveys form part of our Innovators in Specialist Media Europe reports. The first edition (B2B emphasis) launched in June. The second one (B2C emphasis) will launch in November. Both will be brought to life at our Mx3 Barcelona event in March 2023 (more here).

We see from the surveys that there are slight differences in the views of B2B and consumer media execs, although this is not on a large scale. New revenue streams are among the top challenges for B2B, while for consumer media execs, it is about finding the right people.

For B2B execs, a top opportunity is diving deeper into niches, while for consumer media execs, it is exploring and implementing AI. The difference in the time frame of the surveys may have had an impact here.

Both indicated content management systems as the top priority when asked about tech investments in the next three years. Other priorities in the top five included AI, subscription, and data platforms. The one difference was CRMs being B2B execs’ fifth priority versus consumer media execs’ choice of video and audio distribution platforms.

See more about the challenges, opportunities, and tech investment areas below.

**Mx3 Q Update**

On 12-13 March 2024, we are running a specialist event focused on innovation in the specialist media sector, where we will have international speakers, attendees, and other partners sharing insights, ideas, and opportunities for collaboration.

Find out more and sign up for Mx3 Barcelona as we bring media innovation conversations to life. Speakers so far confirmed are from companies such as Berlin Consulting, Boom Saloon, FT, Industry Dive, Morning Brew, Propolis, Splice Media, Wolves Summit, Spainmedia, and RBA Revistas, with many more to come.

LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP

What do they see as the main challenges in the next three years?

For B2B media leaders, the top three challenges were:

1. Developing new revenue streams (45 per cent of respondents)
2. AI (43 per cent of respondents)
3. Managing subscriptions or membership churn (42 per cent of respondents)

For consumer media leaders, they were:

1. Finding the right people (staffing) (43 per cent of respondents)
2. Managing subscriptions or membership churn (42 per cent of respondents)
3. Optimising subscriptions (36 per cent of respondents)

What do they see as the main opportunities in the next three years?

For B2B media leaders, the top three identified opportunities were:

1. Diving deeper into niches (54 per cent)
2. Exploring and implementing AI (50 per cent)
3. New product development (45 per cent)

For consumer media leaders, it was:

1. Exploring and implementing AI (61 per cent)
2. New product development (45 per cent)
3. Diving into niches (39 per cent)

**Mx3 Q Update**

Don’t forget that on 7 December, we will gather bright minds in London to discuss AI and its implications for media. Mx3 AI will feature topics ranging from big-picture strategies to regulatory considerations, from content and product development to marketing and monetisation.

Speakers so far confirmed are from Bauer Media, FT Strategies, GenAI Con, Ipsos, the JournalismAI Project at LSE, FIPP, Maitland Chambers, FIPP, and William Reed, with more to be announced soon.

LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP

Which tech areas will they invest in in the next three years?

For B2B media leaders, the top five areas are:

1. Content management systems (52 per cent)
2. Data and analytics (46 per cent)
3. Subscriptions and membership (41 per cent)
4. AI (41 per cent)
5. CRM: (36 per cent)

For consumer media leaders, it was:

1. Content management systems (54 per cent)
2. Subscriptions and membership (42 per cent)
3. Data and analytics (36 per cent)
4. AI (35 per cent)
5. Video and audio distribution platforms (28 per cent)

ICYMI, you can download the first edition of our Innovators in Specialist Media Europe report here (it’s free). Our second edition will launch in the second half of November.

Remember to join us for Mx3 Barcelona (innovation in media, 12-13 March 2024 in Barcelona) and Mx3 AI (AI trends, strategies and practice, 7 December 2023 in London) as we bring the above talking points to life!

For publishers, an AI generated podcast can be more than just an audio format. It can be a convenient way for readers to discover and follow your content, it can drive people back to your website, and eventually it can scale to become a new revenue stream.

It’s also another content distribution channel as publishers make the move from being print-centric to digital-centric.

Of course, producing daily or weekly podcast episodes can be resource-intensive and expensive. This is where the concept of a fully AI generated podcast comes in. By creatively combining a couple of artificial intelligence tools, it’s easy to create a daily or weekly audio podcast summary of all your recently published content with just a few easy steps.

Why Not Just Use Text-to-Speech (TTS) on Articles?

Many publishers, like The Atlantic, use text-to-speech technology on their articles. These systems automatically ingest your content, create an audio version of the article, and then embed the audio version of your article in a player on the article page. Once you have it set up, there typically is no user intervention or production work necessary.

However, the vast majority of readers landing on an article opt to read it rather than listen to the audio version. This reduces the value of TTS and makes it hard to get the scale needed to monetize it. The cost can also get quite expensive if you use text-to-speech on every article. As a result of these factors, several publishers I work with have decided to remove TTS from their site.

From RSS Feed to AI Generated Podcast

A more practical approach is to produce a daily podcast episode that recaps all stories that you’ve published in the past day. Or, if you don’t produce enough content for a daily podcast, you can always do it less frequently.

The idea is simple:

1. Use ChatGPT to ingest your website’s RSS feed and create a podcast script summarizing the stories from the past day or week.
2. Copy/paste the script into an AI text-to-speech tool to create an audio file.
3. Upload the audio file into your favorite podcasting platform for distribution to Apple, Spotify, Google, other podcast networks, or even embed it on your own website.

Creating the Script and Audio Files

When I first gave ChatGPT an RSS feed to summarize, the script it gave back included superfluous production notes and host references. With a few tweaks to my query, however, ChatGPT created a clean audio podcast script that was surprisingly well-crafted.

I then copy/pasted the script into Amazon Polly and BeyondWords, two of my favorite text-to-speech tools. Amazon Polly can only use one voice at a time, so while the audio quality was good, the single voice got a bit monotonous. With BeyondWords, however, you can have multiple voices for each audio. I chose to alternate a male and female voice for each story summary which helped keep the audio interesting.

Once you have the audio file, you can then upload it to any podcasting platform. I prefer Buzzsprout, but any podcasting platform will work.

What’s Next for AI Generated Podcasts

Using AI streamlines the process of generating daily or weekly article summaries and can create a compelling podcast for any publisher. It only takes a few minutes for a production person to generate the script, create the audio file, and publish it via your podcasting platform.

But this can be taken even further. The entire process can be automated and a publisher won’t even need a production person. You could set a schedule for which days you want the podcast summary to run, and everything else can happen automatically.

Fully automating an AI-generated podcast is not quite there yet, but we’re actively working on solutions to this right now and the technology is getting closer every day.

Eric Shanfelt is a media industry veteran, author, speaker, and consultant. He helps media companies of all types grow their digital revenues and audience, and improve their technology. For the past 30 years, he has worked with hundreds of B2B and consumer publishers, served as the Senior VP of Digital for public, private equity and privately held media companies, and launched several multi-million-dollar digital media businesses built on advertising, data, ecommerce, and subscription revenue. With a unique combination of vision, execution, and technical expertise, Eric works with all levels of an organization to get quick results.

Affilizz, one of the world’s leading affiliate marketing SaaS platforms, has announced its first foray into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the forthcoming launch of ‘Magic Match’ at next week’s PI Live event in London.

Using AI, with Magic Match the Affilizz platform can now dynamically identify and highlight relevant products and services within content produced by publishers and automatically deploy a range of affiliate links, buttons and price comparison tables.

Crucially, Magic Match can scan and generate affiliate links for back catalogues of content meaning publishers are able to generate an affiliate programme of scale immediately boosting their chances of building a robust and profitable revenue stream.

Up until now, content producers have been hindered in their ability to build strong affiliate margins due to the high level of manual involvement needed to build a programme of scale – identifying appropriate content, searching and selecting relevant products, creating pricing tables, CTAs, affiliate links, and then integrating them into content is laborious, inefficient and demands significant resources. Magic Match eradicates this problem.

In live testing in France with an unnamed publisher, Magic Match was able to populate over 300 pages of content with fully automated affiliate links within a matter of seconds. The publisher in question now has thousands of pages of content with affiliate links which were previously unpopulated, providing a potent additional revenue stream.

Florent Alzieu, Co-Managing Director of Affilizz says, “Say goodbye to static content! Magic Match can understand your content and automatically identify the most suitable and high-performing products or services from our extensive database to generate affiliate revenues for you.”

“Most importantly, it does this dynamically over time. Magic Match always proposes available products/services, monitors transactions, and adjusts recommendations based on market trends and the specifics of your audience”, added Co-Managing Director, Vincent Alzieu.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in France, Affilizz is a SaaS platform which allows global publishers to build affiliate marketing programmes of scale. It empowers publishers to easily source and promote over 300 million products and services stored in its database of aggregated merchant catalogues and to create ‘No Code’ personalised links, buttons, and price comparison tables.

With fully automated price and stock updates and real-time and detailed reporting of sales (including by individual social media channels) Affilizz is establishing a global reputation as the benchmark for media businesses with ambitious affiliate programmes. For more information on Affilizz or Magic Match, please contact florent.alzieu@affilizz.com.

You can learn more about Affilizz in the video below:

In 2023, CEO Rich Routman is surveying yet another significant opportunity. In the past few years, sports betting, which was once a niche, regulated and localised, has become a massive globalised industry.

As Rich puts it, “betting has been regulated in certain markets around the world for quite some time. However, there are a number of markets that are evolving like the US, Brazil and Japan. So you have a tonne of markets that are progressing on regulating sports betting where you can now do business.”

Sporting News has responded to the shifts in market conditions with two important actions.

Firstly, it has taken $15 million of funding to help it capitalise on its affiliate-related opportunities, some of which are driven by sports betting. Secondly, it has changed its business strategy from focusing on revenue per page views to what it calls LTV or the lifetime value of its readers.

The moves are powered by its shift from being largely a North American-focused entity to becoming a global player.

As Rich explains:

“The expansion to be present and relevant in markets beyond the US was a shift that the business made several years ago. We are obviously live in parts of Southeast Asia, like Thailand and Vietnam, while Australia has always been a big market for us. We are also active in Latin America and Canada, in addition to the US. Our goal is beyond being the home of US sports internationally. It is also to make sure that we cover the local sports and local languages that make the most sense for the audiences that are in those markets.”

Affiliate-centred multiple revenue streams

At the same time, the online sports market, which was once very dependent on display advertising, has begun to embrace new monetisation strategies. 

One newer innovation is around subscriptions. The Athletic built up a customer base of over a million subscribers for its high-end, forensic coverage of a wide variety of sports. Ultimately, it led to the The New York Times acquisition of The Athletic in January 2022

The shift to a more international-focused play has also been one of the catalysts for looking again at its business strategy. Rich is, however, adamant that talk of a shift to LTVs doesn’t mean Sporting News is jettisoning display advertising.

“By no means are we saying we’re not interested in advertising revenue. I think a healthy digital media business has to have multiple revenue streams. I’ve been a sports media guy for 25 years. And I have seen everything from the league sponsorship side to the big shift to programmatic. A number of digital media companies over the years have made the shift to branded content, social marketing, influencers, adtech etc to try to find a secondary revenue stream that fits well inside their business. I don’t think that any of those revenue streams take advantage of the core aspects of the publishing business, which is the users that come to you every single day.

“So I think the combination of both traditional advertising revenue, programmatic and otherwise, and an LTV-driven business model works. I think it takes advantage of the core strength that we have, which is bringing users into a great sports site from around the world. But it’s more about what we do with those users than just generating page views from them.”

The return of digital collectibles?

It isn’t just gambling revenue that is up for grabs from affiliates, either. Rich is also keen on other sectors and sees a role for digital collectibles too.

“So you have traditional categories like tickets and merchandise. I also  believe that the digital collectible space, even though it experienced an erosion a few years ago, is positioned well for growth because it’s at its low point.

“If you’re bringing in users who are interested in sports content and you collect the appropriate amount of data on them you can make the right offers too. There’s no reason why you can’t create a vibrant affiliate business in sports which really outside of the affiliate marketing companies for the sports books, no one has really accomplished.”

The nuts and bolts of LTVs

Many media businesses have talked the talk about affiliate revenue. Some have been very successful, such as Future PLC and its largely product-based deals with retailers. For some, though, it remains a roll of the dice, and they stick with display advertising, understanding that they will receive some income for their content rather than potentially receive nothing through affiliates.

Rich believes that sport is not unique in its potential for affiliate revenue. In every category of media, there’s an opportunity whether it be business, travel, mortgages or restaurants.

“When you speak to a brand marketer, you talk about your audience, how engaged they are with this great content you produce, and you try to attract a media spend on the back of that number. At the end of the day. What does that number really mean today? Everybody can say they have all these users, but what do your users do? What can you put in front of them that would be attractive to them?

“We’re not looking at conversion rates in the 10, 20, 30%. If you can get 3 to 5% of your audience to take action inside of a user base of say 40 to 50 million on a monthly basis. Your LTV or your affiliate revenue stream is just as big as your ad business. You don’t need 10%. We’re not converting 10% of our users today, but it’s already becoming 40% of our revenue. And we haven’t perfected the model quite yet.”

The influence of technology

There has been a lot of discussion about the potential of generative AI in sports content for compiling basic match reports, etc. So, is this something that Sporting News is experimenting with?

“Absolutely. If you’re not spending time thinking about it, or even acting upon it, then you could always get left behind. In this particular sector, you’re more likely to be penalised for the bets you didn’t make than rewarded for the ones you went after. So if you don’t have a hard look at AI, and try to figure out how it’s going to impact your newsroom, and what tools you can be leveraging to make your business more effective, you could end up being left behind.

“I’m not saying that you should make your entire content team AI-based. I don’t believe that that’s the case. But I think it’s about how you leverage AI both dynamically within your content, and as a research platform to make your content more authoritative. So you’re still going to need to have top-notch talent in your newsroom. They’re still going to have to have a great opinion.”

So, might we see more investment money ploughed into sports online publishing? Rich thinks that The NYT/Athletic deal doesn’t necessarily mean similar acquisitions are likely, but that businesses that make significant cash will always be attractive to investors and buyers.

“At the end of the day, sports media investors, especially on the digital side, want to see a plateau of profitability or a path to profitability. They don’t want to see reliance on a singular revenue stream because they know the ad market is volatile. And right now capital is extremely difficult to raise. When interest rates are at the level that they are today, you need to be able to show a significant return to justify investment. This is a tough market right now, and in order to be able to bring capital into a business, you have to show profitability or a path to profitability.

“A lot of businesses in sports generate a lot of revenue. There are not as many businesses as sports that make a lot of money. Right, so number one, I think that understanding where the market is moving to, and pivoting our business model towards where we think that there’s an undervalued area and a particular area to extract more value, was really important to the incoming investors.”

You can watch our full interview with Rich Routman below:

So you can imagine the moment of enlightenment (and relief) to finally hear from a media enterprise that hasn’t backpedaled on that well-trodden road. Instead, they have helped more than 70 newsrooms raise over $90 million — and that without paywalls. 

“We don’t believe in paywalls because that’s walling people out from accessing content that they need to make important decisions about their lives,” says Mary Walter-Brown, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of News Revenue Hub.

Her comments come in the wake of the recent announcement by the world’s largest digital journalism association, The Online News Association (ONA), that they have appointed News Revenue Hub “to rebuild its membership offerings”, make its technology more useful, and develop a holistic strategy for serving the journalism community. 

This is the latest in an impressive list of journalism organisations and bodies — both for-profit and nonprofit — that have joined the News Revenue Hub for membership and strategic support. Others include the Institute for Nonprofit News, Report for America, and the Maynard Institute. 

A matter of trust

So how do you convince readers to part with their hard-earned money voluntarily when they can access content for free? 

It’s a matter of trust, explains Mary. “First and foremost, a news organisation’s goal is to educate its community and address their news and information needs. (Without paywalls) we are left with figuring out how to build a reader revenue model that focuses on attracting people, serving them, and building trust with them.

“So much so that when we ask them to voluntarily invest in reporting that is so powerful and important to their lives, they’ll be ready and willing to invest in it. And not only that, by doing so, they will see themselves as stakeholders and someone who can help shape and guide journalism in their communities.”

It’s a complicated challenge, however, because every monetisation strategy should be tailored to the specific community the newsroom is serving. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work. True relationship building takes planning and community surveys to help newsrooms understand each constituency’s unique needs.

The ‘secret sauce’

The News Revenue Hub team works in the newsroom alongside the management and team to direct the challenge of understanding a community’s needs. Such an engagement takes at least a year, during which they expect to see an immediate growth of 50% in reader revenue.

The secret sauce is execution. A lot of times, when we’re working with a newsroom, prior, they might have had one campaign or two campaigns per year. But when we start working with them, we put in place a roadmap for an entire 12-month period where we’re mapping out goals.

There are many other ingredients to this ‘secret sauce’. Trust is one of them, says Mary. There’s also commitment, transparency, and, crucially, experimentation. “We live in a media landscape that is changing constantly. For the past year in the US and the UK, we’ve been dealing with this phenomenon of selective news avoidance, where people are actually consuming less news and being more selective about the news they’re consuming. So, we have to pivot our strategies in that scenario. 

“We can’t just keep peppering people with more and more asks. We have to pull back, and ask our readers what’s happening, what do you feel? If a daily newsletter is too much because your inbox is overflowing, then how about a weekly newsletter that recaps everything? So, we have to be nimble and responsive, which is part of that critical recipe.”

It’s OK to ask

Working with European publishers, Mary has seen a “sort of heightened sensitivity or discomfort” in asking for donations to fund news. This needs to be overcome. 

“The most important thing, if they ever want to build a reader revenue model without a paywall, is they just have to get comfortable asking… So I think what my friends in the UK and Europe need to understand is: ‘It’s okay. It’s not showing weakness. It’s not admitting defeat. It’s giving your consumers an opportunity to have a stake in community journalism.’ 

When you start to frame it as an opportunity to bring people in and help them invest in you, it feels less uncomfortable.” 

After years of paywall carnage, that’s a strategy I could get comfortable with. 

5 key takeaways:

1. News Revenue Hub champions a revenue model that doesn’t rely on paywalls, prioritizing free content access to serve the community.

2. Building trust with readers is crucial for voluntary investments, turning them into stakeholders shaping journalism.

3. Tailored strategies are essential, with no one-size-fits-all approach. Deep community understanding is pivotal.

4. Execution, building trust, commitment, transparency, and adaptability are key components of News Revenue Hub’s ‘secret sauce’ to success.

5. European publishers should overcome discomfort in asking for reader support. It’s an opportunity for readers to invest in community journalism. 

My name is Alan and I’m a Gen Zer.

That’s a lie. Of course I’m not. The clue is in my name. In Britain, where I live, no newborn has been called Alan since about 1976. 

However, attending the recent INMA Media Innovation Week in Antwerp, a presentation got me thinking that perhaps there’s not so much difference between me and my kids’ generation – at least in terms of what we want from news providers.

Jessica Bulthé from the data science team at Mediahuis, the ever-acquisitive Belgian media group, gave an excellent talk about Gen Z and how news organisations are really struggling to reach them. 

This is an age group that is not unwilling to pay for things online – 75% pay for streaming services themselves, not just piggy-backing on their parents – but they don’t want to pay for news, she explained. 

Not only are they not paying for it but 41% say they are actively avoiding it. 

Why? Well, here is where I have a lot in common with the Zers, and audience data from publishers suggests a lot of their readers do too. 

The Zers are put off journalism because it is “too negative”. I don’t blame them. Looking at my many news apps, from my new vantage point as a non-practising journalist, I am struck every day by what a downer it is, a succession of scandals, deaths, accidents, calls to “stop this” or “ban that”. Mostly, you know what’s happened by reading the headline and it takes a huge mental effort to convince yourself to dig into the details. 

The Zers also want “news that is relevant to me”, said Bulthé. I want this too. 

So much of what is served up by publishers comes from the perspective of a news desk, where every fine detail of a story is examined to death. 

As a recovering newshound, I know where they are coming from – it’s all about “beating the competition” and “having a fresh line”. But this is emphatically not what normal readers want. 

Speak to them, as I do as part of my job, and you’ll find they want perspective, the broader picture, solutions to the problems being described. These kinds of stories may not be the No 1 traffic drivers, but they win every single time for engagement. 

I am convinced that if news editors paused for a moment to truly think about what the average woman or man on the street would want to know about a story before setting their reporters going, then we would have a very different journalism. 

Another aspect of relevance that the Gen Zers talk about is wanting “context” to stories. This is something with which I am slightly obsessed. 

My theory is that the basics of any news story are almost like oxygen these days – you absorb them from social media, from big screens, from a radio in the background, almost without thinking about it. In short, the facts are a commodity. It’s the analysis of them and ideas about what happens next that are the stuff of modern journalism. 

Gen Zers are particularly plugged in to what just happened. They’ve already seen it on their phones – as, I would suggest, many of their equally smartphone-obsessed elders do. The trick is to give them – and us – an idea of the “how?” and the “why?” and not just the “what?”

They also, we were told, want “authenticity”. Who in these polarised times does not?

Gen Zers are apparently “44% more likely than older age groups to pay for niche journalism”. This is a curious stat, as all “more likely” ones are, but it’s also the case that niches are the coming area of journalism. Just look at the success of Politico, the Information and The Athletic.

The only area where I felt there was some difference with the Zers was their lifelong quest to “train algorithms” so that they received the best content on every platform. To be honest, I can’t be bothered with that, which might explain the state of my Twitter/X feed. 

The general point stands though. We want the same things – maybe, it must be said, in different formats, but news organisations should not be thinking the Zers are aliens, nor that their traditional audiences are happy with what they are getting. We all want relevance, context and authenticity.

Right, I’m off to TikTok…

Alan Hunter
Co-Founder, HBM Advisory

HBM Advisory is a partner of Media Makers Meet’s Collectif Network, a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

To learn more about Collectif, please contact TJ Hunter, VP of Commercial and Head of Collectif, at tj@mediamakersmeet.com. If you would like to participate as a thought leader, please write in the first instance to Jez Walters (jez@mediamakersmeet.com).

With the emergence of sophisticated AI technologies such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, assisted by various web crawlers, the internet is awash with automated agents that engage in hoovering up your content. 

While these bots can be innovative and beneficial, GenAI’s “take and ask for permission later” approach should be nipped in the bud. This article provides a guide on how to block ChatGPT and other AI crawlers from accessing a website.

Understanding the Bots

Before moving towards blocking strategies, it is important to understand how AI bots and crawlers work and how to identify them. 

Bots like ChatGPT may interact with web content through APIs or web scraping, while other generic web crawlers scan websites to index them for search engines or data retrieval purposes. Identifying them typically involves analysing user agent strings, IP addresses, or behavioural patterns.

Here we look mostly at a robots.txt which will signal to the crawlers to skip your website. No playing dumb if they don’t!

How to block GenAI crawlers using Robots.txt

A robots.txt file instructs bots on how they should interact with the website. To block all bots or specific ones from accessing your entire site or specific sections, modify the robots.txt file.

A current selection of bots to block is as follows (please let us know of any additions via Contact Us page!):

——————————————–

User-agent: anthropic-ai
Disallow: /

User-agent: CCBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Disallow: /

User-agent: cohere-ai
Disallow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Disallow: /

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

* Wayback machine bonus ban
User-agent: ia_archiver
Disallow: /

——————————————–

UPDATE: It looks like the blocker for Google’s AI, Google-Extended, does NOT stop the new Google Search Generative Experience from scanning your content. The only way to fully block it is to go nuclear and fully block Google crawlers from your site – which means no search juice. 

Decisions decisions… or something the competition authorities should look at.

——————————————–

The above article first appeared on the Glide Publishing Platform blog and is re-published with kind permission. Glide is a content management platform for publishers and media companies with high output of content which allows them to focus on creating more and better content and on increasing revenues.

We’ve got personalities. We can take a position on an issue. We’ve got empathy. We can work with communities. We can listen to communities. We can witness what is happening. Machines cannot do that,” stresses Charlie Becket, director of JournalismAI, an initiative by the London School of Economics’ Polis think-tank.

In an interview with Mx3, Beckett heralds a new era in which he would “welcome our robot overlords” because they would enable “jet-pack journalists”. In this era, journalists “will do less boring crap”, in Becket’s words, “because the robots will do it for them.” But, here’s the rub: in a world of AI, the human journalist becomes a truly unique offering. 

Beckett’s observations come at a time when staff on The New York Times received an email alerting them to the rolling out of new reporter bios. Each reporter had to – urgently – submit an author page for themselves. Media writer at Vanity Fair, Charlotte Klein, quotes the email which states: “…it’s especially important to highlight the human aspect of our work as misinformation and generative AI proliferates.”

The move to ‘literally’ put a face and a name to reporting is to foster greater trust with readers and as more and more news is written/generated by generative AI, a way to emphasise the leading newspaper’s unique selling point: its human-led reporting.

But, as Becket is quick to point out, it’s not that journalists and machines need not square up to each other. They can, and should, make good allies. He is surprised that so many newsrooms consider AI to be a no-no, or ‘the enemy’.

Meet Charlie Beckett at Mx3 AI in London on Thursday, 7 December, where he will be one of our speakers. Read more here and sign up at https://mediamakersmeet.com/events/

He considers the ability to harvest the powers of AI as an arms race. “This is the reality. If you talk to the retail industry or the security industry, if you talk to pharmaceuticals, they’re not saying: ‘Should we be using AI?’ …they’re investing billions in it… not to lose out on competition.”

Journalism in a museum? 

So why should journalists think they are the exception to the rule, and steer clear of AI.  “Is journalism protected by barbed wire? Do you want to put it in a museum?” he quips, referencing several instances where AI not only opened up new opportunities but did so when human editors entered into a collaboration with AI. One example is Swedish Radio, embracing AI by developing an algorithm to manage the running order of news stories on regional radio stations.

Human editors started to assign three values to each story in accordance with: What they thought would be the magnitude of the story; the degree of public service value; and the projected life span of the story. Once these parameters are set, AI attributes a digital score to each story. This score determines the story’s position relative to all others in the live news listings, the news playlists in their apps, and their news websites.

This is a classic example, says Beckett, of how an experienced team of journalists who are subject matter experts, can align technology with their values, without compromise.

Read the Swedish Radio case study here – https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2020/09/28/this-swedish-radio-algorithm-gets-reporters-out-in-society/

Bulk data providers are often the first suppliers a media organisation is likely to approach when looking for new B2B leads or prospect data. They have a firm grip on the market and are impossible to ignore due to their size, scale, and scope. They promote themselves as having the largest volume of contacts, the widest reach, and a rich background of information for their records.

The smooth sales calls and slick presentations do not accurately represent what’s behind the curtain of how these organisations collect and maintain their data. Once you scratch under the surface and know the right questions to ask, you can quickly discover that this might not be the silver bullet solution to your data troubles.

We took part in a 60-minute sales call with a representative of one of the most well-known global bulk data providers. We were also given 2-weeks access to sample their dashboard to search and select contacts.

We’ve summarised our findings in this article to establish how you can approach these suppliers by asking the right questions which have been comprised by industry experts. They will help you scratch beneath the surface and get a more accurate understanding of the investment you’re making in order to improve your media organisation’s marketing outreach.

Using the dashboard

We had 14-days access to the provider’s dashboard which allowed us to access and test 50 records with their executive email addresses. Here are some suggestions to make the most of this sample.

Find and assess how your organisation is represented

To get an early assessment of the quality of data, check how your own organisation looks on their database. Is there any inaccurate or outdated information such as operating address, employee count or turnover? Can you see your own contact profile and how does that match? Taking note of these is an efficient way of using a familiar company as a case study.

Look at the largest companies

Quite often, the largest global organisations are also useful to look at. Organisations with thousands of employees are notoriously difficult to keep up-to-date. Nearly all providers are using automation to trawl through online sources to gather volume rather than accurate and valid data.

Within 1 minute of looking at ‘apple.com’ employees, we found inaccurate data. For example, hundreds of ‘founder and/or director’ job titles. Once these were cross-examined, we saw these contacts belonged to completely different companies such as dentists in India or florists in New York. All had supposedly validated executive ‘@apple.com’ emails by their name.

Specify your search terms

Test the database by specifying your unique target audience. Factors such as geography, specific job titles, organisation types and sizes are the easiest ways to find and match your organisation’s unique target audience. In our test, we wanted to find ‘Health and Safety Directors’ within a 50-mile radius of Manchester. The database gave us an initial shortlist of 3,000 contacts. Once we pulled the research and analysed it, a task of 3 hours, we could only find 8 contacts with that job title. All others were irrelevant.

Approaching your call

The sample use of the dashboard gave us insight into the realities of using this bulk data provider ahead of what would be promoted to us on an exploratory call. We’ve made a shortlist of questions you should be asking to get a more accurate understanding of where this data comes from and how it’s maintained.

Can you tell me where you specifically source your data, and how do those sources acquire it?

Today, with GDPR, it is vital that you know where your data is sourced from so you don’t mistakenly breach GDPR compliance. At The Data Business, for example, we source all our data first-hand using an open-source method. Bulk providers nearly always harvest contacts at volume through third parties.

This supplier utilises a B2B software review website which pulls contacts including emails and phone numbers from users. One key issue here is that there is nothing stopping a ‘contact’ from putting details such as a personal mobile phone number, which you may end up reaching with a promo call, resulting in an awkward and unwelcome interaction.

With the public awareness of GDPR, it’s unlikely that a contact will knowingly consent to their data being placed on a bulk data list. Something that you should be prepared for should they make a subject access request (SAR).

What is the size and structure of your human quality-checking team?

As of writing, there is no automated scraping technology on the market which can pick up and correct inaccuracies as thoroughly as a well-trained human researcher. Human research is how we guarantee the highest quality data builds and maintenance. This is a good test for any data provider.

This bulk list company promotes that it employs 1,000 data researchers to help update a database of 140 million contacts. We know from experience that this is an unrealistic resource capacity to even come close to achieving a high standard of data accuracy.

How do you specifically define your email accuracy?

Email accuracy needs to be at the forefront of your decision for a data supplier. It’s so crucial in not only making sure you’re reaching the right contacts but is also a key tool to know if that contact is still working at their organisation.

Bulk providers will often promote 95%+ accuracy for the hundreds of millions in their contact database. With databases typically depreciating at 30% per year, the cost of maintaining this would be astronomical.

The supplier in this study, ‘tiers’ their email data into A+, A, B, and C grades. With a premium charge for the top end. We tested a selection of these emails through our own process and found only a 60% validity rate from this sample.

Similarly, an attributed email address might pass a test, but the accuracy of the contact related to the organisation (such as the Apple example) does not define it as correct. You would be reaching a contact completely unrelated to the company assigned to them.

How does your database compare to the specific requirements of my target audience?

As we suggested earlier, it is highly advised to scope out your organisation’s specific target audience ahead of contacting a supplier. The demonstration should be your opportunity to drill down into how well that database will work for your needs, not how best you can compromise with what’s available.

The Data Business turns this concept on its head by only ever providing a bespoke data build specifically following a client’s brief, removing the time and effort of this task.

Bulk lists often fail to provide a precise target audience, instead they boost the volume with general and junior contacts which are much easier to gather. As part of your demo, you should ask the rep to map out the process of collecting your audience. Draw up a profile based on the following:

• Organisation types
• Target job titles and seniority
• Geography
• Organisation size
• The number of contacts per organisation

If it’s too good to be true

You know your industry better than anyone, if the results seem limited, or too good to be true, don’t be hesitant to scrutinise and look to ask follow-up questions.

You should be aware that bulk data suppliers often focus on volume at the sacrifice of quality data. A key part of deciding whether bulk data is right for you is understanding how much internal time is taken up by your team when searching for the nuggets of gold hidden in large volumes. This regularly overlooked factor is a significant cost of using bulk data and is often not thought about until an annual subscription is signed.

We emphasise that there is no silver bullet to solving the issue of data. Cheap data usually equates to poor data, and trying to grow your business through using poor data seriously undermines growth efforts.

The Data Business is a partner of Mx3’s Collectif Network, a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

To learn more about Collectif and our media-tech community, contact TJ Hunter, VP of Commercial and Head of Collectif, at tj@mediamakersmeet.com.

Elon Musk’s feed on X, as he renamed Twitter after buying the social media platform, provides a snapshot of his war against the media. There is a particularly crass meme of two dogs labelled “Elon” and “media” among an assortment of manchild memes, regular insults, and relentless punting of X as a platform for “citizen journalism” as a counter to mainstream media.

He has, in effect, declared “legacy news” as dead in a post and called on publishers to post content in long form on X. Headline and other text – including social copy – are now stripped from news articles on X. Posts with links to articles therefore only feature the story’s lead image, reducing traffic to news publishers.

“This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics,” Musk wrote on X in between posting bizarre memes taunting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, a video of himself firing a semi-automatic sniper rifle, and rambling posts about immigration, Tesla, and Space X.

The media industry – journalists, publishers, marketers – are among X’s hyper-engaged, obsessive users. Twitter was the place to build your profile, argue, engage, and break news. It was an addictive, heady mix and helped shape how we digitally publish news.

But Musk’s erratic behaviour, and the return of hordes of xenophobic, homophobic, and racist accounts, have added to fears of the platform’s demise.

Cue a scramble for an alternative news platform – and enter LinkedIn, long considered too nice, too bland, too slow, and too boring.

Giving away free content

The 2023 Reuters Institute report on journalism, media and technology trends found LinkedIn is the most popular alternative to media leaders from 53 countries. Granted, LinkedIn has long been popular with networkers, marketers and job seekers – the platform says it has 950 million members in over 200 countries and territories, and 61 million people search for jobs here each week. But it has also expanded its newsroom, pushed out more resources for journalists, and added a newsletter feature. The Financial Times Editor’s Digest newsletter has more than 1,6 million subscribers, and The Economist’s week ahead has over 3 million subscribers. (LinkedIn also creates its own newsletters.)

So, it seems like a no-brainer to flee the Twitter chaos and embrace the tranquil waters of LinkedIn.

Not so fast, says Ralf Ressman, a strategic marketing consultant and former journalist from Frankfurt, Germany, who specialises in LinkedIn strategies for national and international clients.

While LinkedIn has long changed from an online CV showcase to a content platform,  Ressman warns news publishers should learn not only from what happened at Twitter but also Facebook. The Meta-owned company’s changes have slashed referral traffic to media outlets as lawmakers want to force big tech companies to pay publishers for content. Meta is undoubtedly moving away from the news.

“Let’s look back at the last few years,” Ressman says. “Where did we have a real benefit when we started giving away free content on third-party platforms?

“For LinkedIn, I can clearly say [to] forget about every strategy that goes into a direction of I want more readers, I want to generate more reader revenue and want to have this as part of my funnel. Because if you post something with an external link, you have the same problem as with Facebook. You have around 50% less reach. And the AI will just cut the visibility of your content with external links.”

He would never become dependent on a single platform, Ressman says.

“Who knows what will happen on the platform tomorrow or the day after?”

Ralf Ressman

While LinkedIn is not as toxic as Twitter, the platform’s popularity has come with an increase in cyberbullying and extreme political views. “It’s still small, but it’s a mirror of the internet,” Ressman explains.

How journalists should use LinkedIn

But LinkedIn is an essential platform for news publishers if they use it right and see it as one instrument in their orchestra. It’s about branding and networking

“The thought leadership part, the valuable content part, is still better [than Twitter] and you can regulate it.

“For the publishing scene, I see a big value in the whole employer branding discussion. We all know it’s harder to find good people, and you have to position yourself on such a platform.”

LinkedIn is valuable to generate new story ideas, and for salespeople to demonstrate their knowledge.

“If you are not able to manage a platform like LinkedIn, how can someone believe that you are able to manage other digital things in your business or life? So it’s proof of your digital readiness as well, if you do a good job on LinkedIn.”

You can watch highlights (and view the key timestamps) from our interview with Ralf below:

Key time stamps

02:40 > It’s a good platform to generate new ideas for stories because there are so many discussions where you can learn from what topics people really drive.

03:05 > The interest of LinkedIn is, again, to have valuable content to attract people. I mean this is a stock index company with its KPIs and we can be sure one of these KPIs is not only the amount of members it’s also about the number of logins, the daily logins, these members generate and how long they stay once they have logged into the platform.

04:56 > If I talk to publishing houses about their LinkedIn strategy, I’m more about their branding effects, about networking effects, and when we look back, at what we saw with Facebook for example, people don’t want the same experience again. I think we should take our learnings out of this.

Would you take a wager on a ‘single editor, one reporter’ online news outlet in one of the US’s Great Lakes states growing to become one of the largest civic news providers and custodians of watchdog journalism in just twelve years?

Neither would I.

Maybe not even Amber DeLind, Membership and Engagement Director at Bridge Michigan, a non-profit, non-partisan online news service covering all corners of Michigan. However, she saw this growth happen in real time and is perfectly placed to provide insights into how Bridge Michigan grew to serve 125,000 subscribers and an annual readership of 600,000. With 22 permanent staff Bridge Michigan is now funded by more than 9000 individual donors as part of a growing membership programme. 

The value of a two-way conversation with readers

There was this “aha” moment in 2019, says Amber, “when we started to take memberships seriously”. That’s when Bridge Michigan adopted a more frequent donation approach, offering tailored membership benefits, refining membership tiers and offerings – with a renewed dedication to community events. 

Even after the events strategy had to pivot to virtual events during COVID-19, the growth continued with monthly virtual town halls and a popular series called Bridge Culture Club. Each of these events attracted new donors, mainly, Amber emphasises, because “we started to understand the value of a two-way conversation with readers… We (now) know that engagement feeds right into our membership programme.” 

Amber has witnessed this first-hand when readers realise her membership team takes reader comments and story tips seriously. “When someone is listening to them (it) can make a big difference especially if you’re in your community feeling like you’re being noticed.” 

Credible journalism

The engagement strategy is being underpinned by credible journalism. In the past 20 years the number of print journalism outlets in Michigan has more than halved, explains Amber. This “information gap” was filled with social media and “sources that were less than credible –  or perhaps partisan”. 

Bridge Michigan stepped into the void. “We would gather folks in rooms to talk about the topics that were being written about in the news, giving people a chance to react and discuss how that issue is playing out in their town or community.” And when COVID-19 struck, the need for credible information increased.

Being a trusted source of news really mattered to individuals. From day one we were sharing all of the information, reputable information, and we continue to do this to this day.

None of the growth would have happened without investing in resources and their (fast growing) staff contingent. Partners like the News Revenue Hub provided technological tools to simplify messages to specific member tiers, take payments or send out member gifts. They also benefited from training programs like the Facebook membership accelerator, Google News Initiative, assistance from the Institute for Nonprofit News and the Online News Association.

With unexpected success, hard work and some good fortune, Bridge Michigan continues to adapt to the future. As Amber puts it: “We try to continue to learn so that we can continue to grow.”

Bridge Michigan sees and raises its readers. Now place your bets.

You can watch our full interview with Amber DeLind below:

Five key take-aways

• The non-profit online news outlet Bridge Michigan achieved remarkable growth in only 12 years, evolving from a small operation to one of the largest civic news providers in the US.
• A strategic shift to a tailored membership programme led to over 9,000 individual donors funding Bridge Michigan. 
• The organisation’s engagement strategy, including fostering a two-way conversation with readers, played a crucial role in attracting new donors.
• Bridge Michigan stepped up to fill an “information gap” left by declining print journalism and unreliable sources by offering credible journalism. 
• Investment in resources and staff training contributed to their ongoing adaptation and growth.

No time? Pick up on these time stamps:

40 seconds: “Our mission is to make Michigan in the United States a better place through our non-profit non-partisan journalism and engagement.”

9 minutes: “It became necessary for us to focus a lot of our work on journalism and at that stage we pivoted our engagement strategy towards reader events where people could talk about the topics that were written about in the news.”

The entire team at Media Makers Meet – Mx3 would like to extend their sincere condolences to the friends and family of Ari as well as the entire team at Cafeyn.

The press release is published in its entirety below:

It is with great shock and sadness that the Cafeyn Group announces the sudden death of its CEO and founder, Ari Assuied, on Thursday October 6th at the age of 45.

Deeply passionate about the press and media industry, he dedicated his career to build and develop a group that has been working for sixteen years to provide unparalleled access to diversified and quality information.

Cafeyn’s board has decided to appoint Laurent Kayser as interim CEO. Since May 2022, he has been Deputy CEO of the Cafeyn group, which he joined as CFO in 2018, after working for over ten years in investment banking and investment funds.

The entire Cafeyn team shares the deep sorrow of his family and dearest friends.

SmartNews is a rapidly growing news aggregator rivaling Google News and Apple News in usage. As such it can be an important part of an overall content distribution strategy for publishers.

But publishers need to go in with their eyes wide open before agreeing to work with SmartNews.

In this High Value Publishing session below, Eric Shanfelt shows publishers how SmartNews pitches themselves to publishers, but how publisher content is used primarily to benefit SmartNews itself.

You’ll see how their “SmartFormat” prioritizes SmartNews revenue while giving publishers non-favorable positions for their own monetization and promotion. In addition, The SmartFormat specification and WordPress plugin use Google Analytics in a way that can be misleading. It can look like SmartNews is driving a lot of traffic to a publisher when, in reality, it’s using the publisher’s Google Analytics account to track content views inside the SmartNews app, not real traffic to the publisher’s website.

Finally, you’ll learn how SmartNews has now launched its own advertising network directly selling to advertisers, thus becoming another competitor for media companies and publishers.

Publishers, especially independent and niche publishers, need to be fully aware of these issues when deciding whether to work with SmartNews. SmartNews is indeed one of the fastest growing news aggregators in the market, but may not be the best fit for all publishers.

Links mentioned in this session

• SmartNews website
• SmartNews app usage on Android
• SmartNews app usage on iOS
• News Aggregator SmartNews Launches US Ads Business
• SmartNews for Advertisers Media Kit
• SmartFormat Feed Specification
• SmartFormat WordPress Plugin

Eric Shanfelt is a media industry veteran, author, speaker, and consultant. He helps media companies of all types grow their digital revenues and audience, and improve their technology. For the past 30 years, he has worked with hundreds of B2B and consumer publishers, served as the Senior VP of Digital for public, private equity and privately held media companies, and launched several multi-million-dollar digital media businesses built on advertising, data, ecommerce, and subscription revenue. With a unique combination of vision, execution, and technical expertise, Eric works with all levels of an organization to get quick results.

Podcasters need to let it hang out more.  Be a bit rough around the edges. Not be afraid of making people laugh. And forget the media training that taught people of a generation to speak in “a certain way”.

Chris Stone is generous with his advice and knowledge. We are meant to talk about the New Statesman podcast network’s award-winning commercial strategy (who in the media doesn’t want to know how to make money?) but he patiently expands on all questions podcast, from how to beat AI to the meteoric rise of political podcasts and how small publishers can connect with their audience.

Under Stone’s stewardship – he is Executive Producer of Audio and Video at the New Statesman – the New Statesman Podcast was crowned Best Political Podcast for the third year running at this year’s Publisher Podcast Awards. The judges said “it is clear the team really knows their audience and gives them what they want in the simplest and most effective way.”

Moreover, the annual Reuters Institute Digital News Report ranked it in its top 10 most popular news podcasts in the UK, along with big hitters such as Goalhanger Podcasts’ The Rest is Politics, Global Media’s The News Agents, and the BBC’s Newscast, Americast and Ukrainecast.  

The New Statesman’s audio output is a masterclass in creating a stable, lucrative portfolio of podcasts which rigorously delivers not just revenue, but audience growth.

Publisher Podcast Awards Judges, 2023

Despite these accolades – or maybe because of them – Stone is continuously changing the New Statesman’s podcast content offering and strategy. It’s all about flexibility, he stresses, and an integrated approach. There is, after all, an appetite for quality content analysis and commentary that “help people understand the forces shaping the world”.

“Podcasts are a uniquely useful medium for providing that to an audience. They offer kind of an informal, conversational style that draws an audience in and makes them feel part of the gang, part of the crowd. They enable you to run interviews, for example, for longer than a traditional broadcast slot. And they are on demand, which means that people can find the podcasts they like. They build their habits around them, and they can listen to them when they want to.”

Taking a gamble and revising the podcast strategy

In the past three months, Stone has taken a risk, as he puts it, and revised the content strategy. The New Statesman had three running podcast feeds: The NS podcast, focused on politics, World Review and Audio Long Reads, with features and essays. Along with the publication’s magazine, website and newsletters, the same theme ran through them.

“In our case, that’s politics from a cultural perspective, and culture from a political perspective,” Stone says. “All addressing the question of how do we understand the forces shaping our world? So, now we’re trying to make our main podcast feed more reflective of that.”

He has now consolidated the three feeds into a single feed and turned the “You Ask Us” listener questions into its own episode.

“Throughout the week, you’ve got a much broader spread of content that doesn’t have that uniformity most podcasts go for. But it does more broadly reflect the output of the New Statesman. Now this is a gamble….one of the great things about podcasts is that you get to build a relationship with a particular group of hosts.”

So far, results are promising and audience numbers are rising, Stone says. (In yet another breakthrough, publishing video podcasts on YouTube has more than doubled the New Statesman podcast audience. Not to mention that YouTube has the benefit of algorithmic discovery and is monetizable.)

And it is an audience of key opinion formers that is particularly attractive to advertisers, which is partly why Stone could adapt his commercial strategy.

“About 40% of our listeners work in politics and policy. We have a large chunk of listeners who work in business and are senior decision makers, C-suite level, and key opinion formers in the media. And our podcasts receive 90 to 100% listen-through. So our audience is massively engaged.”

Clients and agencies come to the New Statesman because they want to meet that audience, Stone says. And putting their podcasts in the main mix of all their other content makes them profitable.  

Platform revenues

Platform revenues (the New Statesman works with podcast company Acast and has a co-selling arrangement) remain “incredibly useful”, but the New Statesman also offer podcasts as part of multi-format packages within the wider stable of content. This might include clients sponsoring live events or running ads on the website.

Thinking holistically about your commercial offering, including podcasts, is vital. One of the most successful things that we have done is to break down the silos between the different departments, and bring all of those into multi-format packages that our sales team can easily say to a client, [if] you want to hit this audience, here’s the solution.

But it all comes down to giving the audience what it wants. And the best thing about podcasts, Stone says, is “the way they can welcome people into their own tribe. And if the hosts are warm, and if they [the audience] like the characters, then they feel part of the gang.”

“What AI can’t do is that community-building personal relationship, so anything that we can do now to build real-world personal relationships with people, human to human – and that can be podcasts,  that can be newsletters , that can be live events –  is AI-proof.”

You can watch highlights (and view the key timestamps) from our interview with Chris below:

Key Time Stamps

1:14 > There is clearly an audience appetite for political podcasts. I mean, the success of The Rest Is Politics, everybody knows, is stratospheric, at the top of the charts. Same with The News Agents. That’s news and politics at the top of the charts. The Apple podcast charts are dominated by political discussion. And we have seen on the New Statesman podcast that there is a growing appetite for quality content, quality analysis that helps people understand the forces that are shaping the world right now.

14:33 > Broadly we find podcast listeners are fairly tolerant of ads. I think there is a fairly standard acceptance that I’m getting this piece of content for free, therefore it’s going to have ads on it.

23:40 >  There are multiple examples of niche publishers releasing podcasts that reach maybe hundreds of listeners a week but because of who those audience are, that is a monetizable product. Don’t fear the small and niche. There’s power in that.

The New York Times Company (NYT) and PressReader have announced a new collaboration to further expand NYT’s global presence through PressReader’s network of channel partners spanning over 150 countries.

The partnership provides an even broader global audience with unparalleled access to The New York Times’s journalism, which has earned numerous prestigious accolades, including the highest number of Pulitzer Prizes of any news organisation.

PressReader, as an industry partner of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), is also uniquely positioned to offer The New York Times to travellers globally — on the ground, in the air, and at sea. The New York Times’s journalism will further be available to numerous remote and isolated locations with limited connectivity, such as science research centres in Antarctica.

In addition, outside of the U.S., PressReader will now distribute The New York Times’s journalism to public libraries and patient-care facilities.

PressReader’s channel partners in over 150 countries are now able to get access to not only The New York Times’s digital replica edition but also its digital “News” product — containing current and historical journalism dating back to 1851.

Additionally, as part of the agreement, The New York Times Company will continue its decade-long collaboration with PressReader and its white-label tech platform Branded Editions — which is equipped with auto-translate, on-demand audio capabilities and additional accessibility features — for The New York Times, The International New York Times, and TimesDigest.

We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with PressReader Group. At The New York Times, we believe great journalism has the power to make each reader’s life richer and more fulfilling, and all of society stronger and more just. This agreement allows us to increase access to our high-quality, original, independent journalism from anywhere in the world and connect with an even broader global audience.

Andy Wright, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Institutional Subscriptions at The New York Times Company

Our collaboration is a direct response to feedback from our readers. Whether they’re enjoying a relaxing moment while on vacation, indulging some free time while traveling for business, or simply in pursuit of knowledge in their local library, they can count on The New York Times’s thoughtful journalism, through PressReader and its partners.

Steve Chapman, Senior Vice President of Content Partnerships of PressReader Group of companies

We are delighted to deepen our partnership with The New York Times Company, whose content helps people understand the world through its commitment to truth-seeking. This partnership serves our mission to empower and enrich curious minds. Together, we are steadfastly committed to delivering top-notch journalism and an unparalleled reading experience to a worldwide and diverse audience, guaranteeing the continued excellence of reporting, and nurturing informed citizens in this digital age.

Ruairí Doyle, CEO of PressReader Group of companies

Artificial Intelligence heralds a change as profound, if not more so, than the advent of the internet 25 years ago.

We have spent months talking to CTOs, commercial and strategy leaders, and some of the few AI leaders that are currently out there. There are deep questions still unanswered. What will happen to human creativity? Will AI destroy more jobs than it creates? What kind of jobs will it create? But a clear consensus is emerging around a few key areas:

There’s going to be a lot less free content around

One recurring theme from our conversations is that content owners will start putting more and more behind the paywall, particularly if they can’t charge AI owners for use of their IP.

But are users ready for a subscriptions-heavy future? And will they value that content enough to pay for it if there’s even a suspicion it’s been written by an AI? The rise in both B2B and consumer subscription models suggests that the appetite is there – if the content is strong enough.

Brands that have taken care to cultivate the trust of their audience will see it pay real dividends. Those that haven’t, or that are seen as dispensable, could be in trouble. These concerns should be at the centre of any content strategy worthy of the name.

Your AI strategy should work in the service of your underlying business strategy, not the other way round

As a business, your core identity and your strategic goals should not change, although AI will be an invaluable tool to help achieve them. Any AI strategy that sits off to the side of the rest of the organisation is doomed to fail.

Success will be about how you leverage new capabilities to do things you’d previously never been able to do, but also how to reach your core underlying goals in a way that is more efficient and, very likely, much faster.

But the inherent DNA and aims of your brand should remain the same. Unless you are an entirely new product, your credibility has been built up over years: use AI to enhance it, not undermine it.

No more disruptors-in-chief. Your organisation needs educators and influencers

20 years ago, most content organisations had a Head of Digital tasked with driving transformation: and we have all heard horror stories of self-styled ‘disruptors-in-chief’ who came in with no understanding of the business they were trying to change. All they did was create fear or confusion. In many cases, the body rejected the organ.

Other businesses succeeded. They brought in people who were technologically enabled, but were educators, collaborators, and empathetic colleagues. And the same applies to the AI challenge: there are simply not enough AI experts to fill the roles needed. Every company will need to bring in transformative leaders who can instill their knowledge throughout the company, and train the next generation.

Of course, this person will need to be strategic, data driven, with an in-depth understanding of emerging AI technology and its capability. But they will also be able to influence across multiple departments without alienating key players. They should be able to continuously explain WHY this journey is necessary, and bring people with them as the journey changes direction.

If your AI leader can’t articulate the opportunity both to the board and to team members, then all the investment will be wasted – and your business could be set back by years.

Don’t forget the role of the human in all this

Any organisation that uses the technology just to do things that humans are already doing will be putting it to waste. In data-heavy tasks, AI can do things that no human can possibly do. The role of the human will be auditing, approving and refining that work. People will be doing a lot less of the data gathering, number crunching and analysis, but they will still need to be there.

In more creative work, it’s likely that a new generation of ‘AI natives’ will use the technology to do entirely new, innovative and exciting things. But it’s also seen as unlikely that it will substitute for the human-to-human connection that people crave when consuming art and entertainment.

In story-led journalism, people will still want a human voice. AI can do wonderful things in data journalism, but it can’t fully lead an investigation or conduct a robust interview with a celebrity or politician. There will still need to be fact checking. You will still need humans to get the tone of voice right, and to make sure your content resonates.

Nevertheless, it’s wishful thinking to believe that no jobs will be displaced or automated out, particularly in back-office or administrative functions where there is already pressure to cut costs. But your audience will remain human, and they will want that human connection. Once again, the core DNA of your organisation cannot and should not be replaced by a machine. And nor should you want it to.

Data is already a precious commodity. It’s about to become even more so

“Generative AIs can be like really hyperactive interns”, one Chief Data Officer told me recently. “They can regurgitate a lot very quickly, but some of it is rubbish”. A recurring theme of our conversations has been that while AI will be able to do things that no human can do, it will need access to an excellent set of training data to ensure its output is accurate and reliable. Additionally, we are likely to see a sharp increase in demand for data scientists who really understand their industry verticals and will be able to ensure this happens.

Will organisations just give that data up for free? It feels unlikely. The competitive advantage of AI products won’t be in the quality of its engineering and technology, but in the quality of its training data. Any business information leaders reading this should bear that in mind, and begin developing AI pricing strategies accordingly.

The end is not nigh…

There are opportunities here as well – think of how much time your best people are currently spent engaged in repetitive tasks. What else could they be doing to create real value with all that time that will be freed up? Meanwhile, organisations who do project-based consultancy work could find themselves operating at a significantly higher margin, and able to justify taking on more work as a result. Content-led businesses are in a great place to take advantage of the new technology: but a clear view of how to incorporate it into your business will be critical. So the big question: who will be your Head of AI transformation?

Matt D’Cruz
Partner, Martin Tripp Associates

Martin Tripp Associates is an executive search firm that specialises in the media, entertainment, information and communications sectors, with clients which range from large multi-nationals through to pre-revenue start-ups. Based in London, they have conducted successful searches around the world, at C-suite and senior leadership level, across a diverse range of disciplines including creative, sales, product, technology, strategy and general management. Martin Tripp and Matt D’Cruz, the Co-Founders, are both former B2B journalists who have written on a broad range of subjects, including as headhunters.

A quick overview and first speakers

Mx3 Barcelona brings together leaders, innovators and mavericks in specialist media, i.e., creator-led, consumer and B2B media, creating brands, products and services for well-defined, enthusiast and professional communities.

It takes place on 12-13 March 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

Mx3 Barcelona is an international event that gathers top speakers, attendees, and sponsors from the US, Europe, and elsewhere.

Work on the speaker programme has now started in earnest. Our first three confirmed speakers are:

• Alan Soon, Founder, Splice Media, Singapore
• Álex Poderoso, Chief Digital Officer, RBA, Spain
• Jacob Donnelly, Publisher, Morning Brew, and Founder, A Media Operator, USA

With many more to come, we will announce newly confirmed speakers in the coming weeks.

It’s about passion, ambition and drive

Mx3 Barcelona is different from your typical event. With its off-the-record stage conversations, in-depth round tables and several networking opportunities, it is made to engage and learn, all in an informal, tight-knit environment. Learn more about Mx3 Barcelona here.

There’s something extraordinary when like-minded individuals come together, and we’d love for you to be part of and contribute to it, too. Join international colleagues who share your passion, ambition, and drive to make media verticals work.

There’s only one thing. Our launch offer is now on its last legs. After 5 October, it’s gone. So register now to save.

SIGN UP NOW

We hope to see you in Barcelona in March!

Cobus and John
Co-founders
Media Makers Meet – Mx3

For many publishers, integrating generative artificial intelligence into their operations has felt like building a track while a train is steaming up behind you. The pressure to make the most of AI has led to some media companies experimenting with tech, like chatbot du jour ChatGPT, without putting proper structures in place – a recent World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) study showing that, while 49% of managers say journalists are free to use new tools, only 20% have been given guidelines.

It’s an approach that needs to change (and fast) if media companies want to fully realise the enormous potential of AI and avoid pitfalls like a lack of accuracy and authenticity, according to Steffen Damborg, a digital transformation specialist and author of Mastering Digital Transformation, who works with WAN-IFRA.

“A lot of companies in the news industry are willing to test AI even though they don’t have the policies and guidelines in place – because they want to learn,” he says. “And they trust that their journalists can handle the dilemmas that occur when you start using generative AI.

“But you need top management to get an understanding themselves of what AI can do for their company and the industry and then set up guidelines and decide how we use it. It’s the management who sets the direction of the company and if the management is not coping with the new technologies that are relevant to your industry, then you won’t have direction within your company.”

A matter of trust

With concerns over inaccuracy and possible political bias swirling around ChatGPT, Damborg stresses the importance of putting human “control mechanisms” in place, especially if you’re a trusted news brand.

“You will see a lot of content being produced by AI that are just published but not by traditional publishers, because they know that trust is their currency,” he points out. “If you’re The New York Times, you cannot publish things that are not checked for biases and accuracy.

I’m not that optimistic when it comes to algorithms being able to overtake journalism (which has) accuracy and trustworthiness. But, you know, it’s early days, and we tend to overestimate the effects of technology in the short run and underestimate the effects of technology in the long run.

Finding the right balance

The key to an effective AI strategy, says Damborg, is to combine the managerial ability of a company’s top structure with the creativity of those on the shop floor trying to find the best way to make AI work for them.

“You want to set a clear direction within your company, but you also want innovation and clever use cases and that seldom comes from the top of the organisation,” he points out. “They come from the people using the technologies.

“So, on the one hand, you need to have guidelines and security measures to keep being a trustworthy news brand, but on the other hand you want experimentation in your organisation. You want journalists, software engineers and designers to investigate and, with their natural curiosity, examine these new possibilities.”

You can watch our full video conversation with Steffen below

Five key takeaways:

• Too many media organisations have not put guidelines in place on how to integrate generative AI into their operations.
• Not having a clear direction makes it tougher to negotiate AI pitfalls like a lack of accuracy and authenticity.
• Trusted news organisations have to draw up AI “control measures” to ensure their reputations stay intact.
• Concerns over AI’s accuracy and bias means it is unlikely to replace quality journalism anytime soon.
• The top structure and journalists need to work together on AI guidelines, combining management skills and creativity.

Media companies and supply-side vendors are facing even more disruption, this time when it comes to recruiting and retaining talent. On top of the fact that hiring talent has become more competitive and expensive, retention has also become challenging due to the disillusionment with careers and work environments.

But there is now another consideration: AI.

In our forthcoming report, we look at the state of skills, talent and recruitment across the media industry, with a special focus on the implications of the emergence of AI. In short, how are companies adapting to the challenge of AI in terms of recruitment, staffing, upskilling, and the nurturing of employees well-being?

Leading media companies detailed in the report include Axel Springer, Nikkei Business Publications, Zetland, Outside Inc., William Reed, The News Lens, Impresa, Daily Maverick, and many others including supply-side vendors who also play a crucial role within the media ecosystem.

Anyone who begins to adopt AI tools and stays on top of what streamlines work processes will have a huge advantage over the rest of the market. Everything that relates to automation will massively increase productivity.

Agustino Fontevecchia, Digital Director, Argentinian publisher Editorial Perfil

The type of job and level will determine the skills people will need. Leaders will need to guide the organisation through the uncertainty with a clear vision, but also a malleable approach supporting a culture of experimentation with principles and frameworks to inform big decisions.

Styli Charalambous, CEO and Co-Founder, South African publisher Daily Maverick

The expertise in expressing and explaining will no longer be “expertise” in the AI era. That is, the difference in skills between professionals and consumers will become smaller. More and more consumers will be satisfied with content summarised, collected or created by AI. More human originality will become essential in the future.

Yuko Tanaka, General Manager, Global Business Unit, & Yasuo Metsugi, General Manager, Future Incubation Business Office, at Japanese publisher Nikkei Business Publications

Rather than replacing jobs, our focus is to explore and implement solutions that augment skill sets and also provide efficiencies for certain tasks. The goal is to empower our teams and make them more productive.

John Barnes, Chief Digital Officer, UK publisher William Reed

Our report will be available soon – please subscribe to our newsletter (form on this page, right hand side) to be the first to receive the report

In the current era, traditional news channels have been challenged by new media platforms, pushing boundaries and changing the way we consume information. One of the remarkable challengers is Ac2ality, a Spanish start-up that has taken the media landscape by storm with its innovative, youth-oriented approach. The company has since emerged as the biggest news player on TikTok in Europe, rapidly rising from a handful of followers to a massive audience.

The seed for Ac2ality was planted by co-founders Gabriela Campbell and Daniela McArena in London circa 2016, amid the confusion of Brexit. Frustrated by the complexity of news articles and the barrier it posed for understanding current affairs, the duo envisioned a simpler, more digestible format. What began as an Instagram account summarizing current affairs morphed into a TikTok sensation when the “Five news about today” section unexpectedly went viral.

By leveraging TikTok’s short video format and the appetite of a younger audience for straightforward content, Ac2ality exploded in popularity overnight. Campbell recalls: “One day, our follower count exploded. In the evening we had 100 followers and the next morning 40,000.”

After this initial success, Ac2ality expanded their team and content offering, introducing ‘one-minute presentations on a single topic’. They didn’t stop there – branching out to YouTube and Twitch, constantly adapting and experimenting with content formats to best serve their audience.

Although the founders of Ac2ality are not journalists, their approach to news coverage is meticulous. They immerse themselves in a variety of news channels, compare facts from differing political perspectives, and always ensure their information is validated by multiple sources.

We conducted an exclusive interview with one of the founders, Gabriela Campbell, trying to dig deeper into the dynamics of a news startup, and most importantly understand what made them what they are today:

How did you come up with the idea? How did the adventure begin?

Gabriela Campbell: It all started before the pandemic, around 2015. Daniela Alvarez, the co-founder of Ac2ality, and I were studying in London at that time. Daniela and I often hung out together and discussed Brexit. After reading several news articles about Brexit, it was difficult to understand what was happening. We thought to ourselves, “I wish there was something that explains the news in a simpler way.” My co-founder started working for the United Nations in New York with news about current affairs. She encountered the same problem: the information was very complicated.

Then my co-founder launched an Instagram account where she posted information summarizing current affairs in a simple way. I suggested using TikTok because, at the time, it was a new, trendy, and rapidly expanding platform. We tried several things, but the segment “Five news about today” went viral. One day, our number of subscribers exploded. In the evening, we had 100 followers, and the next morning, we had 40,000. After this success, two other girls joined our company. Another success was the “one-minute presentations on a single topic” and since then, we have been constantly creating video content about news. We also have YouTube and Twitch channels.

Are you planning to release other versions in different languages?

Gabriela Campbell: Currently, we are doing everything in Spanish, but the next step is to launch an English TikTok account.

How is the production organized?

Gabriela Campbell: We edit videos both on TikTok and on Canva. For more important videos, we work with a editing team that helps us with the shooting. The media agency, which is also our investor, assists us in various verticals, from video editing for YouTube and Twitch to marketing.

Why do the videos usually last 1 minute?

Gabriela Campbell: For our YouTube channel, we aim for longer videos (about 5 minutes) that explain most of the current events, conflicts in the world, such as the one where Russia invaded Ukraine. We use our TikTok videos for “Shorts” on YouTube, which are gaining popularity.

Twitch is a platform where we are still figuring out the best way to present the news. We are considering organizing live quizzes, where our subscribers can answer questions about current events.

Are you journalists?

Gabriela Campbell: Ultimately, we are not journalists. So our work process involves constantly watching different news channels, websites with different political opinions (left and right), and comparing their facts. When we come across interesting stories, we always choose the facts carefully and validate them with multiple sources. We also think about what could become viral and what would be a topic that everyone would talk about.

How long does it take to produce a video?

Gabriela Campbell: When we shoot, we have a script of 200 words, a summary of the story, but always in simple and understandable language. If a 13-year-old subscriber watches our video, they should be able to understand everything that is presented.

It took us some time to get used to being in front of a camera, but now we are comfortable, and shooting a video is fast. My three colleagues work from Spain, and I am based in London.

Personally, as a content creator, I can work from home and in another country since I live in London. All I need is a white wall. The work can sometimes be repetitive. We have a weekly schedule indicating who will make how many videos each day.

We usually post at 1:30 PM, 3 PM, 6:30 PM, and 7 PM. If there is more news, we post at 9 PM. We don’t post early because we have viewers in Latin America for whom it is nighttime.

You must make a minimum of 3 videos per day on TikTok

Do you know the people who follow you?

Gabriela Campbell: We have a lot of followers (4.3 million).

Our main audience is aged 18 to 24, with the split approximately 65% female and 35% male. But we also have young people aged 13, 14, and 15 who want to know what’s going on and follow us.

Our audience consists of Spanish speakers, mainly from Spain, but also from Latin America.

Do you involve the community?

Gabriela Campbell: Our regular followers often comment on the videos, refer to previous videos, and even create conversations.

Our key performance indicators are the number of likes, views, comments, and shares.

We have made some videos where we go out and ask people what they think about certain subjects, especially controversial ones. We have also asked questions about topics such as the name of the British Prime Minister, and it’s fun to see that many people don’t know it, and these questions work well on TikTok as parts of a video.

Often, our followers don’t attach themselves to us as presenters, but they like our content.

What is Ac2ality’s business model?

Gabriela Campbell: We can operate thanks to our investors, but we also try to collaborate with brands. For example, we recently promoted a new show coming to Amazon Prime.

Our new business model is to help other brands launch their TikTok accounts by acting as consultants. “We will launch your TikTok account, we will make X videos for you for an amount Y, and provide you with all the advice to continue managing it.”

Thanks to our investors, our main focus now is growth, but revenues are currently out of reach. We are very careful about who we collaborate with to preserve our brand.

How do you verify your sources? How do you avoid fake news?

Gabriela Campbell: We mainly rely on other media publishers to get information. And sometimes, it’s difficult to validate information and avoid fake news because we don’t have our own sources. If they make mistakes, we make mistakes!

What are your next challenges?

Gabriela Campbell: Our vision is to grow significantly in terms of subscribers. To engage more in consulting activities and eventually sell part of the company, but still continue working on it.

We had a lot of new subscribers when we started covering the content about Russia and Ukraine.

Today, it is increasingly difficult to go viral because TikTok is more concentrated, and viewers are much more selective.

Currently, we have 100,000 followers for our English channel, and I am in the process of developing a team in London. So we could find another way to grow.

We want to position ourselves as the “media account” on TikTok and aim to be one of the largest media accounts for news on TikTok.

The Future and What it Holds for Ac2ality

Looking ahead, Ac2ality plans to expand its content offering to an English-speaking audience and experiment with new content formats on Twitch, including live quizzes about news topics. The burgeoning success of Ac2ality illustrates the evolution of news consumption in the digital age.

About: Discover the essentials of understanding and engaging the Gen Z audience, all in one place – Yoof News. As a newsletter curated by Gen Z, for Gen Z, the content highlights successful strategies employed across various social media platforms, offers deep dive interviews, and shares actionable tips and insights to engage Gen Z effectively. Yoof Agency is part of Media Makers Meet -Mx3’s Collectif.

About Mx3 Barcelona

Mx3 Barcelona takes place in Spain on 12-13 March 2024.

Mx3 Barcelona is an international in-person, non-traditional summit with a high premium on off-the-record and interactive thought-leader conversations, deep learning, connection and relationship-building.

Mx3 Barcelona exists for the creators, publishers and technologists at the forefront of driving specialist media, those media verticals serving interest-based enthusiasts and professional communities.

We do not do talk-down slide presentations at Mx3 Barcelona. Top-notch speakers and attendees participate freely through highly interactive stage conversations, leadership round tables and general discussion.

No one at Mx3 Barcelona will feel lost or alone in a crowd! We place a limit on attendee numbers, creating an intimate environment with many informal opportunities to connect and build strong industry relationships. 

Mx3 Barcelona is brought to you by Media Makers Meet – Mx3 (formerly Di5rupt), the team behind other events such as the FIPP World Media Congress, Mx3 AI and Mx3 Berlin.

Our discounted launch offer will end soon.

Sign up before it does!

Speak or partner

Want to speak at Mx3 Barcelona? Email your proposal to Cobus Heyl at cobus@mediamakersmeet.com.

Want to partner with us at Mx3 Barcelona? Email John Schlaefli at john@mediamakersmeet.com and TJ Hunter at tj@mediamakersmeet.com for customisable options.

Make the most of Barcelona

Barcelona is a vibrant, welcoming city on the Mediterranean Sea. It is Spain’s second city and the capital of Catalonia. It offers several opportunities for exploration, including nine UNESCO heritage sites, markets and out-of-this-world food. It is walk and bike-friendly and easy to travel around.

Travelling from Barcelona up the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Montserrat, and more is quick and easy. If you want to learn more about experiences (as well as book your Barcelona hotels), contact our travel partner, Savile Row Travel, at mx3@savilerowtravel.co.uk.

We hope to see you in Barcelona in March!

Cobus and John
Co-founders, Media Makers Meet – Mx3

A decade or so ago many media commentators believed that publishing was on the cusp of a new era. Video content was going to explode across the web and media companies were in a prime position to capitalise on its popularity. They would soon be enjoying the boom in advertising, including reaping significantly higher CPMs than standard display ads.

And while the media seers were right in that video content has become ubiquitous on the web – Sandvine concluded that 65% of internet traffic in 2022 was video, mainly powered by social platforms like TikTok and Instagram –  many publishers are still waiting for the payback.

It was this disconnect among other things that inspired Brian Morrissey the Founder behind The Rebooting email newsletter and podcast to take stock of the state of video among mainstream media companies.

Enabled by his partner VideoElephant, Morrissey quizzed over 150 executives from media companies, mainly from the US and UK, about their video production systems, monetisation strategies and ambitions for video content. And the results, delivered in this report, make illuminating reading.

As Morrissey explains,

“When I speak to publishers, I ask them their top priorities. I regularly hear video, along with areas like commerce or events. (I rarely, if ever, hear display advertising.) A solid majority said video is a top priority, yet under a quarter said that video advertising makes up over 25% of revenue.”

Is video too complex for publishers?

So why does video remain under-exploited by media companies? Is the creation and monetisation of video seemingly just too complex and difficult to scale? One thing is clear, the video revolution has changed the web irrevocably,

As Morrissey notes, “The Internet is moving towards video. According to one estimate, 65% of Internet traffic now is video. Think about your own habits. The fastest-growing content – TikTok, Instagram – is video, it’s not pictures anymore.”

Publishers also have other very sound reasons to pursue video strategies. As Morrissey explains, “With display being such a tough market, a lot of publishers have turned to video because there is a ton of demand for video advertising inventory.”

Morrissey thinks that many media companies may have bet heavily on video a few years ago and not seen the results they expected, so they are wary of going big on video again.

We saw people build up big video teams. These are very expensive and the revenue never followed. So I think there’s a once-bitten twice-shy phenomenon going on. We found too that as many as 45% of respondents outsource their video content, so there’s clearly some reticence.

Where are the bespoke video ads?

Another issue that the report focuses on is the difference between the expectation and the reality of how much money video content generates. Sure the CPMs are much higher than standard display advertising, but as highlighted earlier some of this has to be used to offset the high production costs of the content.

In addition, the high-quality video advertising that some media companies were expecting has never materialised. Yes, some high-profile news publishers have attracted large sponsorship sums, but a lot of video advertising has been generic and all too often programmatically-delivered. 

In short, brands are making video advertising content for many diverse platforms from connected TV through to social media and simply don’t have the resources or the inclination to create bespoke content for media brands.

Besides, as Brian Morrissey points out, a lot of publishers don’t have the scale to sell their video inventory directly and so they end up turning on programmatic demand systems.

“At the end of the day I think this is the essential challenge facing a lot of publishers. Publishers want to have video advertising on their sites because of the higher yield. Brands pay more for video ads than they do banner ads. Far more. The problem ends up being a lot of publishers are still mostly in the text content business. Mixing chocolate and peanut butter works. But mixing oil and vinegar does not. And sometimes video in these very text environments is oil and vinegar, not chocolate and peanut butter.”

It’s a challenge because you’re trying to balance the expectations and needs of your audience, with the expectations and demands of your advertisers, with your own business needs.  And trying to square all these things is really difficult.

Is AI the magic bullet?

One potential solution could be the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence into video content creation. There are already a host of AI-based tools (Fliki, Synthesia, HourOne, etc) that can help media companies significantly speed up content creation and potentially scale it too.

Morrissey thinks that while AI might have its uses for improving the quality and efficiency of video content, it is no magic bullet. 

“I remember years ago, I wrote a newsletter about the easy button. Inside every company that I’ve ever been part of, there’s always this impulse to reach for the easy button and to look for the big switch. It’s like, yeah, we’ll just turn on this switch and then a bunch of revenue will show up. And that usually doesn’t happen.

“It’s hard and it takes way longer than you think. And so we’re going to see people look to take shortcuts, that’s inevitable. It’s a human condition, it’s not a publisher condition. It’s a human condition and AI is very enticing as the ultimate shortcut. So we’re going to see a lot of people deliver bad AI-created video content with the idea that they won’t have to pay much to create it but they’ll be able to monetise it. So there’s going to be a lot of crap.”

Ultimately then we return to the core question. Is it time for publishers to pivot on the pivot to video and maybe look for other ways to generate new income?

“I said this in the intro to the report, I recounted a conversation I had at a dinner in Cannes where I asked one of the executives ‘What are you optimistic about?’ And he said the end of pivots. What he was getting at was I think digital publishing specifically. He has been hunting for a saviour for too long.”

The video report is available here. You can also watch the highlights of our video with Brian below:

Journalism is at a crossroads. Trust in the news media is at, or near, record lows; and news avoidance is a growing cause for concern. Many news media outlets are sitting on shaky financial foundations. Unless we do some things differently, the trajectory for the industry is clear.

Alongside these challenges, there’s a growing recognition that for too long journalism has also failed to effectively serve large parts of the population. Newsrooms are seldom representative of the communities they are serving. Subsequently, is it any surprise that stories often fail to speak to communities, resonate with their experiences, or meet their information needs? We must do better. We can do better.

Community-Centered Journalism is not a panacea for these issues, but it can be part of the solution, particularly at a local level. It proposes taking a different approach to journalistic practice, rooting it in demonstrable community needs and delivering news and information in formats that prioritize impact for communities over more conventional newsroom practices, metrics and routines.

Community-Centered Journalism thus takes a bottom-up approach, with beats, stories and products ascertained as a result of deep listening and engagement. This work is often done with communities that don’t consume your product and who may have been overlooked, stereotyped or underserved by the mainstream media. It’s time to address these historic imbalances.

Research shows that audiences don’t just want local news outlets to be watchdogs. They want them to be a “good neighbor” too. This principle can be reflected in both the types of stories that are covered and how they are produced. As Andrea Wenzel, a leading scholar in this space told us, this is about “journalism produced with – and for – communities.” Put another way, this is “journalism for communities, not just about them.”

One way to help deliver on these promises involves journalists ceding elements of their traditional gatekeeping, agenda-setting role. Jennifer Brandel and Mónica Guzmán have suggested this means “what we cover will be shaped directly by our communities.” Editorial meetings “won’t start with our ideas,” they add, “we’ll start with the information gaps the public demonstrates they have, and focus our efforts squarely on filling those gaps.”

This fresh approach needs to be complemented with a suite of new skills including those related to listening, facilitation, partnership working, building trust and measuring impact. In her new book, How journalists engage: a theory of trust building, identities, & care, Dr. Susan Robinson argues that embracing these types of values and practices represents a significant shift in the fundamental principles that have historically underpinned journalistic work over much of the past century. As Jonathan Kealing, Chief Network Officer at the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), told us, “You’re not approaching journalism or your community as sort of an anthropological exploration. You’re approaching it as someone who is of the community and trying to do this journalism for that community.”

Working in concert with communities and trusted local players (such as NGOs, libraries, faith groups and other community influencers) will often mean stepping away from the 24/7 news cycle. A more longitudinal, consultative and collaborative process is required if journalists are to tackle the issues that matter most to specific communities. It’s worth noting that these topics may not be the ones that you would choose to cover, but a more service-oriented model of journalism actively embraces this power-sharing reality.

Community-Centered Journalism is an approach that won’t work for every beat or story, but it’s a model that can allow outlets to go deeper on stories that communities have told us matter to them – and that can have a measurable impact on the longer-term sustainability of newsrooms. As Emily Goligoski the former research director for the Membership Puzzle Project found through her own work, “Over and over, loyalists to publications including De Correspondent and The Texas Tribune say they seek out organizations that are inclusive, participatory, transparent and human.” Incorporating these principles into Community-Centered Journalism requires journalists and newsrooms to be more visible, embracing opportunities for in-person engagement and consciously diversifying the range of people they interview.

We’ve known for some time that this more inclusive and holistic approach is one that communities want journalism to embrace. A 2006 study by journalism professors Don Heider, Maxwell McCombs and Paula Poindexter highlighted that alongside traditional investigative and watchdog reporting, audiences want to see stories that demonstrate “caring about your community, highlighting interesting people and groups in the community, understanding the local community, and offering solutions to community problems.” As we outline in this report, both the processes journalists use, as well as the content they produce, are integral to fulfilling these aspirations.

We believe that Community-Centered Journalism in both method and approach can help address many of the biggest philosophical and structural challenges facing journalism today. It can contribute to making journalism more inclusive, equitable, impactful and relevant. And it can do so in a way that still enables journalism to do what it has always sought to do: acting as a check on those in power and creating an informed citizenry, while at the same time also more actively fostering a sense of community and building communities.

As Candice Fortman, the Executive Director of Outlier Media reminded us, “the future of journalism is now.” We hope that this report – the first of a three part series on this topic – will be a valuable resource for those working to embrace this future, and the role that the emerging practice of Community-Centered Journalism can play within it.

You can download your full copy of the report by clicking here

Damian Radcliffe
Oregon, September 2023

A story earlier this year spread like wildfire throughout social media. Posted to X (at the time Twitter), a recruiter recounted a list of demands she was given by a Gen Z candidate for an internship position, which included a 5-hour work day and a salary of around eight times the average for someone their age. The recruiter concluded: “God bless the future of work”.

This seemed to confirm the worst suspicions of every Boomer and Gen X – that the new generation coming into the workplace were uniquely demanding, self-centred, and entitled.

But does this perception ring true? As a 17-year old, I am categorised as a member of the Gen Z demographic. But denouncing an entire generation as ‘hard to deal with’ is reductive. So why have these attitudes and perceptions arisen – and what can business leaders do to get the best from their future Gen Z hires, who are, after all, the ‘future of work’?

Once in a generation

Every generation has its own struggles. Baby Boomers grew up in a fast-changing world emerging from the devastation of a world war. Gen X experienced the financial slump of the early 90’s, as well as the dot com crash. Many Millennials entered the workforce after the 2008 financial crash. The newest generation, Gen Z, are defined as those born between 1996 and 2010 – and we’ve had plenty to contend with.

Aside from the rocky economy, our schooling and formative teenage years were severely impacted by Covid. Many also missed out on the internships and job experience schemes that are not only vital for CVs, but also for shaping an understanding of working in an office.

At the same time, we are watching the generations before us burn out through over-work. We are educated about our rights in the workplace, as well as ‘better’ ways of working, often communicated on social media platforms. In many ways, we’re learning the lessons of previous generations.

We are a cohort that doesn’t simply ask what they can give an employer, but what an employer can give to us and I would question: What’s wrong with that?

This doesn’t always boil down to more money. Often Gen Z are looking to work for companies that reflect their values. A majority (82%) of Gen Z want mental health days – understandable when 55% of 18- to 24-year-olds received a diagnosis for a mental health condition. Over three-quarters consider it important that their company champions diversity and inclusivity, while 72% want hybrid working.

Many may baulk at these wishes and think “I didn’t have those benefits and values at my first job – why should they?” This only leads to companies and their cultures stagnating, in turn failing to attract top talent.

I have strong views on what I would like to see from my future employees. I also spoke to friends at school about their perceptions on the workplace they will be entering after education. Here are some of our views on what companies should be doing to attract – and retain – upcoming Gen Z talent:

Environmental focus

With temperature records being broken year-on-year, surely the time has come for people to turn their focus to the reality of climate change and global heating? As carbon emissions continue to rise with very little being done by Governments or individuals around the world, I can’t help but focus on the destruction that my generation will be left to deal with. Overhearing my parent’s Boomer and Gen X friends claim: “It won’t happen in our lifetime – but our kids will have to deal with it” demonstrates selfishness and a lack of responsibility for the problem. Importantly it highlights how little action is taking place to reduce the impact of climate breakdown, leaving my generation to pick up the pieces and facing a questionable future on this heated planet.

That’s why Gen Z will be looking closely at companies and their attitude to the environment. Will they be polluters that place profit over planet, or will they help to tackle the problem? I will expect my future employees to demonstrate real and actionable sustainability commitments including membership of B Corp and a lean-in to the circular. I will be surprised if fossil fuel companies and other environmental-damaging businesses will have a future because they will need staff to work in them – and my upcoming generation will want these operations to close down. Starting with refusing to work for them or with them.

In early October, Media Makers Meet – Mx3 will be releasing a report on the State of Talent and Culture within the media industry, with a special focus on the challenge on AI, and its impact on hiring, talent and company culture. Further details will be announced soon on our website and social media channels.

Work life balance

We understand that employers can offer flexible working including home working because businesses were able to adapt to this model during Covid when necessity demanded it.

But some sectors are now requiring workers to return to work 5-days a week, which smacks of corporate greed over employee well-being – something businesses were quick to claim was their motivation when it suited them. Now with Covid out of the picture they’ve returned to their commercially focused ways. I would question how well these businesses will fare against competitors happy to offer their team a more flexible approach to working patterns. Flexible working does not mean lazy, in fact flexibility is linked to increased employee productivity, as highlighted in a 2023 paper by the World Economic Forum. It’s a no-brainer.

Salary

My generation understands our worth and salary is an important element in the mix of company benefits. Compared to my parent’s generation, more information is now available for employees to cross-check their salary against industry standards, including by diversity.

My generation also understands that employees cannot be hoodwinked into the work hard, play hard mentality of previous generations. We are not afraid of hard work and thrive under pressure, but I would not be enamoured by an organisation that expected me to put in all-nighters or work at the weekend at the drop of a hat, like my parents were expected to do. It feels, at best, like poor business planning and – at worst – a tactic to gain free labour by reducing staff numbers and forcing them to work overtime. Buy four, get one free, if you like. Unfortunately, it’s a practice still adopted in some businesses and one that I would find difficult to stomach.

We shouldn’t be looking to chastise those coming into the workforce and shut them out; we should be looking to listen and learn from them to create dynamic forward-thinking companies where all feel valued. And for those companies still ignoring the climate crisis, your future – as is the case with ours – is at risk if you do not engage with this generation of fired and passionate individuals that are the future of the workforce.

Charlotte Usher
Gen Z Native & Intern at GingerMay

There is an emerging view that AI will replace all kinds of human creation. At The Content Exchange (TCE), we have more confidence in ‘human journalism’ than in ‘artificial journalism’. Notwithstanding, we believe that there will be a whole lot that AI will contribute to, and not just take from journalism.

TCE stands strong that ‘great stories are made for sharing’. In our view, the creation of a great story requires ingredients such as a sense of urgency, authenticity, originality and a genuine effort of being truthful. Let’s look at some examples to explain this. When you look closely at the list of some recently purchased items on the TCE platform, you find articles like:

• Why Frankfurt is clamping down on data center sprawl
• The Art of Saying No
• Why Robotaxis Are Dividing San Francisco
• Kylie Minogue: “I’m not a connoisseur of wines by any means. I just like a good wine.”
• Gustave Eiffel: 100 Years Later, Still Defining ‘French Entrepreneur’
• The Mine Of The Dead: Inside Egypt’s Desert Gold War

The sense of urgency

The first question to ask is why an editor would think about creating stories like these? Noticing a sense of urgency to have these stories told, out of the zillion possible stories, itself is already an important act of journalism. Of course, AI may copy these articles, rephrase them, summarise them; blend them, make videos out of them, translate them in a 100 languages but the question is if it will ever become the original source for them, and identify by itself that these stories are worthy of being told.

There is a well known concept in the news called ‘personalized’ news. Which means users can create their own specific blends of news, and decide for themselves what is urgent and what is not. AI might be an answer to this as it can help create the zillion possible stories and make them completely customised to match every individual’s preference. However, the consumer desire for such a service is doubtful, just like the probable quality of the zillion stories.

Another ‘sense of urgency’ may be to look at Google Trends or Trending stories on Twitter/X. From the perspective of news publishing, this might be an inspiration, but will not lead to creation of great original stories, only amplifying stories already told.

Authority

The examples you saw above are either background stories, commentaries, opinion pieces or interviews. Of course, it is perfectly possible to ask Chat GPT to write an article, in a certain style with a certain amount of words, about Gustave Eiffel, or fake an interview with Kylie Minogue. However both examples have serious issues.

In order to ask Chat GPT to write about Gustave Eiffel, there should at least be an awareness that ‘French Entrepreneurship’ is an original angle for this topic (not just a factual biography), and that it needs to have some sense of opinion that Eiffel is a ‘still defining’ entrepreneur. This is not about ‘truth’ but about the authority of the creator of the article to make such a claim. Does the reader trust the authority? Then the claim has value (or even ‘truth’), if the reader does not ‘trust’ the authority, the claim is meaningless.

An authority is not randomly gained, but earned by winning the hearts and minds of readers by the author (or a brand) by numerous previous publications over a long period of time. You may ask AI tools to write a text ‘as if’ it was written by Anna Wintour about London Fashion Week, but it is the own view of Anna Wintour that people are looking for.

Authenticity

That interviews can be faked has already been proven by the infamous Michael Schumacher interview. The interview format is the most ‘human’ form imaginable; based on a talk between two people who have a genuine interest in that conversation. Though you might be able to ‘fake’ such a talk; it has no value (let alone the questionable ethics of such an act). The reader is interested in the thoughts of Kylie Minogue, not in the thoughts of Chat GPT. It is true that many experiments have shown that people in fact can relate to bots and experience a real connection, but when a bot secretly plays as if it were an authentic person, the reader is being deceived.

Originality

More worrying examples of AI automation are the likes of ‘rewrite this article for me’, which are explicitly or implicitly handed over to AI. A great popular science story can easily be ‘rewritten’ in a way that you can get away with the copyrights. This in fact has nothing to do with AI. It is a practice that has been around since computers could offer the ‘copy paste’ functionality. As long as these ‘rewrites’ (could also be the creation of video or audio out of text) actions are focused on proprietary content, this is a very interesting way of making content available to new audiences, but when rewriting is done to other people’s work, then in fact someone is deprived from value, which is a big loss. What AI shows us is that rights/copyrights should be taken more seriously.

In essence, there is nothing wrong with reusing someone’s work (it is our mission), and adding customizations (like translations, local examples, summaries, etc); to make it fit the needs of the readers. What is wrong is that there is no payment and credit given to the original creator.

This is a fallacy in publishing which has been around longer than AI. AI only brings this to a massive scale, which makes it even more clear that this fallacy should be repaired.

TCE

Often AI/Journalism analysis and predictions take ‘the news’ as a kind of uniform genre, most resembling a kind of factual publications like a news wire. The reality is that ‘the news’ is a diversified field of genres, among which opinion, interviews, reviews, human interest, background stories, within certain well defined restrictions (the format). Being unlimited in output or super efficient in creation is not necessarily a benefit for all these kinds of genres. Originality, authenticity and authority are.

In our view, managing rights and fair payment for human journalism is the starting point for great collaboration with artificial intelligence. AI will make it possible to amplify human creativity, originality, sense of urgency and authenticity. A great background story, made accessible to new audiences by using AI and for example by turning it into a podcast is a big win for all parties involved. These kinds of Human/Artificial relationships is what TCE is steering at in these exciting times.

Joris van Lierop
CEO, The Content Exchange

The Content Exchange, founded by Joris van Lierop and Tom Schenkenberg, is developing a global marketplace for content. By bringing creators and publishers together, a partnership is formed that creates a better earnings model for good stories that need to be shared.

The business model is straightforward: Publishers retain full control of what content they make available to third parties and their content is listed in a secure, ring-fenced marketplace by category. Third-party publishers from other geographical territories can then select the content they wish to re-publish under license, often using a minimum bundle package.

In computing terminology, overclocking is the practice of increasing the clock rate of a computer – in short, custom tuning your PC. It’s an apt name for one of the most dynamic content creators in the U.S., Austin Evans, who has seen his passion for tech burgeon into a media company that in terms of audience engagement outstrips many bigger media peers.

The story began when, aged 16 and growing up homeschooled in Missouri, Austin created his own YouTube channel featuring technology reviews. Speaking to Business Insider a few years ago, Austin described his journey, “In 2008, the iPod Touch debuted, and I wanted to review as many of its applications as I could. So I created a YouTube video doing just that. When I started, I immediately remember hitting 100 subscribers and seeing positive comments on my videos. So I kept making more and more videos, with an upload a day.”

Millions of subscribers later and Overclock Media has grown into a company of eleven that continues to post content which resonates with its tech and gaming audience. Sponsors include brands such as Toyota, Microsoft, and Intel.

As my content evolved, so has the team behind it all. We now have a team of editors, camera operators, and writers including my creative director, Ken Bolido. As YouTube has evolved, so has the way that I enjoyed creating videos. I consider my reviews now more entertainment tech than reviews.

Austin Evans, Overclock Media

• So how has Austin kept Overclock’s momentum going?
• What is Overclock’s niche in a crowded and competitive tech media space?
• What advice has he got for this generation’s new breed of content creators?

We spoke to him via Google Meet to find out more…

Key Takeaways and Time Stamps:

4.04: “It took me a year to get YouTube partnership status, and don’t forget I’d got rejected twice beforehand. I was sixteen or seventeen at the time, and was spending all my time on this, coming up with ideas, etc. My first month’s paycheck was $400-$500 bucks which was great for a seventeen year old.”

5.42: “YouTube is constantly evolving so don’t get too precious about formats, content or series. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pivoted my content focus, it’s always been evolving.”

11.08: “We run three channels…and they are always evolving. Monetisation includes Google AdSense, as well as branded content and partnerships with brands….we’re in a good, stable place.”

17.20: “Iteration is the most important factor – make stuff, try it out, don’t be too precious with any idea. Don’t commit to anything that doesn’t work – just drop it. Learn from all your experiences.”

Our first two confirmed speakers are:

• Charlie Beckett, Director of the Journalism AI Project, Polis, at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
• Tim Bond, Associate Director, Ipsos

Mx3 AI is an event/meetup collaboration between Media Makers Meet – Mx3 and Media Voices. It is an opportunity for select industry decision-makers to come together, discuss the latest AI developments and look towards 2024 with us.

The Mx3 AI agenda will cover the big picture for society and media, AI in national and local news media, AI in consumer and B2B media, and functional topics such as AI and content, marketing, monetisation and the workplace. We will announce more speakers in the coming days and weeks.

Places at Mx3 AI are limited to 50-75 people only, so book your place sooner rather than later!

Sign up now

Mx3 AI overview

The conversation:

Generative AI exploded into public consciousness with the launch of ChatGPT on 30 November 2022. As with the arrival of any new pervasive technology, conversations, experiments, and product rollouts often happen in vacuums – between organisations, markets and sectors. 

At some point, the industry must come together to share common challenges, spotlight early learnings and develop a more unified voice. Media Makers Meet – Mx3 and Media Voice’s Mx3 AI is a platform to help find that voice.

Informal networking:

Mx3 AI is as much about informal conversations as it is about the speaker programme. We will have several networking opportunities during the day, but the main “social event” is after we finish with the speaking programme when we see out 2023 and turn our gaze to 2024 with informal, festive drinks.

After the event:

We will release a podcast and a report to all attendees after the event, bringing together the main strands of conversation during the day.

Get involved

Attending:

Be part of the conversation. Mx3 AI is an informal, intimate gathering with only 50-75 attendee tickets available. Learn more and sign up here before sales close.

Partnering:

We have several customisable partnership opportunities available. Contact John Schlaefli (john@mediamakersmeet.com) or TJ Hunter (tj@mediamakersmeet.com) to learn more and to customise your involvement.

Speaking:

Mx3 AI will feature top leaders, practitioners and experts. Contact Cobus Heyl (cobus@mediamakersmeet.com) and Esther Kezia Thorpe (esther@voices.media) if you want to speak at Mx3 AI.

We hope to see you on 7 December.

Sign up today!

Sincerely,

Cobus & John, Media Makers Meet – Mx3

Esther & Peter, Media Voices

“Our entire media ecosystem is built upon links … links might actually be on the way out.”

Attended by more than 400 delegates from 43 countries, the FIPP World Media Congress 2023 kicked off with a look at the innovation occurring in the face of severe media disruption.

During his keynote session, Dan Pacheco emphasised the need for publishers to step away from thinking that the internet is ‘just a bunch of rectangles’ and instead realise it is an interactive ecosystem where constant experimentation and innovation are a necessity.

Pacheco has a long history as an innovator in major media companies, and here he shares a toolkit for publishers to assess and make decisions on emerging technologies.

Here are a few key insights from the session:

1. “We always have to be experimenting”

“Very recently, Apple introduced the Apple Vision Pro. If you think back a few years ago, people were talking about the future as virtual reality and putting things on your face. Facebook created a product that really did put something on your face, but then you’re socially isolated. 

“And now Apple is basically saying, in 10 years, this tech will replace the iPhone. You can sort of see the evolution. So we always have to be experimenting with new technologies, and we have to make bets. We don’t have any choice over that. 

How do we predict the future? Most recently, virtual reality was sort of like on the way out. And then Apple completely changed all that.

2. The internet is becoming more interactive

“The internet got better and more social. And now what we’re seeing is it’s becoming more interactive. Stop thinking about the internet as being just a bunch of rectangles. And regardless of what you think about virtual reality or augmented reality, or what Apple calls spatial computing, all of the fabrics to make that work is already here.

“You’re probably already seeing more of this kind of content. It’s just getting more interactive, more and more immersive. But how do you as a media professional or media company decide what to do with that? And where do you put your eggs? 

When it comes to AI, I think this is the big question right here. How does my content work when AI generated answers are valued more than links to content? Our entire media ecosystem is built upon links. I think links might actually be on the way out.

3. “Innovation is … being a little bit ahead of everybody else”

“20 is basically the number that you need just to get a data sample that means anything. It shouldn’t be your friends and family. It shouldn’t be people you work with. It should be people in that target market. This is what tech companies do all the time in the background. You just don’t realize it. 

“They call that a pain point. So you find some pain that somebody has, and then you want the pain killer for that pain. If you can do that, you have a solution that’s going to have some longevity to it. What you learn by going through these experiments, sometimes you discover something that you didn’t even anticipate. And that becomes the true innovation. 

That’s actually where Twitter came from by the way, it was a little like side product in, I think a gaming company. If you’re 10% ahead, well, that’s innovation. Innovation is not, we’ve invented something totally new. It’s just being a little bit ahead of everybody else.

We have made Dan’s entire presentation available to view here:

Since ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, many news outlets have reported on the ethical threats posed by artificial intelligence. Tech pundits have issued warnings of killer robots bent on human extinction, while the World Economic Forum predicted that machines will take away jobs.

The tech sector is slashing its workforce even as it invests in AI-enhanced productivity tools. Writers and actors in Hollywood are on strike to protect their jobs and their likenesses. And scholars continue to show how these systems heighten existing biases or create meaningless jobs – amid myriad other problems.

There is a better way to bring artificial intelligence into workplaces. I know, because I’ve seen it, as a sociologist who works with NASA’s robotic spacecraft teams.

The scientists and engineers I study are busy exploring the surface of Mars with the help of AI-equipped rovers. But their job is no science fiction fantasy. It’s an example of the power of weaving machine and human intelligence together, in service of a common goal.

Instead of replacing humans, these robots partner with us to extend and complement human qualities. Along the way, they avoid common ethical pitfalls and chart a humane path for working with AI.

The replacement myth in AI

Stories of killer robots and job losses illustrate how a “replacement myth” dominates the way people think about AI. In this view, humans can and will be replaced by automated machines.

Amid the existential threat is the promise of business boons like greater efficiency, improved profit margins and more leisure time.

Empirical evidence shows that automation does not cut costs. Instead, it increases inequality by cutting out low-status workers and increasing the salary cost for high-status workers who remain. Meanwhile, today’s productivity tools inspire employees to work more for their employers, not less.

Alternatives to straight-out replacement are “mixed autonomy” systems, where people and robots work together. For example, self-driving cars must be programmed to operate in traffic alongside human drivers. Autonomy is “mixed” because both humans and robots operate in the same system, and their actions influence each other.

However, mixed autonomy is often seen as a step along the way to replacement. And it can lead to systems where humans merely feed, curate or teach AI tools. This saddles humans with “ghost work” – mindless, piecemeal tasks that programmers hope machine learning will soon render obsolete.

Replacement raises red flags for AI ethics. Work like tagging content to train AI or scrubbing Facebook posts typically features traumatic tasks and a poorly paid workforce spread across the Global South. And legions of autonomous vehicle designers are obsessed with “the trolley problem” – determining when or whether it is ethical to run over pedestrians.

But my research with robotic spacecraft teams at NASA shows that when companies reject the replacement myth and opt for building human-robot teams instead, many of the ethical issues with AI vanish.

Extending rather than replacing

Strong human-robot teams work best when they extend and augment human capabilities instead of replacing them. Engineers craft machines that can do work that humans cannot. Then, they weave machine and human labor together intelligently, working toward a shared goal.

Often, this teamwork means sending robots to do jobs that are physically dangerous for humans. Minesweeping, search-and-rescue, spacewalks and deep-sea robots are all real-world examples.

Teamwork also means leveraging the combined strengths of both robotic and human senses or intelligences. After all, there are many capabilities that robots have that humans do not – and vice versa.

For instance, human eyes on Mars can only see dimly lit, dusty red terrain stretching to the horizon. So engineers outfit Mars rovers with camera filters to “see” wavelengths of light that humans can’t see in the infrared, returning pictures in brilliant false colors.

Meanwhile, the rovers’ onboard AI cannot generate scientific findings. It is only by combining colorful sensor results with expert discussion that scientists can use these robotic eyes to uncover new truths about Mars.

Respectful data

Another ethical challenge to AI is how data is harvested and used. Generative AI is trained on artists’ and writers’ work without their consent, commercial datasets are rife with bias, and ChatGPT “hallucinates” answers to questions.

The real-world consequences of this data use in AI range from lawsuits to racial profiling.

Robots on Mars also rely on data, processing power and machine learning techniques to do their jobs. But the data they need is visual and distance information to generate driveable pathways or suggest cool new images.

By focusing on the world around them instead of our social worlds, these robotic systems avoid the questions around surveillance, bias and exploitation that plague today’s AI.

The ethics of care

Robots can unite the groups that work with them by eliciting human emotions when integrated seamlessly. For example, seasoned soldiers mourn broken drones on the battlefield, and families give names and personalities to their Roombas.

I saw NASA engineers break down in anxious tears when the rovers Spirit and Opportunity were threatened by Martian dust storms.

Unlike anthropomorphism – projecting human characteristics onto a machine – this feeling is born from a sense of care for the machine. It is developed through daily interactions, mutual accomplishments and shared responsibility.

When machines inspire a sense of care, they can underline – not undermine – the qualities that make people human.

A better AI is possible

In industries where AI could be used to replace workers, technology experts might consider how clever human-machine partnerships could enhance human capabilities instead of detracting from them.

Script-writing teams may appreciate an artificial agent that can look up dialog or cross-reference on the fly. Artists could write or curate their own algorithms to fuel creativity and retain credit for their work. Bots to support software teams might improve meeting communication and find errors that emerge from compiling code.

Of course, rejecting replacement does not eliminate all ethical concerns with AI. But many problems associated with human livelihood, agency and bias shift when replacement is no longer the goal.

The replacement fantasy is just one of many possible futures for AI and society. After all, no one would watch “Star Wars” if the ‘droids replaced all the protagonists. For a more ethical vision of humans’ future with AI, you can look to the human-machine teams that are already alive and well, in space and on Earth.

Janet Vertesi
Associate Professor of Sociology, Princeton University

About: The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good.  The Conversation publishes trustworthy and informative articles written by academic experts and share researchers’ expertise in policy, science, technology, health, economics, education, history, ethics and more besides. Since its founding in Australia in 2011, there are autonomous editions joined by a core philosophy and platform in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, France, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, the U.K. and the United States. The Conversation is a partner of Media Makers Meet – Mx3’s Collectif.

Media Makers Meet – Mx3 and Media Voices are joining forces to present Mx3 AI, an opportunity for select industry decision-makers to come together, discuss the latest AI developments and see out 2023 with us. It takes place on 7th December 2023 at Colours Hoxton in London.

Sign up now

Mx3 AI overview

The conversation:

Generative AI exploded into public consciousness with the launch of ChatGPT on 30 November 2022. As with the arrival of any new pervasive technology, conversations, experiments, and product roll-outs often happen in vacuums – between organisations, markets and sectors. 

At some point, the industry has to come together to share common challenges, spotlight early learnings and develop a more unified voice. Media Makers Meet – Mx3 and Media Voice’s Mx3 AI is a platform to help find that voice.

Informal networking:

Mx3 AI is as much about informal conversations as it is about the speaker programme. We will have several networking opportunities during the day, but the main “social event” is after the speaking programme when we see out 2023 and turn our gaze to 2024 with informal, festive drinks.

After the event:

We will release a podcast and a report to all attendees after the event, bringing together the main strands of conversation during the day.

Getting involved

Attending:

Be part of the conversation. Mx3 AI is an informal, intimate gathering with only 50-75 attendee tickets available. Learn more and sign up here before sales close.

Partnering:

We have several customisable partnership opportunities available. Contact John Schlaefli (john@mediamakersmeet.com) or TJ Hunter (tj@mediamakersmeet.com) to learn more and to customise your involvement.

Speaking:

Mx3 AI will feature top leaders, practitioners and experts. If you want to speak at Mx3 AI, contact Cobus Heyl (cobus@mediamakersmeet.com) and Esther Kezia Thorpe (esther@voices.media).

We hope to see you on 7th December.

Sign up today!

Sincerely,

Cobus & John, Media Makers Meet – Mx3

Esther & Peter, Media Voices

It’s easy to forget that Twitter started on March 21, 2006. That’s the same year Facebook grew beyond its dorm room roots. They were the only two social platforms. No, News Corp buying MySpace for $580m that year doesn’t make it part of the mix. Ouch, tho.

Friends gathered on the pre-feed Facebook. Twitter was where you connected with everyone you didn’t know. Or, you would like to know — celebs, sports stars, politicians, and the journalists who write for the Wall Street Journal or Chief Marketer. Twitter was real-time, hip, and quippy.

Yutes made both platforms popular. The thing about yutes is that they leave for whatever is hotter and cooler. Old platforms aren’t hot or cool. They just become redundant. Tepidly lukewarm. Billions of aunts, uncles, and other assorted fogies stuck with The Facebook. Twitter was left to figure out its future. It’s been doing that since Instagram started in 2010. It’s easier for hip people to caption glamor shots than write things from scratch. Things got tougher for Twitter in 2012 when Facebook bought the picture swapping platform. By 2014, Instagram was an instant hit. Since then, Twitter’s user base has flatlined at a nothing-to-tweet-home-about 3.1% CAGR.

Twitter isn’t a Young Turk. Its like the wee-water trickle of an aging man with prostate issues. Which sums up X’s station in life. It’s all grown up. What’s next?

My friend Matt texted me, “Elon ain’t stupid.” Matt ain’t loquacious. (Matt, August 10th, look it up.)

Twitter’s strategy hasn’t worked for a decade. It isn’t going to magically start working now. Elon has to do something different. If Elon and I hung out, he’d be the one wearing the, “I’m with stupid t-shirt.” If I know this, he does too.

He has more than hinted at what that something might be. He’s trying to make Twitter do things for you. Turn it into E-Trade. Make it the start point for your Uber journeys. I wrote about Musk’s plan for X to mark your spot.

Yesterday, X said it will be a place to place calls — voice and video. It can’t hurt. It’s certainly better than hoping people start to post. To be clear, I wouldn’t use Twitter to make a call. But, 83% of Twitter users are outside the U.S. That’s where most people use WhatsApp. Everyday, they use it to make 100 million calls. WhatsApp has 2.7 billion users. I’m too lazy to do the math on what percent of WA users X would need to grab to grow by 3%. I’ll just say, roughly, 1/3 of a percent.

The evolution of a maturing X is more about offering new things than fiddling with the radius of the post button. Calls, trading, really anything X can do to be your doing app is worth a shot. Doing. Hmmmm. A social platform that does things for you. Cool idea. Renee, I’ll ping you about it. After the long weekend.

——————————

Charles Benaiah is the CEO of Watzan, a techy company for medical media. When he’s not running a media company, he reads about media, thinks about it, pull out what’s left of his hair dealing with it, and, then, he writes about it over on unCharles. Charles is a member of Media Makers Meet – Mx3 Collectif.

From where I’m sat, Telegram seems to be pretty useless when taking the needs of publishers into account. For starters, as a messenger app it’s got little functionality, it has almost no monetisation tools and as far as analytics are concerned, well good luck with that.

Yet, in many parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Telegram is the go-to application for news consumption. A directory of publishers with accounts on Telegram drawn up by Aaron Coultate, The Economist’s head of newsletters, lists no less than 123 publisher accounts in Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, all the way to Mozambique.

Perhaps best to explain this phenomenon is Anton Protsiuk, senior editor at The Fix Media. Based in war-torn Ukraine, he has experienced first hand the value of Telegram and has taken the opportunity to study how other publishers use the messenger app.

In an interview with Mx3, Anton lists three main reasons why many media organisations worldwide are doubling down on Telegram:

• It offers a powerful combination of personal communication tools and broadcast capabilities. Unlike platforms like Facebook or Twitter, where content visibility is influenced by algorithms, Telegram provides direct access to an audience through both private chats and public channels. This can be beneficial for news media organisations to establish a direct and unfiltered connection with their audience.
• Telegram has positioned itself as a more secure alternative to many popular messengers, including WhatsApp. While it may not be the most secure messenger app available, it still offers a relatively high level of security compared to many other messaging platforms.
• Telegram is technically reliable and difficult for authorities to block. Even during internet disruptions, Telegram remains more reliable than many websites. Its technology also makes it challenging for authorities to censor. For example, Russian authorities attempted to block Telegram but ultimately failed.

In his analyses of how other publications use Telegram, explains Anton, most continue to harvest the key strengths of the app, which is reaching audiences quickly and directly during critical situations, such as at times of crisis or protests – or as in Anton’s case, the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Yet, he is acutely aware of the app’s shortcomings. Telegram is less developed as a media and communications platform compared to alternatives. It lacks advanced features for monetisation and analytics.

Most publications see it only to serve as an additional way to engage a specific audience or cover specific topics, rather than being the primary platform for their content. Those news outlets that invested in launching Telegram channels often use it to only focus on specific topics or regions.

As for The Fix Media itself, they use Telegram in two main ways:

• They have created a public channel to highlight their coverage and draw attention to their own journalistic efforts and content. This channel has a diverse audience, and it is particularly popular in Central and Eastern Europe.
• They have created a few private chat channels. This works well for one-off events.  It allows them to engage with participants in real-time and maintain a direct connection with the audience before, during and after the event.

You can watch our entire interview with Anton below:

5 Key Take-Aways:

• Despite limitations, Telegram is a popular platform for news consumption in regions like Eastern Europe and the Middle East
• Telegram combines personal communication and broadcast capabilities effectively, offering a direct connection with audiences.
• Telegram’s key strength lies in its ability to reach audiences quickly and directly, making it valuable during crises and protests, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Most publishers recognise Telegram’s limitations but leverage its strengths for specific purposes. 
• Telegram is technically reliable and difficult to block during internet disruptions.

Picture yourself leaning in to ask burning questions and receiving unfiltered, candid answers. Envision informal conversations where serendipitous discoveries are more likely to happen than not. Imagine a place for forging new relationships and forming alliances that will change the trajectory of your business for years to come.

If this resonates with you and you recognise the value of investing time to make it happen, join us for Mx3 Barcelona in Spain on 12-13 March 2024. Our discounted launch offer ends soon, so sign up now to join us in Barcelona.

Register before prices change!

Mx3 Barcelona is an international in-person, non-traditional summit with a high premium on off-the-record and interactive thought-leader conversations, deep learning, connection and relationship-building.

Mx3 Barcelona exists for the creators, publishers and technologists at the forefront of driving specialist media, those media verticals serving interest-based enthusiasts and professional communities.

We do not do talk-down slide presentations at Mx3 Barcelona. Top-notch speakers and attendees participate freely through highly interactive stage conversations, leadership round tables and general discussion.

No one at Mx3 Barcelona will feel lost or alone in a crowd! We place a limit on attendee numbers, creating an intimate environment with many informal opportunities to connect and build strong industry relationships. 

Mx3 Barcelona is brought to you by Media Makers Meet – Mx3 (formerly Di5rupt), the team behind other events such as the FIPP World Media Congress, Mx3 AI and Mx3 Berlin.

Our discounted launch offer will end soon.

Sign up before it does!

Speak or partner?

Want to speak at Mx3 Barcelona? Email your proposal to Cobus Heyl at cobus@mediamakersmeet.com.

Want to partner with us at Mx3 Barcelona? Email John Schlaefli at john@mediamakersmeet.com and TJ Hunter at tj@mediamakersmeet.com for customisable options.

Travelling from abroad and want to do more? 

Barcelona is a vibrant, welcoming city on the Mediterranean Sea. It is Spain’s second city and the capital of Catalonia. It offers several opportunities for exploration, including nine UNESCO heritage sites, markets and out-of-this-world food. It is walk and bike-friendly and easy to travel around.

Travelling from Barcelona up the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Montserrat, and more is quick and easy. If you want to learn more about experiences (as well as book your Barcelona hotels), contact our travel partner, Savile Row Travel, at mx3@savilerowtravel.co.uk.

We hope to see you in Barcelona in March!

Cobus & John
Co-Founders, Media Makers Meet – Mx3

As part of our Collectif, in which we feature the work of our partners (see more here), Joris van Lierop of The Content Exchange explains how content licensing is being disrupted, and crucially, how significant content licensing opportunities have emerged for media brands of all sizes. It’s simply a question of harnessing them…

Content alliances are not new – Getty Images built its business off the back of it. However, over the past few years, a new breed of content licensing specialists has sprung up. Crucially, these companies are not only disrupting the content licensing space, but they are also opening up opportunities to publishers of all sizes. 

Furthermore, these startups have proven business models and are now attracting publishers of the calibre of Future plc, Immediate Media, The Independent, and many others. In short, the opportunities for media companies are significant.

Foremost amongst this new generation of disruptors is The Content Exchange, founded by CEO Joris van Lierop. Headquartered in the Netherlands, but with an international footprint, Joris states that, “publishers need to maximize the revenue produced off the back of their content and content licensing provides a seamless way to do so. It adds a healthy revenue stream for what is really minimal effort.”

The business model is straightforward: Publishers retain full control of what content they make available to third parties and their content is listed in a secure, ring-fenced marketplace by category. Third-party publishers from other geographical territories can then select the content they wish to re-publish under license, often using a minimum bundle package.

Content is normally licensed abroad so it doesn’t compete with a publisher’s own market and, if it is re-published in English, canonical URLs are stipulated to ensure that the original owner of the content is safeguarded.

Joris van Lierop, CEO, The Content Exchange

At FIPP World Media Congress 2023, Joris gave a full presentation outlining the global opportunities for content syndication, and how strong stories can create more value for publishers of all sizes.

Here are a few key insights from the session:

1. As publishers, we hardly share any content between ourselves

“You can only reach your audience with the brand you happen to have. If you are very lucky, you have a really big brand, and the story might reach quite a lot of people. If you have a smaller brand, it will be quite a specific audience.

So what most publishers do is they share their content to Facebook or Twitter or YouTube, and these platforms have achieved great success with publishers sharing all their content on these platforms. But, as publishers, we hardly share any content between ourselves.

2. A space where publishers and creators can easily interact and exchange good content

“Publishers sometimes attempt content sharing between each other, but it takes a lot of cups of coffee and a lot of contracts before you get a deal. That’s why I quit my job and started The Content Exchange – a digital space where publishers and creators can easily interact and exchange good articles, strong content, engaging videos, together all in one place. 

“It functions as a marketplace. So publishers can offer their content on the platform, other publishers can look for it, and then you have an exchange or transaction or a deal going on. 

The difficulty of course, with marketplaces is when the first buyer arrives and all the shelves are empty, there will be no buying. And if someone says, oh, I would like to share my content, but I’m not sure if someone going to buy. So it’s what you typically name as a kind of a chicken and egg problem. But we did solve it step by step, growing and growing.

3. New context, new advertisers

“The audience wins because they see a story they would never have seen. The publisher who’s buying the story wins because he got a brilliant story for a price they could not have created by themselves. 

“And also the creator wins, because they get more money out of the story, which they have already produced. So it’ll just be additional margin to what they’re doing.

It can also attract new categories of advertisers. So new stories also bring new context, and new context also triggers new advertisers.

You can watch the entire session here:

Generative AI is on a tear, with innovations coming thick and fast. Exhibit A? This application which translates videos into multiple languages whilst simultaneously lip syncing the dialogue. If you’re still unconvinced, spend ten minutes wading through the aggregator There Is An AI For That, itself compiled by ChatGPT.

Some publishers are now fearlessly wading in. At FIPP World Media Congress 2023, Rafat Ali CEO of B2B travel platform Skift explained how his team were working on a chatbot that enhances their editorial output and will only be made available to their premium subscribers.

Tav Klitgaard, the CEO of Copenhagen-headquartered Zetland, was at the same Congress outlining his company’s Good Tape – an AI translation tool now spun off into its own private company. Whilst translation tools are nothing new, nearly all the AI translation tools in widespread use by journalists (Otter, Airgram and Rev) are only optimised to work with the world’s major languages, notably English. Good Tape addresses this imbalance by transcribing in Zetland’s native tongue, Danish.

But as Tav explains in an exclusive interview, Danish is just a jumping-off point for the tech, “There are only 5/6 million people speaking Danish, so we’ve always had the issue that all the legacy models are not usable in Danish. Now, with Good Tape, we are transcribing in 99 different languages. So that’s what we specialise in. Our market advantage is that we are very good in Danish. We’re also awesome in Finnish, in Latvian, in Estonian, in Croatian, and many others.”

The secret behind our service is that it is based on an open-source model. And that’s also the secret behind the very, very low price because we did not spend millions of dollars developing our own model.

Tav Klitgaard, the CEO, Zetland

Extending AI’s reach

Not surprisingly, having seen how transformative AI can be for one part of Zetland’s business, the team is now looking at how the technology can be used in other ways. Tav does however acknowledge there may be some limitations as to how it can be harnessed.

We are of course looking at how to leverage AI in terms of journalism, in terms of legal issues, in terms of creativity, across so many things. And that’s the exoskeleton. I like to refer to it as an exoskeleton. I feel that you (have to) reinforce yourself using AI, so it doesn’t take over. 

Tav Klitgaard, the CEO, Zetland

“Yet it’s not something that we feel we are going to focus on in terms of generative journalistic AI. We are going to continue to focus on content created by humans. We can see a lot of momentum going into the automated direction so we are trying to do the opposite.”

We are trying to be smart and to use it in a complementary way to content creation. There has to be human intuition and human intervention in the process.

Tav Klitgaard, the CEO, Zetland

Tav has concerns about how AI might impact on the media in Europe in the coming years. At the same time he also sees opportunities for Zetland, and indeed other enterprising innovative European publishing companies. He wonders if data security could be the issue that gives EU-based companies the edge.

“There are North American technology companies. And then there are a lot of Asian technology companies. And they all have problems. What we’re doing in Europe is that we’re focusing on data security. And that’s why I think that there’s a big, big opportunity for European tech companies to be the alternatives. This is because we are right now seeing a battle between TikTok and Meta. And in the middle of those companies is Europe and our claim to fame is we are actually very serious about data protection and security.”

Tav continues, “I have a very, very deep concern about the ethical dimension of this, and I feel that we as an industry need to step up and be at the forefront of ensuring data security. Otherwise there will be a repeat of what happened with the World Wide Web in the 90s. We were late to the game. European companies failed because they had their heads in print, and didn’t see what the tech companies were planning.”

Keeping up with the tech giants

“As a media business, we know how to combine ethics, design, creativity and tech into products that both make sense financially, but sometimes contribute to a greater good via campaigning journalism. We want our companies to be part of a strong democracy and society to help people to live great and happy lives.

“Tech should be an enabler. As an industry we need to take that stance and say, we’re not lagging behind your big tech. We need to invest.”

I believe that media companies have to be tech companies. In a way they’ve always been tech companies. Even distributing a print paper is pretty complicated stuff and has a lot to do with tech.

Tav Klitgaard, the CEO, Zetland

“Now it’s different, but it’s still a vital part of the media industry to be able to be tech companies. I think that content and distribution cannot be separated. They are connected. The experience around the content is key. We see it as a service and the experience around consuming the content can sometimes be more important than the content itself.”

You can hear more from Tav Klitgaard by watching his presentation at FIPP World Media Congress 2023. We have made this conversation freely available to view below:

Established in 1969, Nikkei Business Publications is a cross-media B2B company that provides high value-added information covering business management, technology, and life. Whilst its primary business is print and online media, the Tokyo-headquartered company also offers a wide array of B2B exhibitions, seminars, customized publishing, research, and consulting services. In short, it is one of the world’s pre-eminent B2B media organizations.

Speaking (via email) as part of our forthcoming report on the state of talent and culture, with a special emphasis on the impact of AI, Yasuo Metsugi (General Manager of Nikkei’s Future Business Incubation Office) and Yuko Tanaka (General Manager of Nikkei’s Global Business Unit) state that whilst the impact of AI is currently minimal on Nikkei’s business operations, that’s set to change dramatically, “The value of work and the value of human resources will change in terms of priorities. For example, the content of professional work will change. The qualities required for leadership and management will change.”

The most impacted area of our business will be content creation and planning. Why? Firstly, more and more people will be satisfied with content summarized by AI, collected by AI, or created by AI. Secondly, the B2B expertise needed for detailed explanations will no longer be seen as “expertise” in the AI era as the difference in skillsets between professionals and consumers becomes smaller.

Yasuo Metsugi & Yuko Tanaka, Nikkei BP

Viewing AI as an opportunity, not an existential threat

When asked whether AI had already replaced any roles within Nikkei BP, the answer was a firm “not yet” but the pair expected a raft of changes over the forthcoming years, “Some roles will certainly be replaced within the next few years, but they will be mainly back office roles. In our case, for example, collecting and analyzing data of all kinds to write reports, sending out eDMs, writing press releases, proofreading, etc. are the roles that will be replaced.”

The pair say that as Nikkei’s back office roles increasingly become automated through AI, the value of human creativity will become more important, “The roles that will be replaced by AI will be where there is no need for creativity.”

More human originality will become essential in the future.

Yasuo Metsugi & Yuko Tanaka, Nikkei BP

Whilst the pair recognise that human creativity will be a key differential moving forwards, staff at Nikkei BP will still be expected to show a good standard of AI literacy. This will be especially true of new hires, “Employees will need to understand AI and use it, experience it. Then, they will need to change their mindset to consider the opportunities of AI, not the risks.”

They add that the Japanese culture poses an extra challenge because words can often be unspoken yet their meaning can still be understood – whilst this isn’t a challenge with human interactions it poses a significant hurdle with AI because command inputs have to be precise, “Staff will need to develop the ability of communicating correctly in words in order to give appropriate instructions to AI. The important point is that ideas and concepts to use AI must first be created, upon which expertise in data management and other areas need to be added.”

Hiring challenges for AI

When asked whether any new roles had been created to harness AI, the pair said that temporary roles had already been created, but no permanent roles as yet, “We have created temporary roles for this transitional stage but not permanent roles; more like adding AI elements to existing roles.”

Yasuo Metsugi and Yuko Tanaka also acknowledge that the entire hiring process for media organizations will need to change. That’s certainly the case for Nikkei, “It will be difficult to initially evaluate a candidate based on papers and other written materials. Also, since writing and expression skills can be supplemented by AI in the future, they will become unnecessary for evaluating candidates.

“Instead, a candidate’s ability to evaluate AI processes and AI usage will become necessary….the importance of traditional information evaluation such as logical thinking ability, expressive ability, flexible thinking ability and receptiveness will change.”

Because AI is a new technology and likely to change very quickly, the key will be to recruit with fluidity (i.e., people will come and go on a project-by-project basis).

Yasuo Metsugi & Yuko Tanaka, Nikkei BP

Impact on company culture, final thoughts

We ended by asking Yasuo Metsugi & Yuko Tanaka whether AI had impacted their company culture, something that Nikkei BP places great store on, “There is no impact at this time, but as AI use increases, there will be impact.“

And they end by sounding a warning to media executives everywhere,

Eventually, there will be a split between cultures that can position AI as a colleague or a partner rather than just a tool, and those that cannot. The former will be more capable of survival in the AI age.

Yasuo Metsugi & Yuko Tanaka, Nikkei BP

Yasuo Metsugi and Yuko Tanaka’s thoughts on AI, and its impact on hiring, talent and company culture form part of our wider report on the topic, which will be released soon, and will feature other major media organizations.

While we love digital, the more we find ourselves on that hamster wheel, the more we look forward to hosting our international media and media-tech colleagues face-to-face worldwide.

With that in mind, here’s a peek into what we have brewing in our events boiler room for the coming months :

• Mx3 AI
• Mx3 Barcelona
• FIPP Insiders
• FIPP World Media Congress
• Call for speaker proposals
• Call for partnership proposals

MX3 AI

Mx3 AI is a one-day pop-up event in London on 7 December 2023. It is an intimate, conversation-led event exclusively for business leaders across media and media tech and includes stage conversations, informal networking and post-event podcast and report.

• Learn more about Mx3 AI and sign up here.
• Read our Mx3 AI announcement here.

MX3 BARCELONA

Registration for Mx3 Barcelona on 12-13 March 2024 focuses on innovation in the specialist media sector. It includes stage conversations, round tables, other networking conversations, and an informal social event on the evening of the 12th. All our on-stage discussions are off the record for open, honest and interactive exchanges. If you are not in the room, you are not in the conversation!

• Learn more about Mx3 Barcelona and sign up here.
• When small really means big – a post about niches.

FIPP INSIDERS:

We work with our close partners, FIPP – Connecting Global Media, on acquiring international speakers and sponsors for their half-day FIPP Insiders. They have three upcoming Insiders in Budapest (21 September), Johannesburg (10 October) and Cape Town (12 October). We will soon start work on their last one for 2023 in New York City in late November.

FIPP WORLD MEDIA CONGRESS:

In the coming weeks, we will announce details for the FIPP World Media Congress, which we organise and host. Congress 2024 will take place in late September/early October. A reminder that our 2023 attendees can still access all speaker recordings (with AI-generated closed captions in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish), time-stamped session transcriptions and other resources from our Mx3 Hub. If you did not attend Congress 2023 but wish to get access to the Congress resources, contact me at cobusheyl@mediamakersmeet.com or John Schlaefli at john@mediamakersmeet.com.

SPEAKER PROPOSALS:

If you want to speak at Mx3 AI, Mx3 Barcelona and or FIPP Insider NYC, contact me at cobus@mediamakersmeet.com.

PARTNERSHIP PROPOSALS:

If you want to partner with us on any of the events, contact my colleagues John Schlaefli at john@mediamakersmeet.com and TJ Hunter at tj@mediamakersmeet.com.

We look forward to seeing you in person in the coming weeks and months!

Thanks

Cobus Heyl
Co-founder and COO, Media Makers Meet – Mx3

A recent report by marketing data company Wiland, surveying 193 publishers, agencies and brands, found companies are increasingly leaning on data enhancement and analytics to make their existing data assets work harder and smarter.

Other reports agree that the void being created by the outphasing of 3rd party cookies will make it critical for publishers to take control of their first-party data and customer relationships, “The first step is understanding and activating their own data. The good news is that publishing brands are already in a strong place and have a wealth of first-party information on their readers.”

Absolutely, says Head of Advertising Operations at Gumtree, Victoria Trevillion. Since the online classifieds and community platform adopted a new Data Management Platform (DMP) provided by Permutive 18 months ago, they doubled down on harvesting first and second party data. At the time, they realised they needed to carefully examine what they wanted to do in an environment where their advertising data gathering processes should focus on trust, content quality, and privacy protection.

We’re not collecting more data

The commitment to invest more heavily in the potential of their data has proven successful. Trevillion says Gumtree has now doubled their audience segmentation from 300 to 600 audiences. The interesting part is that the data they use hasn’t changed over the past 10 years.

We’re not collecting more data, but we’re better at harvesting and using the data more effectively in various aspects of the business.

Victoria Trevillion, Head of Advertising Operations, Gumtree

She references how previously, Gumtree used their DMP for targeting purposes only. “Now, we use it in the pre-sell process, where we approach advertisers and provide insights about trends we’re seeing on our platform that might interest them.

For example, if there’s a large spike in Barbie searches, maybe due to the film’s recent release, we can offer them the opportunity to tap into our toys category or reach parents in the market for Barbie Dolls. 

Victoria Trevillion, Head of Advertising Operations, Gumtree

“We can also identify trends like a surge in electric vehicle searches. This allows us to be more proactive in providing insights pre-sales. Then, we use that data for targeting to optimise campaigns, and we’ve seen significant improvements in meeting client objectives.

“Post-campaign, we provide advertisers with insights into user interactions and behaviours during the campaign and on our site. For instance, we can show an advertiser that people who clicked on their ads spent six times longer on Gumtree than the average user, helping them target specific users in the future.”

These improvements were not solely driven by restrictions on third-party cookies, however, but also represent a natural progression for the business. “While we were aware of the impact of third-party cookie deprecation and we have had to adapt, the shift towards more data-driven strategies was also influenced by our independence as a company” and increased “control over our strategy”.

We are now able to focus more on direct interactions with advertisers and agencies, moving away from reliance on open marketplaces and third-party revenue, which we had little control over.

Victoria Trevillion, Head of Advertising Operations, Gumtree

Highlights from our interview with Victoria can be viewed below:

“I welcome our robot overlords in the sense that it means we will do less boring crap,” says media expert Professor Charlie Beckett as he contemplates how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence will transform editorial teams.

As the director of JournalismAI, an initiative by the London School of Economics’ Polis think-tank and the Google News Initiative, Beckett has been exploring ways for news organisations to use AI responsibly. And he predicts new tech will allow swamped content creators – already expected to be more multi-skilled than ever before – to get out of the office.

“Journalists increasingly have to be able to do everything and differently – be a curator, a filter, community activist, engagement specialist, and be revenue conscious,” Beckett points out. “AI adds to that, but also facilitates all that. It will make it possible for the journalist to be that multifarious thing.

I call it the jetpack journalist. The robot won’t replace you but you will have all these little robots working for you. When an Editor says do me a long piece, a short piece, a snippet for Twitter, a piece for TikTok, etc, you’ll press an F key and the AI will reformat it all for you.

Professor Charlie Beckett, London School of Economics & Political Science

“And while becoming this jetpack journalist sounds great, it’s not easy. You may get distracted and spend all your time managing this increased capability instead of doing what you should be doing, which is adding human value – talking to people and going out of the office. AI will hopefully enable you do this by getting across those feeds you have, those newsletters and emails you get every morning and summarising them for you.”

Finding time to connect with the public will allow journalists to add some much-needed personality to editorial teams driven by AI. “If a machine can do the bland, easy news, why should someone go to your news website and not just use ChatGPT?”

Your company’s USP is going to be – we have empathy and go out there and work with our community and witness what is happening. A machine can’t do that.

Professor Charlie Beckett, London School of Economics & Political Science

The importance of data and research

The rise of AI will see editorial teams become far less siloed and much more strategic, according to Beckett. In particular, media groups will be more focused on the data they bring in.

“They’re going to think of themselves as data companies rather than as newsrooms,” says Beckett. “The nucleus will always be the editorial team, but how you generate content will be so important, especially the use of audience data. The most important thing is that we know what our audience does.”

Over the last few months, some news organisations have played around with ChatGPT, getting the chatbot to write articles. According to Beckett, experimenting with AI should be done more systematically.

“These large language model based tools weren’t meant to write a breaking news article, so why are you doing that? You wouldn’t use a spade to cook a dinner. The best organisations are experimenting by setting up a working group who are deliberately, systematically working through potential use cases, thinking – which areas of our business could it help?”

There are many examples of media groups effectively experimenting systematically, from Swedish radio stations using AI to develop an algorithm for running orders to Il Sole 24 Ore in Italy using it for news gathering and revenue collection.

“They do their research, make sure they got the skills and then make sure that they approach it in a sensible way by starting small. They’re using it to prototype it, like you would with any product. You wouldn’t just introduce a new journalist without making sure they were going do a good job. It’s the same with AI.”

Watch edited highlights of our interview with Professor Beckett below.

Mx3 AI is a one-day event held at Colours Hoxton, London on 7th December 2023, to be followed by festive networking drinks. It is an intimate, conversation-led event exclusively for business leaders across media and media tech. To foster an environment where discussions can be productive, there are just 75 spaces available.

The programme, podcast and report will mainly feature leaders, practitioners and experts from the UK but with insights and ideas that can be applied to other markets, too.

The event will explore the impact of AI on media and media-tech, covering topics from marketing and monetisation to product, content and distribution, as well as a look at what the future could hold.

“Although there has been a huge explosion of interest in AI this year following the release of ChatGPT, it’s important for the industry to keep both the opportunities and challenges in perspective,” said Media Voices and Publisher Podcast Awards Co-Founder Esther Kezia Thorpe.

We want this event to be focused on the practical applications of these technologies – which have been used successfully by publishers for some years – and to build a framework for media leaders to evaluate where AI tools can help their publishing businesses.

Esther Kezia Thorpe, Media Voices

Collaboration

The event marks the first collaboration by international media and intelligence network Media Makers Meet – Mx3, and B2B publisher and podcast Media Voices.  The team at Media Makers Meet – Mx3 (recently rebranded from Di5rupt) have several years of experience putting on industry-leading events such as FIPP World Media Congress, the Media Makers Meet series and other events and meetups.

The Media Voices team have been at the helm of the Media Voices Podcast for nearly seven years, and are also behind the Publisher Podcast and Publisher Newsletter Awards and Summits.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Media Voices, strengthening our overall offer to the market, including our partners at FIPP – Connecting Global Media.,” Media Makers Meet – Mx3 Co-Founder Cobus Heyl said. “We will build on the solid collaborative arrangement that existed over multiple years between What’s New in Publishing – which we acquired in April this year – and Media Voices.”

The arrangement enables us to share content and expertise, serve our audiences better and provide a more substantial commercial portfolio with more choices along with FIPP’s products and services to the market. It includes events, podcasts, newsletters, reports and more.

Cobus Heyl, Media Makers Meet – Mx3

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Tickets are strictly limited: see mx3ai.com for more information, as well as speaker and sponsor opportunities.

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Media Makers Meet – Mx3

Media Makers Meet – Mx3 is an international media and intelligence network for indie creators, consumer and B2B media companies, and media-tech and other industry service providers focused on engaging and enabling well-defined communities around enthusiast and professional topics of interest. See more here.

Media Voices

Media Voices is a B2B publishing brand focused on the business of media. We produce the weekly Media Voices Podcast, a daily newsletter, regular analysis, workshops, and our annual Media Moments report. See more here.

Following a hugely successful Mx3 Berlin, Di5rupt is proud to announce the launch of its next summit, Mx3 Barcelona.

Organised and hosted by Media Makers Meet – Mx3 (formerly Di5rupt), Mx3 Barcelona exists for independent creators, consumer and B2B media and information services, technologists and other service providers at the forefront of empowering media for defined communities of interest.

The event will take place on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th March 2024 at the RBA Revistas building in central Barcelona, and will be an a-typical summit that includes:

• An exclusive audience of no more than 200 people. Deliberately designed for a more personalised experience.
• An informal connection- and conversation-friendly atmosphere. A major emphasis will be on informal, social networking to cement new ties and build business relationships.
• Speaker sessions are off the record, conversation-led, with active audience participation. If you’re in the room, you are part of our conversations with international speakers. Chatham House rules apply.

In addition to an informal evening dinner (on Tuesday 12th), there will be a post-event social get-together in the afternoon of 13 March for those staying on longer in Barcelona.

Mx3 Barcelona is launching with an exclusive, limited-time offer, starting at €498 pp for groups of 5+ people and €598 for individuals.

For further details and ticket purchases, please visit the Mx3 Barcelona website

Draft Schedule

Similar to Mx3 Berlin, the schedule will run along the following lines:

Tuesday 12 March:

• 10 am: Registration, coffee and conversation
• 11 am: Fireside chats and panel discussions
• 1 pm: Lunch and conversations
• 2 pm: Fireside chats and panel discussions
• 4 pm: Coffee and conversations
• 4:30 pm: Round table discussions
• 6:30 pm: Dinner social and conversations (off-site)

Wednesday 13 March:

• 9 am: Coffee and conversation
• 10 am: Fireside chats and panel discussions
• 12:30 pm: Lunch and conversations
• 1:30 pm: Fireside chats and panel discussions
• 3 pm: Programme close, drinks and conversation
• 5 pm: End of Mx3 Barcelona

What people said about Mx3 Berlin:

Thanks for having me, and congratulations on bringing together a brilliant audience and event! ~ Senior leader at Burda Principal Investments, Germany.

I liked your approach to speaker sessions. The topics were up to date, and the content was insightful. It was very interesting and entertaining at the same time. The networking was also amazing, with the Market Hall choice for evening networking adding a nice touch. ~ Business leader in the M&A sector, USA

The event was wonderful. I’ve never been to a conference like that for people who work in specialist media. It was fantastic to be around people who do what I do. I gained so much from the experience. I would love for you to run more. ~ Senior leader, Infopro Digital, France.

“Ultimately, journalism is about reflecting the stories of society. If that journalism is made by a small group of people who represent a small minority of the population, then journalism isn’t doing its job. The question is actually about basic questions of equity and fairness.”

After decades of media companies turning a blind eye to diversity, equity and inclusion, the tide is slowly starting to turn.

Hearst recently reported that 45% of its leaders are female and that 23% are non-white, which at face value might not seem impressive but it shows significant progress from a few years ago.

Meanwhile, in 2022 Future PLC set out its board diversity policy, with a stated aim that “the proportion of women on the Board and in leadership positions is 40 percent by no later than 2025 and to have at least one director of colour by no later than 2024.”

The larger media players all seem to agree they need to increase the percentage of people from minority backgrounds on their teams to better serve and reflect the society at large.

Progress is rarely as fast as we would like, but we are making progress.

Hearst President and CEO Steven R. Swartz in a company memo

But there are many who caution against back-slapping and warn that media companies still have a long way to go to deliver working environments that enable individuals from diverse backgrounds to truly flourish.

One of the key voices in this debate belongs to Shirish Kulkarni. He describes himself as “an independent journalist, researcher, consultant and community organiser focusing on innovation and inclusion in storytelling. 

Shirish Kulkarni is also someone who knows the media landscape intimately.

“Over a 25-year career I have worked in every major broadcast newsroom in the UK, and done almost every job – editing network news programmes, being a camera operator/editor in the field, winning awards for investigative journalism, and even being a broadcast drone pilot.”

He claims too that his work has had ‘global impact’ after having presented his research at the Reuters Institute, the World News Media Congress, the International Journalism Festival, the Future of Journalism Conference and many others.

He also has some serious words for media companies, especially those he believes are involved in little more than DE&I box-ticking exercises.

The need for systemic solutions

“I’m not particularly optimistic that the media industry is taking genuine steps to address diversity and inclusion” he argues.

If I’m honest, I think we’re in a phase where many media organisations are engaged in a range of largely superficial and/or performative actions which fail to understand either the real problems or the systemic solutions that are required. Clearly, there are some people and organisations doing good work – but we are some way from reaching critical mass.

Kulkarni is adamant that the key issue is that systemic discrimination is still endemic in the media industry. Companies are not creating environments in which talented individuals from minority backgrounds can not only feel comfortable but also begin an ascent towards leadership roles, 

“The biggest obstacle standing in the way of genuine change is the failure of much of the industry to engage in the real problems in the industry. If we accept that systemic discrimination exists (and frankly many are unwilling to even acknowledge that) then we have to accept that there are many people in positions of power which are undeserved and many people whose talents are not appropriately recognised or rewarded. Many of that second group will either not have broken into the journalism industry or been forced out. Until we accept those fundamental realities, then anything we do is largely going to be tinkering at the margins.”

One way the media industry has responded is through instigating quotas of numbers of staff from different backgrounds. This is controversial territory in that while quotas have become common in some parts of the world such as Europe, they are illegal in other places such as the U.S.

Shirish Kulkarni is a little wary of quotas arguing instead for more fundamental changes.

“Change isn’t defined by people’s identities, it’s defined by their values, beliefs and actions. As so often, talking about quotas or headcount is entirely missing the point.”

The change I want to see is a much more fundamental realignment of newsroom cultures. These issues won’t be addressed by just employing a few more black or brown or disabled people. It’s the people who already hold the power that need to do the work, on themselves and their organisations.

Advice for media leaders

“My advice to media leaders would be to engage better with the substantive issues. For instance, there is no point in having “Diversity Internships” if newsrooms aren’t prepared to acknowledge the different stories and perspectives that different people will bring.

If we still want everyone to have the same understanding of ‘news values’ or the dreaded ‘objectivity’ then we’re never going to cultivate a genuinely inclusive and representative media sector – or actually inclusive and representative journalism.

Shirish Kulkarni is currently working across a range of projects, including a two-year R&D programme with BBC News Labs and Media Cymru, looking at how new storytelling approaches can reach audiences who aren’t currently engaging with journalism.

He thinks too that technology, whether it be powering new social media platforms or empowering content creators, could also help re-defining the media and make it more reflective of the society in which it operates.

“The growing availability/sophistication of AI tools is interesting. These are often seen as a threat to the industry, but I see them as presenting unique opportunities to fundamentally redefine journalism in positive ways.

“They have the potential to create new storytelling experiences and to move away from the one-to-many “article” as the basic building block of journalism.”

You can hear more from Shirish Kulkarni by watching his conversation with Charlotte Ricca at FIPP World Media Congress 2023. We have made this conversation freely available to view below:

My friend, Rob P (not a subscriber) was one of many people who sent me a story that the New York Times and other big-name publishers will block OpenAI from accessing their stories. I said, “..a story…” because Rob’s version came from CNN. Nearly identical stories also showed up on The Verge, The Guardian, NPR, Ars Technica, Ad Week, The Wrap…

I’ll stop there to save digital trees — because: carbon footprint. More on that nonsense another time. Just know, I could have listed a few hundred dozen more. And, that’s before the aggregators regurgitate it.  

All the notes my friends sent were some version of, “This will put the brakes on training AI.”

It won’t. Because: Game Theory. This is not just my crackpot notion. John Nash won a Nobel in economics for this. Russell Crowe played him in A Beautiful Mind.

If you’re thinking AI is trying to get laid. You’re right. The New York Times and the other blondes of publishing expect AI to make a mad rush for them. The blondes are playing checkers trying to block AI. AI is playing three dimensional synergized hypercube game theory.

AI doesn’t need the New York Times. There are hundreds of dozens other publishers producing training-quality content. Those other publishers won’t block AI. Because: they don’t care.

As usual, the smart folks move first. While the NYT took Paul Lynde in the center square to block, AP got millions from OpenAI to let them access 170 years worth of old stories. Who won?

There are so many reasons and workarounds it’s not funny. The sagacious societal folks who run erudite editorial for the cultured class ought to know this. I don’t even need to say it louder. Keeners like that sit up front.

One, media is highly derivative. For any given story, dozens of outlets cover it nearly verbatim. Toss a bunch of unblocked ones on the floor. AI will $ grep -i “words” file_pattern to grok knowledge in the patterns the way a leprechaun would use Excel to =count(grains). This type of training is about quantity first. Your LLM is about enriched quality.

Which brings us to number two. To misquote Tina Turner, “And any old talking will do.”  Ok, so you can’t read Wall Street Journal stories for input. But, the WSJ will happily read you its stories. Literally, an MP3 file that’s unblocked. With a simple speech to text converter and you’re all set. Ok, it’s still won’t. But what tech bro would ignore a loophole that big?

We’re on to number three. 347 billion emails are sent each day. 85% of them are spam. I’d guess another 13% are newsletters. All AI would have to do is get a Gmail account and give it to the GAP for 10% off chinos. Moments later, the inbox would be full of training materials. Just read the crappy sales pitches, the schlocky offers on garbage I don’t need (Not yours Sherry. Yours are gold.), the reminders to get a reservation at that place you ate at that one time, and four hundred million newsletters.

And, finally, four. AI has billions of dollars and a lust for words. They could send people to every library, scan every book, be done by lunch, and have money left over to pop over to Draft Kings and place an NFL parlay. If they ask nicely, maybe Google could give them a Lyft in those cars Google uses to take pictures of the world.  

Before you poo-poo it, Google did the book thing and the courts sided with them. Margaret Atwood is already complaining about how that could lead to a dystopian society.

I’m going to close with something akin to what Karen emailed me. Which I choose to take as a compliment. Charles, “You don’t write like AI.” I’d add, “Or the 17 trillion inputs it was trained to mimic.” Does AI really need more of the same?

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Charles Benaiah is the CEO of Watzan, a techy company for medical media. When he’s not running a media company, he reads about media, thinks about it, pull out what’s left of his hair dealing with it, and, then, he writes about it over on unCharles. Charles is a member of Media Makers Meet – Mx3 Collectif.

The constant stream of customer data from several sources is not just intimidating but paralysing to many media brands. This onslaught can put a stop to any efforts to organise and analyse this information. This would be a mistake, however, as this customer data is a rich source of information that can help media organisations better understand their audiences.

Data mining – the process of analysing large quantities of data to extract valuable insights – can help media organisations expand beyond the basic personalisation of knowing a customer or prospect’s name and address. Data mining allows a company to recognise and track patterns that help provide a highly personalised, enjoyable customer experience.

Offering a personalised customer experience

Data-driven media organisations lead the way in providing customer-centric solutions, just think of Netflix and Amazon and their algorithms that personalise the users’ experience. Data mining allows these platforms to offer products and programmes to users before they even know they want them.

Around 35% of the products purchased on Amazon are recommended by their algorithm and 80% of the content watched on Netflix is based on the platform’s recommendations.

Netflix and data mining

Netflix’s 240 million current subscribers provide data that can be separated into two groups, implicit data and explicit data. Implicit data is when a user gives a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ click to what they are watching. Implicit data can best be described as behavioural evidence, for example, the user binge watched five episodes of Friends so, therefore, they must enjoy the show.

By analysing users’ viewing and rating patterns, Netflix’s algorithm uses this information to improve recommendations, increase engagement and improve the user experience. This data also informs the company on what type of programs it predicts will be a success in order to produce them.

This type of data mining helped Netflix increase its original content by 80% in just a year from 2018 to 2019, averaging over one original show or film per day in 2019. It has also assisted the platform to double its number of users in just 5 years, from 120 million in 2018 to 240 million today.

Media organisations don’t need the millions of dollars of Amazon and Netflix to provide a personalised customer experience. The rapid improvements in web technology mean that not only is customer data everywhere, but it can also be tracked and analysed using free or low-cost online tools. Also, your returns with data mining increase over time, so the more you know about your customers, the easier it is to provide them with precisely the kind of service they want.

The stats don’t lie

Often surveys carried out by media organisations to gain insights from their customers provide answers that don’t chime with reality, whereas with data, the stats don’t lie. For example, it is difficult to anticipate the reaction to a marketing campaign, promotional offer, or new website, but by analysing the behaviour of users you gain concrete insights that are useful when making adjustments.

We all aim to have a great website with a cool design and excellent user interface. Still, these are not always the aspects that convert the best, and a conversion is a simple measure of a successful user experience. So instead of just trusting our instincts, analysing the data from users’ behaviour is where the true value lies.

Your gain is your customers’ gain

The benefits of data mining don’t just lie on the side of the media organisation, the customer benefits substantially too. By analysing consumer data, organisations can offer targeted discounts and provide loyalty rewards. User personalisation also means that customers save time and effort when searching for the right service or product.

By evaluating consumer data, media organisations can determine which services are popular and which are not. This leads to reductions in expenditure that can be passed on to the consumer, increasing customer loyalty in the process. This creates a loop where the more you understand the data, the better the customer experience gets.

Stand out from the crowd

In an overcrowded market, media brands can set themselves apart by implementing data mining techniques that improve and accelerate decision-making. By analysing their internal data, organisations can spot patterns, gain new perspectives, and change trajectories faster.

The ability to gather consumer feedback is critical to finding new market opportunities and additional revenue streams. This can be completed in several ways; from asking customers to give feedback to a review site, to a simple thumbs up/thumbs done button click following an interaction with your brand.

In mining this data, media organisations can create value for themselves and their customers with the information they have available that would otherwise not be apparent.

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The Data Business is a partner of Mx3’s Collectif Network, a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

To learn more about Collectif and our media-tech community, contact TJ Hunter, VP of Commercial and Head of Collectif, at tj@mediamakersmeet.com.

In 1959, New York ad agency DDB created a legendary campaign for the VW Beetle with their “Think Small” tagline. One ad, depicting a small VW Beetle on a mostly blank page, remains iconic to this day.

Ad agency DDB conceived of the campaign at a time when American motoring ads focused on the size, power and style of cars. DDB’s campaign, considered by many as the best of the 20th century, changed perceptions (and sales of the Beetle) en masse and in enduring ways.

Showing that small can be big.

I was reminded of this in a recent conversation about “niche” or “specialist” media when a colleague told me about a media service provider who claimed “niche media” is too small a market to be of interest to them.

Really?

Since we launched Media Makers Meet – Mx3 (formerly Di5rupt) in late 2021, we contended that niche or vertical media offers exceptional opportunities for creators and consumer and B2B media companies. 

In October 2022, our first Mx3 summit focused on this sector. In March 2024, we will do it again with Mx3 Barcelona – for the leaders, innovators and mavericks in specialist media (see mx3barcelona.com or read on for more below).

This is because we believe in media’s ability to build deep relationships around topics of interest, whether it’s hobbyists, enthusiasts or professionals. We believe in the power of media targeting products and services at well-defined, interest-based communities.

We are not alone in thinking that niches or verticals provide big and sustainable business opportunities.

Below, I:

• Look at what others say
• Look at what our research shows
• Bring it around back to the VW Beetle
• Give a very quick overview of Mx3 Barcelona
• Explain how to contact us with creative speaker and partnership proposals

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What others say

In December 2020, NiemanLab’s predictions for journalism included “going niche”. Tshepo Tshabalala wrote, “The future resilience of the world’s media lies in focusing on niche audiences and verticals.”

A year later, in December 2021, media analyst, author, and publisher Thomas Baekdal wrote, “When we look at media trends, we see that niches dominate media success stories… 

“However, this is also slightly misleading because niches are not really what you think they are. When you hear the word niche, most people think about it as something small, narrow and with a limited audience. And yes, that is also a niche. But, the definition of a niche is more complex.

“For instance, did you know that Facebook is becoming a niche? That all the new things that The New York Times is doing are niches? And the reason people subscribe to Disney+ is because of its niche elements?

“No? Well, let’s talk about this.”

In a report released in January 2023 by the worldwide newspaper association WAN-Ifra, the opening paragraphs read, “There’s a pattern that emerges when you look at publishers that are succeeding in the digital news environment. These tend to be companies that are committed to identifying specific target audiences, learning their needs and interests, and producing journalism that meets their expectations. In other words, providing general news to the public is no longer enough.”

Simply look at The New York Times with their Wirecutter, The Athletic and Wordle acquisitions. There is method here, and for the news sector the method also lies in going after lucrative niches.

In May 2023, Axios co-founder Jim VanDeHei wrote (in the context of AI and the future of media), “The days of gaming social media algorithms are going to come to an abrupt – and needed – end. 

“Commoditised or general interest content will fade in value. Any company betting on high traffic seems doomed. The demand for subject matter expertise will rise fast.

“Prepare for a world of fewer big, generic brands – but more and better niche companies aimed at your passions.”

We already see this rise in subject matter expertise with the number of creator-led newsletters focused on interest-based audiences. One measurable example of this is Substack, where, according to Backlinko, subscribers rose from less than 100,000 in March 2020 to 500,000 a year later, in February 2021. 

On 28 February this year, Substack announced that it now has more than 20 million monthly active subscribers and 2 million paid subscriptions to writers on the platform. Sure, we are not talking Big Tech-esque numbers, but then, the name of the game for all these writers is owning direct reader relationships around topics of interest, not chasing ad dollars with Facebook-inflated traffic.

***

What our research shows

Earlier this year, we launched two reports (free to download) focused on media for interest-based communities. 

The first one focused on Innovators in Specialist Media in Europe (B2B focus). In this report, we profiled 20 companies, surveyed 56 business leaders and identified seven ideas and strategies for specialist media businesses across audience, content, product, events, marketing, subscriptions and technology.

Our survey covered business leaders overseeing companies with turnover from €1 million to well over €50 million. The top three opportunities they identified were: 

• Diving deeper into niches
• Exploring and implementing AI
• New product development ideas

Download the Innovators in Specialist Media Europe report here.

Our second relevant report was from the FIPP World Media Congress in June, which we organise and host. The central message from several speakers at the conference is that thanks to the mechanisms of the Internet for delivery and monetisation, niche media – or media for interest-based communities – is at the centre of a publishing revival.

Jacob Donnelly, media commentator and founder of A Media Operator, put it succinctly while speaking at Congress, “The only way to success in media is through niches.” Download the Media for Interest-Based Communities from FIPP Congress here.

Specialist media is a vibrant sector with solid prospects because they develop: 

• Deep ties with their interest-based communities.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of their communities.
• Products and services that address the interests people are passionate about.
• Diversified revenue models around the interests communities most care about.

***

Back to the VW Beetle

No doubt many people bet against the VW Beetle succeeding in the US in the 1950s.

They shouldn’t have.

***

About Mx3 Barcelona

Join us on 12-13 March 2024 for Mx3 Barcelona – for the leaders, innovators and mavericks in specialist media. There is a lot to unpack.

We follow an atypical approach with our Mx3 events. Here are five:

1. A limitation on the number of attendees.
2. All speaker conversations are strictly off-the-record.
3. Various round-table opportunities to dive into topics.
4. An easy-going atmosphere aimed at fostering connections.
5. An off-site get-together evening for further informal socialising and conversations.

Read more here and sign up here.

Interested in speaking or partnering?

• Speaking: Email me at cobus@mediamakersmeet.com with a short proposal and description of how the topic will add value to the audience interested in specialist media innovation.
• Partnering: Contact my colleagues John Schlaefli (john@mediamakersmeet.com) or TJ Hunter (tj@mediamakersmeet.com) about customisable options.

Suggestions for creative activations are also most welcome!

See you in Barcelona!

Cobus Heyl

How can you tune up your online funnel and convert more of your causal readers to paying subs? As the free to air display ad-funded model starts to unravel, more and more publishers are developing registration and metering with a view to moving to paid digital subscriptions. Whether you are new to this or simply keen to optimise your digital revenues, here are the key steps to consider. [Earlier this year I ran a benchmarking survey with several publishers which provides some pointers. I also share tips from my recent client projects].

1. Analyse and segment your audience

Online audiences for niche publisher websites are extremely diverse. In B2B they may range from CEOs to early career executives, suppliers and advisors, government and regulators, students or even members of the general public. In specialist consumer they may work in the sector, be highly expert or a complete newbie. All are using your site for different purposes. Only a minority will be sufficiently committed to register or subscribe. If you can identify those segments, you can focus your online marketing and content proposition.

2. Understand what content is valued – and where the gaps are

This is a cliché, but it’s not all about page views. There is often a correlation between the most casual visitors and spikes in traffic. Get forensic and work out which types of articles draw the attention of your most committed readers. Engagement, scroll depth, time spent provide clues to the stuff that is valued by the committed. Use research to identify content that your core audience wish you covered. It’s always easier to add a reg wall to new content than apply it to stuff that was previously free.

3. Decide where to set your registration wall – and what stays free

Some content belongs in the free, unregistered part of your site. If you promote it heavily on social media, it is optimised for search, or is sponsored client content, keep it free to attract new visitors. But content that is unique, hard to find, provides value and insight, and appeals to your core segments, should be behind a reg wall. You can always offer a metered allowance of one or two articles a week to allow new entrants to sample.

4. Track what prompts visitors to register and optimise sign up rates

Now you have a reg wall you can analyse what is prompting registration. A key measure is your stop rate – the proportion of visitors who hit a reg wall. If this is lower than 5-10% you need to make your reg wall more visible, by limiting the amount of free content or tightening the meter or simply tweaking your design so free visitors see premium content.

In my survey, some B2B publishers were achieving stop rates of 20% or 30%. The basic rule is that the more people who are stopped the more will sign up.

In the same survey, the registration rate ranged from as low as 0.2% to as high as 1% or more per month. This would mean that over a year, if you had 100,000 visitors, 12,000 would register, which would be very impressive. Remember that around 80% of your site visitors are casuals who are very unlikely to subscribe.

5. Understand what your registered visitors value

Take the time to research your reg visitor base to understand which elements of your content they value. Sometimes it’s not the carefully crafted opinion piece, it’s an aggregation of information that they would find it time-consuming to research themselves. And a well curated newsletter that directs them to the good stuff is equally valuable. Ensure your reg wall highlights the real benefits and isn’t just a list of content.

6. Craft an enticing subs proposition

Researching your reg database will provide clues to the elements that you could charge for. Maybe a library of webinars, or a comprehensive database of companies in your sector, or a buyer’s guide, or a series of interviews with leaders in the field. Every market is different, and by carefully targeting your audience segment and focusing on the benefits of subscription, you will improve your chances of success.

7. Track and optimise conversions

Once you have a basic subs proposition in place, the analytical fun begins. Once again, track your stop rate – if it is below 10% then you need to tighten up your meter or put more content behind the paywall. Some publishers in my survey enjoyed conversion rates of 30% or more. Make it easy for customers to sign up: offer a short free trial, or a discounted intro rate. Variations on the “12 weeks for £12” are still working well. Even in B2B, more publishers are offering monthly payment options which reduces the upfront commitment. Conversion rates (from reg to paid) in the survey ranged from 0.2% to 0.5% a month, with some achieving as much as 5% a month.

8. Nurture new digital subs to maximise retention

The first few weeks are crucial to establish a habit, so build a welcome/onboarding series and ensure that your onsite navigation is clear. Monitor the number of times subscribers visit, as if this falls off you may need to re-engage them. Each market is different, but if paying subscribers are using the site less than once or twice a week, you may be in trouble at renewal time. Monthly subs are easier to cancel if customers feel they aren’t getting value for money.

Most publishers in my survey were enjoying annualised volume renewal rates of 70-80%, with value renewals 5-10% higher. If you are below this level, you need to consider remedial work on the subs value proposition and your engagement strategy.

Even if you already have a functioning registration and digital subs funnel, your work is never done. Markets evolve and competitor offers change. So you need to keep tracking conversions and engagement at each stage and tweaking your online presentation and your marketing emails. It’s worth it all once you have a steady stream of recurring revenue.

If you’d like to discuss the results of the benchmark survey in more detail, and how you could optimise your own registration and subscription funnel, please get in touch: carolyn@speciall.media

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Speciall Media is a partner of Mx3’s Collectif Network, a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations. Carolyn researched and wrote MX3’s report on European Specialist Media Innovators.

Carolyn also runs an invite-only community of over 250 media leaders – the Speciall Media Group – request to join here. More free resources and advice for niche publishers on her blog.

You might have already stumbled upon The B-Side, the innovative newsletter that is rapidly taking root within the Boston Globe Media. The newsletter, created by Andrew Grillo, is charting an exciting new course for local news consumption. As the reverberations of its influence extend beyond Boston, capturing the attention of national figures, you may find yourself wondering about the enigma surrounding The B-Side’s rapid growth.

How is this burgeoning newsletter becoming a formidable player in local news? What is the secret behind its ability to distill complex narratives into easily digestible insights? Perhaps The B-Side is spearheading a seismic shift in how we consume local news.

While these questions may silently brew in your mind, we recently had the privilege of speaking with Emily Schario, who is at the forefront of shaping The B-Side’s content strategy.

What inspired you to jump on the B-Side project? Can you share the story behind the newsletter’s inception?

B-side is essentially a startup within the Boston Globe. It was launched about 10 months ago and was created by Andrew Grillo thanks to this Globe concept called Innovation Week, where employees get the opportunity to pitch a new idea, on which the other employees then get to vote. Whichever idea gathers the most interest gets to create a proposal around it. This gave Andrew the opportunity he needed to create the newsletter.

My part started when I saw the job posting to be the lead writer for the project. I just turned 27, and the offer was this incredible opportunity to speak to the next generation of news and information consumers and this creative agency and autonomy.

What exactly is your target audience for the newsletter?

I would say the target is the under 35s, who make up about 60 percent of our readers. About 40 to 50% of our readers are between 24 and 34. Then the sweet spot is anywhere from like 25 to 32. But we do have many college-age readers, as Boston is a huge college town. And, because we’ve promoted the newsletter on a couple of other news outlets, Globe properties, we have a small chunk of people who are 55+. This audience is particularly interesting because I get a lot of emails from them saying how much they enjoy it.

It made me realize that the idea of having a piece of information that just gives readers what they need in a breezy format is utilitarian and serves a purpose for all ages.

What is the gap in the market that was aimed to address?

In the Boston area right now, there are about four newsletters, including ours, and two of those are venture capital funded. Obviously, newsletters are today a very popular mechanism through which people are consuming information these days. For B-side, the space we saw in the market was that as the Boston Globe, we’ve had a stake in this game for 150 years, and we needed to be in this space as well.

We attempted for our newsletter to find a middle ground between the existing ‘newsy’ newsletters and the lighter lifestyle ones. And people really like the fact that they can get an essential piece of information, know what’s going on when something ‘big’ is happening, but at the same time they’re also learning about this new restaurant opening or something to do this weekend.

What are according to you some key factors to your success?

Media always talk about wanting to meet people where they are, and I think a big part of that, is meeting them with a person that they can relate to and understand. That’s where we’re finding some success, in we’re trying to meet younger people with a younger person. For the newsletter, we tried to play on the factor of relatability, where the reader can connect with the person who is talking to them. The newsletter has a very casual conversational tone to it, it doesn’t feel like you’re reading a news article but rather is meant to feel as if a friend was explaining it to you.

I have also found that sometimes in the media, there is a very narrow view of what it means to be informed and ‘in the know’. And I think especially in this post-Covid world, where people are just craving to feel connected to their community, to try new things to do, and new places to go, being informed can be so much more.

As part of the B-Side project, can you share the editorial vision that drives the newsletter’s content strategy?

Our tagline is ‘A daily dose of news that you want to hear’, so when brainstorming I always try to think about what is top of mind for the average 20-something-year-old. When it comes to our lead story, we usually seek this balance between news and lifestyle stories. Whenever we’re doing a news story, it’s something happening in the news that we unpack in a digestible format, and how can we explain it in a way that’s not being explained.

On the lifestyle side, it’s about profiling businesses and openings, and providing roundups. Overall, it’s about providing utility to our readers in some way.

As a digital newsletter today, how does B-Side leverage technology and digital platforms to reach and engage with its audience?

We’re a small but mighty team of two, and we’ve discovered that TikTok and vertical videos are game-changers for us. Among young people, particularly Gen Z, TikTok is where our audience is.

Measuring Impact: What metrics or indicators do you use to assess the impact and success of B-Side?

We launched in October and our open rate is consistently 60 plus percent, and our click-through rate is consistently around 10%. So, it’s been a quite high-engagement project. And obviously, when you first launch, if friends and family are reading it, you have a very inflated click-through rate. But, I think we just passed over 12 000 subscribers, and the rates remained at the same levels.

Future Expansion: What are your plans for the future of B-Side? Do you envision potential growth beyond the newsletter format or expansion into other cities or regions?

In terms of plans within the next year, we’d really like to become a convener. We’re very much an online product but part of our goal is helping people feel informed so that they can connect with their community. We want to be more in-person: I think that would manifest through in-person gatherings and partnering with local businesses for events.

We also started to bring on local influencers and content creators to generate content for us, which helps us reach their own audience as well.

The dream would be a B-side in every other major city, like a B-side in Portland, or one in New Hampshire. However, I think that’s way down the road.

What advice would you give aspiring local journalists who want to positively impact their communities through innovative approaches to news delivery?

If your goal is to go after young people, be present where they are, particularly on social media. Embrace formats like vertical videos and prioritize relatability to connect with your target audience. While local journalism faces challenges, starting on social media platforms can provide an opportunity for growth. Whether an individual or an established institution, meeting people where they are and fostering genuine connections is key to success.

Hannah Barnard

About: Discover the essentials of understanding and engaging the Gen Z audience, all in one place – Yoof News. As a newsletter curated by Gen Z, for Gen Z, the content highlights successful strategies employed across various social media platforms, offers deep dive interviews, and shares actionable tips and insights to engage Gen Z effectively. Yoof Agency is part of Di5rupt’s Collectif.

When hyperlocal news publisher and ad tech pioneer Kenny Katzgrau called Google a “fatter-than-fat tick on the ass of publishing” who had “kicked the living sh*t out of publishers for advertising revenue” in a blog, he was saying what some publishers are too wise—and cautious—to voice. (Did we mention “mindless and largely indifferent collective”? Or “True 1984 stuff”?)

But he was so repulsed with the idea of not saying something, he felt he had no choice—even if it ticked off the Googleplex. Again. Because Kenny, publisher of the 17-year-old local news outlet in New Jersey, RedBankGreen.com, had already been subpoenaed by Google’s defense team in its antitrust showdown against the United States Department of Justice and a coalition of 17 states, who argue that Google’s advertising practices have created an uneven playing field.

And then, a few days later, he was served by the very same justice department. In the same trial.

The reason?

Kenny had written a punchy and rather comprehensive guide on how small publishers can fight back against Google by delivering more value than advertisers can get through Google Ads. His eBook, with the self-explanatory title Ten Advantages: How Magazine and Hyperlocal News Publishers Will Win in the Era of Google and Facebook, details the killer edge local and B2B publishers have on the ad sales front if they know how to use these advantages.

Unleashing the underdog

Like many publishers globally, we share Kenny’s concern about dependence on the Silicon Valley giants, although we have writer’s envy that we didn’t coin the “fatter-than-fat tick on the ass of publishing” phrase. And, like Kenny, we are passionate about local and B2B publishers who know their communities best because they are part of them and not outsiders. Local publishers have a relationship with their communities—they need local advertising, and communities need local journalism to thrive. We know how vital sincere, hyperlocal news entrepreneurs are, and we know how tough it is to survive.

Despite some positives (working with Google), publishers should be wary. There are inherent conflicts of interest as Google is a major industry competitor while simultaneously playing a significant role in education and support for publishers. The ongoing federal antitrust case against Google highlights this complicated relationship.

Eric Shanfelt, Nearview Media, Colorado covering the case in his blog

So, we talked to Kenny about how local publishers can challenge the tech giants, delving into how they can differentiate themselves, be true partners to their advertisers, and exploit the big players’ weaknesses of standardization and commoditization. Kenny tells us how his experience in the industry led to him writing the subpoena-inducing eBook, and we discuss the advantages local publishers have.

P.S. On the importance of hyperlocal journalism, Kenny points out what a thankless job it is. But, he says, “They are the people who will do the digging, and they will stand up for what they believe in. And you need people to do that. The world around us needs them to exist. Democracy itself needs them to exist.”

P.S.S. Kenny writes the blog Living on a Prayer. You can follow progress of the trial there.

Amen, Kenny. Amen. Now go get them.

Adri Kotze

At one time or another, most of the CEOs and owners we work with wonder how much their businesses are worth. They’ve spent years building their companies and want some recognition that it has all been worthwhile.

There are several ways that owners can determine their value. One way is to estimate your value based on what a competitor sold for. Another is to get an inbound offer from a buyer who reviews your company’s financial information and determines how much they would be willing to acquire the business for.

Both of these approaches are flawed.

You can’t rely solely on the value of your competitor’s business to determine what yours is worth. That’s because there could be many differences between the two businesses that make one more valuable than the other. For example, if your competitor is the market leader, their business is probably worth more. Same thing if they own intellectual property that you don’t have. But, on the other hand, your business may be worth more if you have a first-rate management team and have been growing faster than the competitor.

Likewise, getting one inbound offer from a buyer is not likely to represent the true value of your company because you have no idea what other buyers might be willing to pay. An unsolicited offer can be for a lot less than what your business is worth. That’s because buyers often do not offer their top price when making their first offer.

The best method, in my experience of more than 30 years of selling companies, is to run an auction where many prospective buyers are approached. The auction process tends to deliver the best results for sellers because it puts the process in control of the seller, not the buyer.

Obtaining an accurate valuation

If you are not inclined to sell your business just yet, you can still get an accurate estimate of the company’s value. To do this you should hire a valuation expert or investment banker who has knowledge of other transactions and knows your industry. Their approach will be to review all recent transactions in your industry as well as what the public companies in your industry are valued at and use the multiples derived from this work to assign a multiple to your business. For example, they may find that 8x EBITDA is the right metric to use and if your business does $5 million in EBITDA that would establish your valuation at $40 million.

Valuing a company is as much art as science. It is not simply about the numbers (your financial metrics) but also qualitative factors like market size, market position (are you the market leader or #5), growth opportunities, intellectual property and many more. The more these qualitative factors can be considered alongside the quantitative ones, the closer you can get to your company’s true value.

For example, even though other companies in your industry may be selling for 8x EBITDA, as shown in the example above, your business may be worth 9-10x EBITDA if it is truly one of the premium companies in the industry. And, companies that are not performing well could be worth 6-7x EBITDA, or less.

I believe that valuation is a critical metric for any business. You shouldn’t guess what your business is worth or use flawed methods. You should find a way to get a good assessment so that you can plan for the future based on the value you have already created.

Reed Phillips is CEO of Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips, an investment bank for the media, marketing, and technology industries, based in New York City. He is the author of “QuickValue: Discover Your Value and Empower Your Business in Three Easy Steps,” published by McGraw Hill.

In Armenia, there hasn’t been much in the way of upbeat news. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the landlocked country spiralled into a bloody conflict with its neighbour, Azerbaijan, over the long-disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Despite sporadic peace talks, the hostility escalated into a 44-day war in 2020. Today, deadly clashes and skirmishes continue.

The war has had a devastating impact on trust in the country’s highly polarised media and Armenia is facing an “unprecedented level of disinformation and hate speech”, according to  Reporters Without Borders. It’s a situation echoed across many territories afflicted by global conflict.

Journalists couldn’t report truthfully on what they saw during the war, says Gayane Mirzoyan, a seasoned journalist and media trainer who has been editor of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in Armenia and founded Taghinfo, a district news platform in the capital, Yerevan. 

Only official government information was allowed, adding to the distrust fanned by the Covid-19 pandemic and deep political divisions after the 2018 “velvet revolution”. Whilst the media landscape has evolved since the 2018 power shift, many media outlets are still (too) close to either the new political leaders or former oligarchs. Recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine compounded political tensions.

“Journalists are not trusted in Armenia. They even trust bloggers more than journalists,” says Mirzoyan. “It’s sad, but it doesn’t mean we must do nothing about it. We need to work to regain the trust of society.”

Rebuilding Trust In Media

Building trust is precisely what Mirzoyan and a handful of her colleagues are doing with a pioneering multimedia platform of solutions based journalism. They started Urbanista, which focuses on a broad range of urban issues such as architecture, development, lifestyle changes, ecology and generational conflict.

But their favourite topic is “people who try to change lives in rural areas”.

“Sometimes, life in these rural areas is boring and difficult. But there are people who have enough courage to change something – and they succeed. We try to tell stories about them,” Mirzoyan says.

“There is a lot of negativity in the media globally, and in Armenia in particular we have had very little positive information in recent years. It doesn’t motivate people to change, to go further.

Of course I don’t think you just need to say to inspire people [and] just say everything will be good, don’t worry. But solutions journalism gives us the opportunity to research the best examples of how to overcome difficulties, And it helps ensure quality in reporting.

Solutions journalism, Mirzoyan emphasises, forces a journalist to be unbiased, “It is much harder to do solutions journalism. Not every problem had a solution. But in Armenia, in particular, people need this hope.”

Urbanista is one of a growing number of small, niche journalism platforms worldwide that focus on solutions to problems. In many established newsrooms, it is hardly a new concept to battle news fatigue. Recently, the Associated Press wrote how valuable solutions journalism was becoming to CBS news.

The Solutions Journalism Network, formed in 2013 by two former New York Times reporters who wrote the publication’s popular column “Fixes”, has trained tens of thousands of journalists globally, partnered with journalism schools and established a searchable database with solutions stories from nearly 2 000 news organisations.

For many news outlets, solutions journalism may well be a matter of survival. News avoidance has increased dramatically since the start of the war in Ukraine: the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report found 36 % of people surveyed said they sometimes or often restricted their news intake amid challenges of “low level of trust, declining engagement, and an uncertain business environment”.

“We hear about many, many problems in each country,” Mirzoyan says. “I think people are tired of problems. It is more interesting to hear about solutions. And, I think, it will bring a new audience.”

Key Time Stamps

01:30 “In our case, one source of population in Armenia is in Yerevan, the capital. So we see that we have very few information from the regions, and we don’t know how the small cities are living in Armenia, and we hear about them only when something bad happens there. For us it was not fair because we saw that there is amazing people. There is some challenges and maybe interesting examples we can talk to our audience and we decided to found Urbanista.”

04:20 “We’re happy that we have a quality audience. And when we talked to media managers, the new trends in business are that they like a quality audience rather than a big audience. They prefer quality to quantity.”

08:26 “In this type of storytelling we are working from the solution. And this is also hard because not every problem has a solution. For example, in conflict journalism it’s very hard to bring another conflict and say let’s solve this conflict with this example.”

The new name better reflects our commitment to connecting international colleagues in media and technology with knowledge, insights and one another.

Media Makers Meet – Mx3 is an international media intelligence and business network with a forward-thinking approach. We are committed to serving indie creators, consumer and B2B media, and their technology enablers and service providers.

While we look at the broader media world for inspiration, we are particularly interested in media that serves well-defined communities of interest. We do this through our events such as the FIPP World Media Congress, Mx3 Barcelona and Mx3 Berlin, in-depth reports, interviews, features, and our Collectif community initiative.

Aside from our new name, our updated logo illustrates this commitment, with the X in Mx3 as two arrowheads symbolising convergence, connection and togetherness. Our main logo is Mx3 with the words Media Makers Meet below it.

Our secondary logos also in use include Mx3 HQ for the website and our new weekly newsletter, and Mx3 Barcelona for our Barcelona event coming up from 12-13 March 2024 in Barcelona.

For more, visit mediamakersmeet.com and get in touch with any of the team at any time.

We look forward to continuing a fruitful journey with you.

In an impassioned presentation at FIPP World Media Congress 2023 this summer, Morning Brew’s Jacob Donnelly reiterated his belief that the days of generalist media have now been superseded by a focus on niche communities and specialist media.

My belief is that going forward, the only way to succeed in the media is through niches. Unless you’re the New York Times, you are not going to succeed going forward if you don’t have a very clearly defined understanding of who your audience is.

Jacob Donnelly, Publisher, Morning Brew; Founder, A Media Operator

Donnelly’s quotes come at a time when the previous decade’s generalist superstars – here’s looking at you BuzzFeed and Vice – have fallen spectacularly from grace. BuzzFeed is a particularly cautionary tale having reached the dizzy valuation of $1.5 billion in 2021 after it went public via a SPAC. Since then it’s been a snowball whistling downhill, with Bustle’s CEO Bryan Goldberg needing to buy a particularly large pickup.

I just bought a f—ton of BuzzFeed shares at $6. If it goes lower, I’ll really back up the truck.”

Bustle Digital Group CEO, Bryan Goldberg, talking to CNBC

He backed up the truck – BuzzFeed shares now stand at 42 cents. As if to add insult to injury, following the closure of BuzzFeed News in April, CNBC wrote that, “BuzzFeed’s predictions for 2023 and 2024 currently look like pipe dreams.”

As for Vice, let’s not go there.

Niche, Niche, Niche

According to Donnelly, the future belongs to media companies focusing on specialist content that speaks to defined audiences, “If you don’t know who is behind why you’re creating content, you’ve got a real problem. Niche media is picking a lane and knowing exactly who is the consumer of that content.”

At FIPP Congress, Donnelly referenced several companies who focus on community media, but he highlighted one which had connections with a speaker that had preceded him on the Congress stage.

“We had Recurrent Ventures up here before. Every one of their publications is niche, and they all have a very specific understanding of who wants that content. And as long as you understand that you have a great business.”

How this content is expressed – newsletters, podcasts, events, etc – is less important than the fact it is delivered to a defined audience. In fact, even print was singled out by Donnelly as having a bright future, “I think magazines are actually very uniquely positioned to excel over the next 10 or 15 years. Okay. Maybe not only as a print product, although I think that’s also starting to work a little bit more.”

You go look at the newsstand. You’ve got a Boating magazine. If you like boating, you go there. Niche has worked in the media for decades. And that’s what we’re going back to. So I actually think that magazines, if they can overcome their cost structures and their financial burdens, and can start to actually invest in more great content, are gonna do fine”

Jacob Donnelly, Publisher, Morning Brew; Founder, A Media Operator

“If you’ve picked the right niche, like if you pick boating as your niche, some people might leave and others will come in. But people who like boating are going to always like boating and they’re going to display similar behaviours. So I don’t think that your editorial strategy should inherently follow people if they evolve outside of what that core content focus is.”

A final word of warning

Donnelly finished his presentation in Cascais with a warning to the media execs present – keep myopically focused on your readers, and don’t chase the money, “If you’re on a hamster wheel of raising money, you’re going to fail, because you lose sight of what matters. Your customer no longer is your reader, your customer is your investor. To have a successful business, you need to serve the customer and that is your reader.”

And in a thinly veiled swipe at BuzzFeed and Vice, he concluded, “You cannot build a media company and not be profitable.”

Mx3 Leadership Report: Media for Interest-Based Communities

MediaMakersMeet, the organiser of the annual FIPP Congress, is proud to release its latest Mx3 Leadership report, Media for Interest-Based Communities.

Topics covered in-depth include the growing importance of specialised communities, the revival of personalised media, and the huge potential in doubling down on lucrative niche audiences.

The report contains insights from many of the speakers who presented in Cascais, Portugal, including Bonnie Kintzer (Trusted Media Brands), Reid DeRamus (Substack), Tav Klitgaard (Good Tape and Zetland), and Rafat Ali (Skift) – as well as Morning Brew’s Jacob Donnelly, Innovation Media’s Juan Señor, and Tow Center for Digital Journalism Fellow, Damian Radcliffe.

Click here to access the free report

MediaMakersMeet, the organiser of the annual FIPP Congress, is proud to release its latest Mx3 Leadership report, Media for Interest-Based Communities.

Topics covered in-depth include the growing importance of specialised communities, the revival of personalised media, and the huge potential in doubling down on lucrative niche audiences.

The report contains insights from many of the speakers who presented in Cascais, Portugal, including Bonnie Kintzer (Trusted Media Brands), Reid DeRamus (Substack), Tav Klitgaard (Good Tape and Zetland), and Rafat Ali (Skift) – as well as leading commentators including Morning Brew’s Jacob Donnelly, Innovation Media’s Juan Señor, and Tow Center for Digital Journalism Fellow, Damian Radcliffe.

Click here to access the free report

As a bonus to readers who couldn’t attend the event, the report also includes links to these full Congress presentations (via our Congress On Demand Video Hub):

• Bonnie Kintzer, CEO, Trusted Media Brands
• Jacob Donnelly, Publisher, Morning Brew
• Rafat Ali, CEO, Skift
• Reid DeRamus, Head of Growth, Substack
• Dom Needler, Head of Operations, Gfinity
• Damian Radcliffe, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at University of Oregon and Fellow at the Tow Centre for Digital Journalism at Columbia University
• Tav Klitgaard, CEO, Good Tape and Zetland
• Ileana Grabitz, Head of the Department of Politics, Economics & Society, ZEIT ONLINE
• Juan Señor, President, Innovation Media Consulting
• Jacqueline Loch, EVP Social & Emerging Platforms, SJC Media
• Lance Johnson, Executive Investor and Advisor, and former CEO of Recurrent Ventures
• Richard Lee, Chief Integration Officer, The News Lens Group
• Kerrin O’Connor, Founder and CEO of media consultants, Atlas

In a sit down conversation with HBM Advisory’s Alan Hunter, Reid DeRamus, Head of Growth at Substack, talked about the three key trends publishers needed to understand to grow their content business moving forwards.

If anyone should know, Reid should – he’s played key roles at HBOMax, Hulu and now Substack, and has traversed the American tech media scene at first hand. In short, he says we are at a pivotal time in media where distribution of content is no longer a competitive advantage.

That begs the question, so what is?

Here are the key insights from Reid’s session:

1. The shift from institutions to individuals

“Audience — this is probably the longest term trend in media. You know, there used to only be a few movie studios and then there were three broadcast channels, and then there was one local newspaper per region.”

The internet has now totally wiped out distribution as a competitive advantage. 

“What’s been really interesting more recently is that important parts of the tech stack for any media business are becoming increasingly commoditized. When I was first at Hulu, we had a team of people just focused on payments. It was massively difficult to get people to give you a credit card online and to process those transactions, tons of failures. Consumers are really timid for good reason not to do it.”

Now I can go to Stripe and in two minutes set up account and start collecting payments as an individual and have my own subscription business.

2. it’s never been easier to start your own media business

“Payments used to be one of those things that you could lean on and say: Hey, you can’t really develop a subscription revenue stream on your own. Same goes, I’m sure a lot of people in here have like horror stories about gnarly CMS systems or even sending emails. 

“These things used to be really hard and now there’s a ton of open source tech out there and, because of the open source, there’s a lot of really compelling commercial products built on top of that.”

It’s never been easier to pick up your iPhone and start your own media business. And I think that’s a really meaningful trend. On the flip side, it’s still massively difficult and intimidating, like I see this day in, day out.

3. Don’t split your attention too much

“Why are newsletters so important?…….Compared to tech platforms, you have more of an ability to communicate with your audience. And I think that’s really important. So getting phone numbers, getting email addresses, just developing a way to reach your audience directly is really important. And then use the social platforms or the media platforms for what they are. They’re a great way to expand your audience and get more people, get more email addresses, get more phone numbers. 

Don’t split your attention too much. Don’t try to be on every platform. Don’t try to be like world class at every platform. Pick it one at a time and, try to develop momentum and sustainable growth. And then maybe think about how to expand to other places.

Finally, Reid served up a warning for many of the media organizations present in Cascais, both legacy media and new content upstarts, “You must give editorial freedom to your talented creative staff – a lot of people who come to Substack are doing it because they felt they couldn’t be themselves.”

Creative talent is becoming more and more important, so treat them well.

You can watch the entire session here:

At Media Makers Meet – Mx3, our focus is on connecting people within media and tech, with the aim of sharing insights, knowledge and expertise. This focus is continually on our minds as we develop our online presence and when planning our Media Makers Meet (Mx3) events and the FIPP World Media Congress (which we produce and host on license from the global media industry body).

With events playing a large part of our offering, we’ve witnessed at first hand the rapid developments in the sector (B2B in our case). We have seen several behavioural changes — even before the pandemic but marked since then — that continuously keep us on our toes and thinking hard about the next evolution of in-person events.

There are several variables and moving parts with each event, and you need to think of every component and how to stitch them together into a balanced, cohesive whole that delivers an excellent experience to attendees. It certainly makes for rich conversations when meeting other event designers.

One such recent, in-depth conversation was with Victoria Matey, an international event psychology advisor based in Seattle. Victoria advocates a ‘behaviour-first mindset’ to events and says, “Experiences first and foremost take place in people’s minds”.

Thinking of basic human needs, events should, for example, address “belonging, safety and status. They are some of the main psychological mechanisms that govern our behaviour. Your event will be the one they’ll return to if you make them feel like they belong, feel special, and feel safe.”

Apply a behavioural lens

Victoria says event designers must “understand how people ‘work’ to make experiences more memorable, productive, engaging, and ultimately profitable.”

Whether it’s creating effective learning in an event, designing a brain-friendly event space, or crafting a survey that people actually respond to, it must all be approached through a behavioural lens.

One example of adopting event psychology is the duration of event sessions. “Just a few years ago, 1.5-hour conference sessions were a standard. Then it started changing, and the pandemic helped too.”

Science shows that shorter sessions aid learning. More concise, sharper sessions help attendees engage without their minds drifting. The shorter sessions also mean that speakers must think more carefully about what they want to say in the allotted time. It’s a win-win.

Victoria also encourages event designers to add small breaks (over and above the regular networking breaks) to help attendees. She referred to research by Microsoft, which, using meetings, showed how back-to-back meetings over a prolonged period (e.g. 2 hours) increase beta waves – those associated with stress – activity in the brain. Building in short breaks helps our brains to “reset” and enter the next meeting in a more relaxed state.

“We could have had it right years ago if we embraced scientific insights!” says Victoria. “Overall [the application of psychology in events] is improving, but there are still many things to fix.”

The sooner you start implementing event psychology solutions, the easier your job will be, and the faster your business will grow.

Irrational beings

Applying a lens to something static is easy, but human behaviour is fluid. Individuals may act differently from one day to the next based on external stimuli; groups may influence behaviour. We are notoriously irrational creatures.

The pandemic helps to explain how to think about this. “When the pandemic hit, everyone switched to online events, and event planners had difficulty marketing them. The reason was that they appealed to rationality. They’d say, ‘Hey, you just saved big on travel, so why not buy a ticket to our online event?’

“That didn’t go well because they did not consider human psychology. It’s not like people think in those rational, perfectly logical ways. They make decisions about buying an event ticket based on many factors, primarily purely behavioural and based on human biases and emotions.

“If they better knew how decision-making works, what influences people’s choices, and what tweaks to make for their communication to be more convincing, those promotions would be more successful.”

Time value is entirely different, so highlighting your event is free does not help as much anymore. Your event increasingly competes with considerations such as family time, vacation time, and mental downtime. It must offer real value to attract and retain attendees. As an industry, this is how our understanding of human behaviour helps us improve.

In-person, virtual and hybrid

The pivot to virtual during that time also brought hybrid events into focus. One lesson of virtual at the time was that it is excellent for content delivery, less so for networking. However, technologies improve rapidly, and mass adoption changes behaviours.

“It’s funny we talk about online networking because in-person networking isn’t much easier! But, the debate about in-person versus hybrid is more about how we react to change. Like any significant change, it takes time to get used to.

“On the one hand, we are inherently social creatures, and belonging is one of our critical psychological drivers. We do need to meet in person. On the other, we should remember that humans are very adaptable, and those sophisticated technologies that improve daily give us a unique chance to keep connecting online in different ways.

“The in-person versus virtual debates happen because people resist change (another reason to look at things through a behavioural lense). In the end, we will develop more tools to communicate efficiently in-person and online and new habits will form around those.”

Design for events large and small

B2B events can take many forms, from large trade fairs with thousands of attendees to intimate retreats with only a few. You can intuitively see how people would behave differently at these.

Victoria agrees. “Attendees at big shows and conferences often feel lost, uncomfortable, and confused because of the scale of the event. Some level of personalisation solves this. Personalisation helps address negative emotions and reinforce the feeling of safety — essential for a great experience — so it should be top of mind for event planners in this category.”

Event designers should keep the 80/20 principle in mind. “Another problem with large and medium events is that they overwhelm their attendees with options. We must remember that cognitive and sensory overload affects people’s satisfaction and decisions around an event, so adding an extra track or activation is rarely a good idea. It’s hard to do, but an intelligent way to improve the event experience is to subtract instead of add whenever possible.”

When it comes to small events, one of the most essential psychological considerations is fostering a sense of belonging. It’s vital for newcomers and regular attendees, and for maintaining engagement because of the nature and size of smaller events.

“Belonging is an essential part of who we are as humans. When you infuse that into your event design through peer-to-peer formats, creating an inclusive atmosphere, and actively seeking feedback, you’ll see a boost in attendee engagement.”

Our next Media Makers Meet (Mx3) event

Mx3 Barcelona takes place on 12-13 March. With an emphasis on specialist, niche and vertical media, it brings together independent creators and consumer and B2B media targeting well-defined communities of interest.

We place a limit of 200 participants to ensure an intimate, immersive experience designed for learning, connecting and being part of a community with a shared interest: innovation and the future of specialist media.

On-stage conversations are off-the-record, open and honest – even robust. Attendees are part of the conversations throughout. There are round tables or, weather permitting, walking meetings to dive deeper into select topics. We have multiple networking opportunities, including an informal social dinner at an off-site venue for all attendees on the middle night (12 March) of the event.

Learn more at mx3barcelona.com.

About Victoria Matey

Victoria studied linguistics and psychology, writing her final thesis on cognitive linguistics. She then studied for a Master’s degree in International Events Management and, after a few more years, set up a consultancy to share her expertise and international experience.

Victoria gives science-based advice on event design and marketing. In addition, she offers a variety of resources, including an on-demand Event Psychology Lab course. The course covers learning, networking and engagement at events from a behavioural perspective. People can also become members of her Event Psychology Club, which grants access to exclusive resources, examples, tips, recaps of Event Psychology podcasts, and more. You can contact her at matey.events@gmail.com.

Attended by more than 400 delegates from 43 countries, the FIPP World Media Congress in the Portuguese town of Cascais took a close look at the innovation happening in the face of severe disruption. The event, earlier this summer, brought together executives from a cross-section of media and technology sectors, who explored key industry topics with global experts.

Steffen Damborg is a digital transformation specialist with 10-plus years of experience in all aspects of running an online business in the media industry. He is a former Digital Director and Chief Development Officer at the leading Danish publisher, JP/Politikens Hus, and is currently focusing on digital transformation for global media organisations. Here he shares a strategic perspective on AI and the next wave of transformation in the media industry.

Here are a few key insights from his presentation:

1. The commodification of high-tech

“Talking about generative AI, there’s been a lot of hype around this new type of AI, and we are probably at the peak of the hype cycle of generative AI. 

“The Guardian presented a news article made by generative AI. But the interesting thing here is not that you can now publish these kinds of articles. The interesting thing here is that it was published in 2020. That was two years ago.

So my point here is that we are maybe at the peak of this hype – it’s been around for at least five or six years in the publishing industry. So there’s nothing new to that. The new thing is, how easy it is to work with these technologies. I call it the commodification of high-tech.

2. Disruptive forces are considerable

“All you need today is go into the Amazon Web services portal. All you need is a credit card, right? And then you can buy your AI algorithm. You can buy your cloud hosting, your cloud computing. It’s very, very simple. And you don’t need any PhDs in math or, or whatever, to work with these technologies today.

“You could be a startup by yourself. You don’t even need to have an office. You could sit at Starbucks because they have Wi-Fi access at Starbucks, and then you can start building your own media company using these very advanced technologies. 

The real scary thing seen from my perspective is that the disruptive forces in the media market are so big at the moment because everybody can work with these technologies. And what we see is that the legacy publishers are lagging behind. We are not the first movers when it comes to adopting new technologies. And there are smart people out there, and they can do it today, and they can use these technologies, just by entering the numbers from the credit card.

3. Embrace or reject change

“So we need to go home and do our homework. We are at the strategic, inflection point. We do not want to miss out this time. 

“So what you need to do, you need to consider, are we doing things the way we are always doing it? Are we maintaining our strategy? Are we rejecting change? Or do we want to embrace change this time? 

Do we want to be part of a new paradigm? This is the question you need to pose to yourself.

You can watch the entire session here:

British musicians have always struggled to “break” America. For some reason, the songs, lyrics and image that work in the UK don’t always seem to have the same resonance in the States. Of course a number of artists have succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic but they are a rarity.

British news outlets have had similar experiences. The Mail has done remarkably well in its US guise but others have struggled to get returns for their investment in people and promotion. 

Now the Brits are coming again. The Times, the Telegraph, the Express and the Mirror are just four publications that have recently declared – through announcements or job ads – that they are expanding their US operations. 

This is, we believe, a very difficult thing to do, and, with due humility, we would like to offer some pointers. Their experiences hold lessons for publishers in other markets too…

Many Brits like to think that they really get America. After all, we are in a privileged position of sharing a heritage, a language and many cultural touchpoints with the world’s top nation. However, in truth they are very different countries, something with which all these publishers will have to contend.

First, the language. It is really not the same. I remember reading with befuddlement a story about one of Donald Trump’s many indictments which said that it was a precedent that meant all presidents “would be faced with being served up a ham sandwich after leaving office”. Eh? 

What I didn’t know was that the phrase is, ironically, American slang for a trumped-up charge, rather than a post-White House lunch option. 

Publishers will also have to decide which language they are writing in. Nothing is more jarring than seeing a slight deviation from a linguistic norm. Readers will think: “Do me a favour/favor” if you get it wrong. 

Political impartiality

Political positioning is a minefield too. In Britain we are used to a highly partisan press with no separation between the newsgathering and oped sides of the operation. Our journalism is rumbustious, opinionated and unafraid to lead readers down a particular path.

American journalism is the opposite. News operations are insulated from comment to preserve their impartiality, which is jealously guarded.

It will surprise many Brits that editors do not oversee editorials in the States, and don’t even know what they will say before they are published.

In my experience of speaking to a lot of American news consumers, they value the obsession with impartiality of American newsrooms. After all, they do not have a national broadcaster like the BBC that is devoted to unbiased news; the private sector must fulfil that role. Much of the criticism of the New York Times in America in recent years is because it is believed it has deviated from this standard.

So what do Brits do? Is there room, as there has been in American television, for opinionated news operations? It’s quite a gamble. 

Another thing to prioritise is your target audience. Is it expats or Americans? The answer will determine what you cover and how. Are you a primary or a secondary read? This will determine whether you cover the waterfront or stick to particular content areas. We recommend the latter.

America is a very well covered and sophisticated media market. British publishers, we believe, need to find their niche and stick to it. 

Think about it for a second. Will Americans (or even expats) go to a British publisher for everyday coverage of the States? Of course not. But they might do so for specialist coverage of, say, Premier League football or the royals.

Equally, they might value a different perspective on the news. The Economist, for example, grew its subscriptions in America dramatically after 9/11, because Americans wanted an outside view after their domestic press had mostly ignored the threat posed by Al-Qaeda.

Making content pay

Let’s turn to how you make the content pay.

If you are offering subscriptions, don’t base your pricing on competitors. This is a trap many publishers fall into and they join a race to the bottom. If your targeting is good, and your content offers a highly beneficial value exchange, then you can price for a decent profit. 

Remember many titles in America are still discounting print subs to maintain volumes to support ever-dwindling advertising, and they price digital subs in context with their discounted print bundle. Be confident with pricing as people know that good journalism doesn’t come cheap. 

Poaching sales teams from competitors makes sense (at least initially) as they will bring along their client relations they can leverage for direct sales and content sponsorships. 

Hiring from competitors for marketers (especially the big publishing companies) is not always so productive. Their approach can be formulaic and based on a series of discounts tied to the calendar: Father’s Day, holiday sales, Black Friday etc. This approach might work for multi-title publishers with stretched marketing resources but it quickly becomes marketing wallpaper. If you’re a new brand in the market, discount offers aren’t the best starting point. 

Don’t feel obliged to Americanise your marketing. You are foreign and a different perspective is very likely what your audience is seeking. Keep your marketing true to your country and your editorial values and stand out to cut through the noise. 

Do Americanise your payment collection experience. Payment methods in your country might be unknown to your audience. For instance, not offering cheque payments for annual or longer subs might mean you are missing out (especially on often very lucrative older audiences). But price cheques above automatic recurring payment options accordingly. It’s an accepted trade-off. 

Ask around to find a digital marketing agency that accepts an element of performance pay. Ask to see their work for other types of recurring payment products (software, streaming services or financial services). 

They don’t need to have publishing clients already. If they have learned to serve the marketers at calendar-led multi-title publishers, their sector experience won’t be of benefit. They need creative flair and the ability to optimise multi-channel, always-on digital marketing. Ask which digital attribution models they will use and how they optimise how one channel activity impacts other channels in a multi-touch point digital marketing strategy. 

Finally, be prepared to play the long game. Building a successful presence in America is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It requires a long-term commitment, persistence and the ability to weather initial challenges and setbacks.

Alan Hunter and Michael Brunt
HBM Advisory

HBM Advisory is a partner of Di5rupt’s Collectif Network, a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

We first met Joris van Lierop in Zaragoza at WAN-IFRA’s World Media Congress 2022. At the time, a number of nascent start ups, including The Content Exchange, were springing up to disrupt content licensing. Moreover, these companies already had proven business models, attracting publishers of the calibre of Dotdash Meredith, Future Plc, Immediate Media, Newsweek, Roularta, and others.

The business model is straightforward: Publishers have full control of what content they make available to third parties and the content is listed in a marketplace format by category. Third-party publishers can then select the content they wish to re-publish under license, typically using a minimum bundle package, and that’s it.

Content alliances are not new – Getty Images has built its business off the back of it. But the new generation of content licensing offers something new, a dynamic marketplace, and also a chance for regional publishers to make their work available at a national level.

Joris van Lierop, CEO of The Content Exchange

Fast forward nearly a year later, and we sat down with Joris to discuss recent developments in content licensing as well as talk about his own company, The Content Exchange (TCE).

What factors do you think are driving up demand for content syndication? What are the key industry trends?

What is of utmost importance is that the stories that are published deliver unique value to their audience. These are often the stories that need specific skill, knowledge, time and resources to create. Bringing valuable stories to audiences for a good price is the basis of what we do.

We are currently seeing traction in special interest areas like Business, Climate, Tech as well as long form formats, like interviews with celebrities, background stories and video. Stories that are short form and are in the mainstream of storytelling are more challenging to syndicate to other publishers.

What would you say are the main reservations that media companies have in syndicating their content?

Companies want to be sure about rights and conditions. So, who is doing what with the content, in what countries is it offered, that it is not distributed to competitors and that they stay in control of pricing. This is especially relevant in the digital space, where concerns regarding SEO play a role. 

TCE addresses these issues by having a system that allows the publisher to control the publication conditions and that delivers canonical URLs for SEO purposes. As for pricing, we very rarely offer a ‘one price fits all’ use case. Rather pricing may be adjusted to the region or to the volume of the deal. We keep in close contact with publishers and buyers, to make sure both parties get the best deal possible. In the end, it is the content owner who decides.

How are you working with AI at the present time? And how will you work with it in the future? Does it offer ways for you to rationalise your processes?

At TCE we are already been working with automated translations. We can deliver all our text in 30 different languages. We are testing to see if the AI platforms can improve the quality of translation to support crossing language barriers. We are also test-creating summaries, which will make it easier for buyers to get an understanding of the content. 

AI will also be part of the discovery function on TCE. Already we create highly specialised topical content feeds for our buyers, but we believe AI can improve discovery for buyers and ensure they get the best content suggestions for their publications.

The internet now seems to be becoming more regulated around copyright. Do you think there may be threats to this, especially in the use of AI-created content?

By definition, AI relies on the work of others. That does not need to be an issue as long as there is fair compensation, fair retribution and transparency is taken care of. It takes effort, time and money to create quality content. It would be a violation of this process if tech companies treat all that work as a ‘free lunch’. It would not be only a violation of rights, but also completely self-defeating. Without good creators, there will be no good AI, so the publishing industry and the tech platforms should have a strong alignment on this, it is a mutual interest. 

TCE addresses both of the issues that are the most concerning about AI-generated texts. Firstly we ensure that rights and fair payments for content are arranged, and second, all text is delivered by quality editorial teams, ensuring the truth of the story – so no hallucinations or inaccuracies which will always be a hazard of AI ‘only’ operations.

Will you work with companies to syndicate AI-created content?

My personal opinion is that as long as the content that is created by AI does not need to be ‘true’ – for example, its purpose is being ‘beautiful’ or ‘amusing’ – then it is more about the quality of work and it can be accepted on TCE. And of course, the rights need to be cleared, otherwise we cannot accept it. 

I believe it is much more troublesome if 100% AI-generated content is, for example, offered as ‘news’ for which ‘truth’ is crucial. Without any human checks on the validity of the content, we would not accept it since the buyer needs to be able to rely on the content we offer. In any case, ‘created by AI’ should be transparent.

How do you market yourself to media companies who might potentially need new content?

We deliver quality editorial content on any given topic for a fair price. It is efficient, economical, and offers high quality. It is as simple as that. The large publishing houses all have their internal content-sharing initiatives, for this reason, as it brings lots of cost synergies and frees up editorial teams to focus on creating other exciting stories. 

For publishers that are considering using AI for content generation, I advise them to have a good look at TCE. We deliver quality content in an efficient way, while we ensure that the original creator gets fair payment and the content itself has been checked.

What do you see as the future for content syndication?

That future is bright. Working with TCE often starts with small, first steps. It is a shift in the way of working, and sometimes feels strange from an editorial perspective to publish the work of someone else. But once publishers experience results and see the wealth of content that this collective network of editorial teams has to offer, they tend get excited about it. TCE connects editorial teams, and as an editor you take part in this growing network of creators and share/buy articles, while fair payment and retribution is ensured.

In the publishing industry, there has been a long culture of islands. Yet the uprising of big tech in the last 20 years has made everyone aware that media companies will not win the battle by being on individual islands – only by working together can every publisher be a powerhouse.

How publishers can get started with you, the process. 

Visit tce.exchange or just send me an e-mail: joris@tce.exchange. We are always looking for great content to onboard; that is for free since our model is transaction based. It starts with signing the license agreement and sending us the content. If you are looking for great stories, we create an online dashboard for you; showing all available content matching your areas of interest. 

A.O.B. we might need to know…

We have about 100 publishing houses that work with TCE; we offer over 600.000 stories and videos, and up to now have sold stories in 17 different countries. We work with publishers like Future Plc, Newsweek, Roularta, DotdashMeredith, yet are just as proud of our many collaborations with smaller publishing houses like Medianation, News.at, Infoplaza and partnerships with high-quality bloggers and freelancers. TCE is located in the Netherlands, HQ Vlissingen. We work globally but we have sales representation in Benelux, the UK, Germany and the Nordics – together with development and marketing, our team consists of 10 professionals.

Thank you Joris. We’ll look forward to hearing about further developments in due course.

A number of audience management platforms publish blogs that make for insightful reading for any media exec serious about furthering his/her expertise on subscriptions – here’s looking at you Zuora, Piano, Twipe, Sophi, et al.

Poool, however, has taken things one step further and launched its own dedicated insights publication, The Audiencers. Based out of Bordeaux, but international in scope, the publication covers the myriad of ways publishers can convert, engage and retain readers. There’s no cotton candy either – the insights are mined from Poool’s rich vein of data taken from across its client base. In short, hard facts.

In this episode for Journalism.co.uk’s podcast, Madeleine talks about some of the latest engagement and subscriber trends. And, if you have five minutes to spare, henna art. In fact, it’s less of a side offering and more of a long entree so if you’re time poor, we’d recommend jumping in on the 10 minute mark!

Critical Timestamps

11.00 – Newsletter Wall: “We offer one article for free, but for the second article a reader needs to fill out their details and subscribe to our newsletter. We did test blocking the first article but conversion rates were lower – you have to allow readers to engage with your content first. Our newsletter wall conversion rates are 25%.”

13.00 – Paywall blindness: “We regularly change the newsletter wall design, and every time we have done so we have seen a significant uplift in conversions. It’s done to counteract ‘paywall blindness’. Many publishers are now starting to counter paywall blindness with regular updates of their paywall designs for festive holidays, local elections, Black Friday, national events, etc. It works.”

15.00 Face time: “By putting a face alongside the request to sign up to our newsletter wall, it brings a human touch to our publication, makes it more relatable. My face is on the English newsletter wall, my colleague Marion is on the French wall. This small change alone boosted our conversion rate up to 60% on certain days, 30% average.”

21.00 Journal du dimanche: “This French newspaper integrated payment directly into the paywall itself, encouraging impulse purchases to read the premium articles immediately. It was a temporary wall, with a countdown clock, and it increased conversion rates by 40% – hugely significant.”

24.00 Registration: “Many publishers still don’t use registration walls, and we really encourage them to do so – registration walls convert anonymous visitors to known visitors and this increases subscriptions, ad revenue, frequency of visits, etc. It’s a key stepping stone from a no user revenue model to a full subscription offering.”

Listen to the full podcast below,:

How should media companies perceive AI? A technology that can elevate their productivity and generate higher levels of revenue? Or a threat that could plagiarise their content and ultimately deliver even greater power to the tech platforms. The answer is somewhere in between.

Rafat Ali, CEO of Skift, remains positive, “You should be an optimist in ‘Age of AI’ because if you’re a pessimist then you’re dead. There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing that you control.”

The tools potentially make the creation of media a lot more efficient. They take some of the drudgery out of the low level tasks that either journalists or people within the media have to do, making work more efficient and better.

“We do a podcast. The company that was doing the podcast for us went out of business. We used to create the script daily and then send it to them to be able to voice it. What did we do? We’re now using the AI voice tools to basically create a daily podcast.”

If it doesn’t have a business case, forget it

How then should companies assess the potential of technologies like AI and Web 3.0? How do they integrate them into their workflows? In some ways the technologies may be more sophisticated, but the methods of experimenting with them have been with us for decades.

One of the most insightful presentations at Congress 2034 came from Dan Pacheco, Peter A. Horvitz Endowed Chair in Journalism Innovation, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University.

Dan, who has worked for publishers including The Washington Post, spoke about emerging technologies and the way in which media companies need to learn to engage with them, and then experiment with potential uses.

He also had a word of warning for publishers, emphasising that they need to spend time stress-testing the new technology in a highly forensic way. After all, as he pointed out, the vast majority of tech ‘sure-fire bets’ turn out to be failures.

“Don’t invest really big unless you’ve tried things that are very small that deliver some data. Find unmet needs for a target audience. If you’re not solving a problem for somebody in some way, and that’s an information problem for media, you’re wasting your time. You need to have that somebody in mind and the problem in mind then come up with an idea.

“It could end up being wrong. That’s okay. As leaders, you need to allow the people who work for you to try things and fail. It’s constant iteration. Once you have that idea, perform a test. Be ready to fall out of love with your best ideas.”

Dan advised, “Stop thinking about the internet as being just a bunch of rectangles. Regardless of what you think about virtual reality or augmented reality, the fabric to make the technology work is already here. You’re probably already seeing more of this kind of content.

“Go into Google search right now, you search on a tiger and you can project the tiger into the room with the phone. So none of these things are kind of going away. They’re just getting more interactive, more immersive. But how do you as a media professional or media company decide what to do with that, right? And where do you put your eggs? I think this is the big question right here.”

To watch Dan’s full presentation on AI and emerging technologies, please access here.

To download the latest Mx3 Leadership report, AI, Technology and the Media – updates from the FIPP World Media Congress 2023, please click here.

The rebranded Media Makers Meet (Mx3) website will incorporate WNIP and Di5rupt’s features and research reports, as well as provide a window to its in-person events.

The site aims to become a benchmark standard in media analysis, intelligence, thought leadership, (Collectif) community and in-depth research reports. It will focus primarily on media that serves well-defined communities of special interest, as well as media-tech and other service providers enabling the industry to innovate and move forward.

The roll-out of the rebranded WNIP site will be the first step in the formal renaming of Di5rupt to Media Makers Meet (Mx3). More to be announced in early September.

What this means

This week, our rebranded Media Makers Meet (Mx3) website soft launches, giving a new name, look and feel to What’s New in Publishing. We will also soon cease publishing news and reports on the Di5rupt site and will also push event and company updates through the new site, meaning one destination site for our audience incorporating Di5rupt, WNIP and all new initiatives.

Whilst the changes will clearly be visual and format in nature, they will also incorporate a change in editorial emphasis to include more in-depth features and interviews, reports, events, as well as our Collectif Community of media leaders, experts and trend shapers.

If you are interested in learning more about Collectif, please contact TJ Hunter (tj@di5ru.pt).

More details to follow in due course…

OK, let’s set the scene. Simon Owens, a media analyst from D.C. publishes a weekly Substack newsletter and hosts a lively podcast as well as a small, tight knit online media community. Yes, we’re paid subscribers, and we’re definitely biased – Simon has also written the odd post for us down the years and they’ve been some of our landmark pieces.

In this podcast, uploaded to YouTube rather than a bespoke podcast platform (many podcasters are transitioning to YouTube for visibility and better opportunities for discovery), Art of Procurement’s Founder Philip Ideson describes how he spent five years focusing on the wrong audience.

He finally figured out that it was the companies that sell products and services to procurement specialists who were his true customers, not the procurement departments themselves.Simon Owens

Owens does a far better job than we could summarising the podcast, and rather than reinvent the wheel, here is the TL;DR of Ideson’s three key lessons:

• Business models often lag audience growth: Just because you’ve figured out how to make compelling content doesn’t mean you’ve figured out what your audience will pay for.
• Your core customers will often be a subset of your larger audience: Don’t assume that the largest segment will produce the most revenue. 
• Use audience validation as a motivator: External validators from key industry participants and influencers is a sure sign you’re doing something right.

Critical Timestamps

16.00: “Early on I was determined I was that I going to make this a business that was funded by procurement departments rather than providers to those procurement departments. But the opportunity was on the other side.”

17.00: “I started to be very deliberate about what programs I could put in place to help (provider) companies talk about what they do but in an educational way…how can I create products that help providers get in front of procurement leaders? Digital events, webinars, podcast, whitepapers etc.”

19.20: “We operate a co-creation model with our business partners…we have full editorial control over everything we do. We guide and coach them about how to create content that is non-promotional, non commercial, but still loops back to them in terms of brand recognition and lead generation.”

35.00: “We don’t set too long terms plans so we can be adaptive….in terms of content, the growth opportunity is in niche content…We’re starting looking into related adjacent industries, for example, the supply chain industry.”

Watch the full podcast below:

Attended by more than 400 delegates from 43 countries, the FIPP World Media Congress in the Portuguese town of Cascais kicked off with a look at the innovation that’s happening in the face of severe disruption.

Congress 2023 brought together people from a cross-section of media and technology sectors, who explored key industry topics with the foremost global experts.

John Barnes, Chief Digital Officer at William Reed, talks about sustainability in digital publishing — optimising our digital operations for making a positive, green impact.

Here are a few key insights from the session:

1. Communications industry using up to 20% of the world’s electricity by 2025

4% of the global internet, US global internet usage, makes up 4% of CO2 emissions. Quite shocking. The communications industry could be using up to 20% of the world’s electricity by 2025. 

We’re starting to understand that there’s a shift away from what used to be considered to be the big issue, which was the transfer of data and images, much more now onto the computation and storage of those facilities. 

More and more data being mined off people in real-time, the fact that people are streaming more and more videos, that people are working from home, and we’re having to put more sort of backend applications into our websites. This footprint is changing all the time.

2. “A shift from face-to-face events into digital”

Whilst I’m supporting our efforts to reduce carbon and to become neutral at some point in the future, in doing so, and in helping my colleagues, I’m likely to see a shift from face-to-face events into digital. 

As people start saying, well, let’s do 360-degree events, a couple of online events throughout the year, and one big event, like this, in Lisbon once a year. Let’s actually try and put more of the paper and stuff online so people can download it. Let’s video everything so it’s easier for people to attend. Let’s have virtual attendees. 

We’re seeing in this sort of move to sort of measure carbon that one area of the business could actually create problems for another area of the business. And that’s why it’s really important to try and sit as a whole.

3. Educate users about the importance of reducing carbon footprint

Trying to educate your users about the importance of them reducing their carbon footprint is every bit as important about actually reducing our own carbon footprint. And it’s simple things, like people print webpages, they’re useful to print. 

So the dilemma for a publisher is, should we have a little button that says “print”? Should we not have the button so people don’t think to print it? In which case they might print through the browser and then they might use four or five pages that are unformatted. 

So the education part is sort of everywhere with users, and people on the team. I’ve mentioned editors and I’ve talked about the way that heavy images or badly designed pages can actually get in the way.

You can watch the entire session here:

Media owners who are building businesses that will eventually be sold or invested in need to be focused on revenue diversification. That’s because investors and buyers prefer owning or acquiring media companies with diversified revenues. They are cautious about being solely dependent on one source of revenue. That’s because the risk is much higher that a company with only one revenue stream becomes challenged if that source of revenue is threatened. 

Blockbuster is a classic example of relying too much on one revenue stream. In their case, revenue came almost exclusively from the sale and rental of videotapes. When streaming became available, Blockbuster was quickly in trouble and never recovered. Clearly, there is a need for some revenue diversification to protect a business from this kind of calamity.

On the other hand, some media businesses go too far and become too diversified, which can make a company overly complex and unattractive to investors and buyers. The trick is to find the right balance. Your revenues need to be diversified, just not too diversified.

We have had clients with so many revenue streams that none were dominant. When this happens, it becomes harder to pinpoint what the company does better than its competitors (other than having more revenue streams!).

Investors and buyers want to compare your company to other companies to understand what makes yours better. If you rely on too many revenue streams, they might think you are distracted and missing out on growing the more promising revenue streams. They expect you to identify which sources of revenue are the most profitable or fastest growing and focus on them. 

Let’s explore two ways you can effectively diversify your revenue so that you are attractive to investors and buyers.

More revenue streams for the same business

How many revenue streams should a business have? There is no precise answer. It depends on the size of your company and your market. 

I believe that three to five revenue streams is ideal for a small or mid-sized business. For example, a magazine business might have advertising and subscriptions as the dominant revenue streams. But they may also derive revenue from events, marketing services and lead generation.

More businesses representing additional revenue streams

Another way to diversify is to have more than one business within your company, kind of like a portfolio of stocks. Ideally, you would have businesses in different sectors so that you become more insulated if one sector gets into trouble.

If one sector, say travel, goes down the decline may be offset by another sector, such as entertainment. Having several businesses in the same sector is a pretty good diversification strategy, but having businesses in several sectors can be even better.

In conclusion, having only one source of revenue for your business can be as much of a problem as having too many sources. Find the happy medium.

Di5rupt Collectif is a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

British musicians have always struggled to “break” America. For some reason, the songs, lyrics and images that work in the UK don’t always seem to have the same resonance in the States. Of course, a number of artists have succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic but they are a rarity.

British news outlets have had similar experiences. The Mail has done remarkably well in its US guise but others have struggled to get returns for their investment in people and promotion. 

Now the Brits are coming again.  The Times, the Telegraph, the Express and the Mirror are just four publications that have recently declared – through announcements or job ads – that they are expanding their US operations. 

This is, we believe, a very difficult thing to do, and, with due humility, we would like to offer some pointers.

Many Brits like to think that they really get America. After all, we are in a privileged position of sharing a heritage, a language and many cultural touchpoints with the world’s top nation. However, in truth they are very different countries, something with which all these publishers will have to contend..

First, the language. It is really not the same. I remember reading with befuddlement a story about one of Donald Trump’s many indictments which said that it was a precedent that meant all presidents “would be faced with being served up a ham sandwich after leaving office”. Eh? 

What I didn’t know was that the phrase is, ironically, American slang for a trumped-up charge, rather than a post-White House lunch option. 

Publishers will also have to decide which language they are writing in. Nothing is more jarring than seeing a slight deviation from a linguistic norm. Readers will think: “Do me a favour/favor” if you get it wrong. 

Political impartiality

Political positioning is a minefield too. In Britain we are used to a highly partisan press with no separation between the newsgathering and oped sides of the operation. Our journalism is rumbustious, opinionated and unafraid to lead readers down a particular path.

American journalism is the opposite. News operations are insulated from comment to preserve their impartiality, which is jealously guarded. It will surprise many Brits that editors do not oversee editorials in the States, and don’t even know what they will say before they are published.

In my experience of speaking to a lot of American news consumers, they value the obsession with the impartiality of American newsrooms. After all, they do not have a national broadcaster like the BBC that is devoted to unbiased news; the private sector must fulfil that role. Much of the criticism of the New York Times in America in recent years is because it is believed it has deviated from this standard.

So what do Brits do? Is there room, as there has been in American television, for opinionated news operations? It’s quite a gamble. 

Another thing to prioritise is your target audience. Is it expats or Americans? The answer will determine what you cover and how. Are you a primary or a secondary read? This will determine whether you cover the waterfront or stick to particular content areas.

We recommend the latter. America is a very well covered and sophisticated media market. British publishers, we believe, need to find their niche and stick to it. 

Think about it for a second. Will Americans (or even expats) go to a British publisher for everyday coverage of the States? Of course not. But they might do so for specialist coverage of, say, Premier League football or the royals.

Equally, they might value a different perspective on the news. The Economist, for example, grew its subscriptions in America dramatically after 9/11, because Americans wanted an outside view after their domestic press had mostly ignored the threat posed by Al-Qaeda.

Making content pay

Let’s turn to how you make the content pay.

If you are offering subscriptions, don’t base your pricing on competitors. This is a trap many publishers fall into and they join a race to the bottom. If your targeting is good, and your content offers a highly beneficial value exchange, then you can price for a decent profit. 

Remember many titles in America are still discounting print subs to maintain volumes to support ever-dwindling advertising, and they price digital subs in context with their discounted print bundle. Be confident with pricing as people know that good journalism doesn’t come cheap. 

Poaching sales teams from competitors makes sense (at least initially) as they will bring along their client relations they can leverage for direct sales and content sponsorships. 

Hiring from competitors for marketers (especially the big publishing companies) is not always so productive. Their approach can be formulaic and based on a series of discounts tied to the calendar: Father’s Day, holiday sales, Black Friday etc. This approach might work for multi-title publishers with stretched marketing resources but it quickly becomes marketing wallpaper. If you’re a new brand in the market, discount offers aren’t the best starting point. 

Don’t feel obliged to Americanise your marketing. You are foreign and a different perspective is very likely what your audience is seeking. Keep your marketing true to your country and your editorial values and stand out to cut through the noise. 

Do Americanise your payment collection experience. Payment methods in your country might be unknown to your audience. For instance, not offering cheque payments for annual or longer subs might mean you are missing out (especially on often very lucrative older audiences). But price cheques above automatic recurring payment options accordingly. It’s an accepted trade-off. 

Ask around to find a digital marketing agency that accepts an element of performance pay. Ask to see their work for other types of recurring payment products (software, streaming services or financial services). 

They don’t need to have publishing clients already. If they have learned to serve the marketers at calendar-led multi-title publishers, their sector experience won’t be of benefit. They need creative flair and the ability to optimise multi-channel, always-on digital marketing. Ask which digital attribution models they will use and how they optimise how one channel activity impacts other channels in a multi-touchpoint digital marketing strategy. 

Finally, be prepared to play the long game. Building a successful presence in America is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It requires a long-term commitment, persistence and the ability to weather initial challenges and setbacks.

Alan Hunter and Michael Brunt of HBM Advisory

Di5rupt Collectif is a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

One of the most important elements of FIPP Congress is the way that media companies share best practice in how they have begun to experiment with technology. And the same is true for AI. At Cascais in June, several publishing companies presented case studies of how ChatGPT or older forms of AI had already created new opportunities for them and in some instances transformed their business.

However, there are also threats – a key aspect is the legal conundrum of AI. In essence, should publishers be recompensated for the scraping and use of their content to train large language models belonging to other companies (here’s looking at you Chat GPT)? According to The News/Media Alliance, the U.S. trade body representing over U.S. 2,000 publishers, the answer is definitively yes.

Emerging technologies such as AI must respect publishers’ intellectual property (IP), brands, reader relationships, and investments made in creating quality journalistic and creative content.

Publishers must be fairly compensated for the tremendous value their content contributes to the development of generative AI technology. It’s a simple exchange of value.

Danielle Coffey, Vice President and General Counsel, News/Media Alliance

However, it might not be as straightforward as publishers hope – it could have more bends than a plumber’s toolbox.

Several Years

At Congress 2023 Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana, Chief Executive, Impress gave her take on the legal background to AI and cautioned that it might take several years before government and pan-national bodies like the EU were able to offer legal frameworks for the governance of AI.

She began though by stressing that it was probably right that legislators moved slowly to begin with. 

“So, first of all, I’d like to caution against reactionary approaches. I think regulators, governments around the world are starting to see this issue through this hype lens. We need to just hit pause and understand what are the issues here.

“Now, creating new rules is always a challenge. It’s a long process. It requires lots of consultation, and sometimes we throw the baby out with the bath water when we are looking at how we best address the actual harms that have emerged as a result of whatever is new or novel, And I think harm is a really good starting point here. So how do we understand the functions of this technology and what harm they might be causing? 

“If we look at generative AI specifically through that functional lens, what is it doing?

“One, it’s scraping huge amounts of content and information available on open source. It runs machine learning to create new images, audio, visual text, etcetera. And then it’s storing compressed publications for training as well. Finally, that recombination process is where it’s deriving those new publications with a little bit of added help from the conditioning through text prompts. 

“And so if we look at those functions, the scraping, the storing, the recombination and the conditioning, that’s where we should look at what particular harms are occurring. And, there are various interests at play here, obviously for publishers. 

U.S. Civil Litigation

“So I wanna talk a little bit now about how lawyers and regulators are approaching this harm. So far in the US civil litigation has naturally begun on the issue of sourcing and scraping and the storage of data. The argument is that this tech violates copyright licence, particularly attribution storage and use, that it violates DMCA requirements, privacy law, passing off requirements, and that all of these violations are unjustly enriching the tech companies that have benefitted from them.

 But it’s really difficult to predict how the courts are going to decide on these issues. Also these actions won’t come to fruition for many months or even years. And if litigation comes to court, judgements may not radically change either A, how the businesses operate, or B, how the tech functions.

Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana, Chief Executive, Impress

“And it’s also worth noting that despite these claims being launched, they may not be successful for the claimants.

“So any media company banking on early legal intervention to protect their copyright might be disappointed. Ultimately companies will have to adopt a wait and see approach, and may be best served by working together to engage with tech companies rather than hoping for legal action that forces them to offer attribution.”

To watch Lexie’s presentation on the legal & ethical conundrums surrounding AI, please access here.

To download the latest Mx3 Leadership report, AI, Technology and the Media – updates from the FIPP World Media Congress 2023, please click here.

Attended by more than 400 delegates from 43 countries, the FIPP World Media Congress in the Portuguese town of Cascais kicked off with a look at the innovation that’s happening in the face of severe disruption.

Congress 2023 brought together people from a cross-section of media and technology sectors, who explored key industry topics with the foremost global experts.

Richard Bean—CRO, Affilizz— and James Hewes—President and CEO, FIPP—discuss new strategies for driving affiliate revenues.

Here are a few key insights from the session:

1. “Making the correct sort of content”

Data. People talk about data, data data’s just random numbers. Basically. If you look at the affiliate industry, it’s what I call data-rich information pool. So I don’t want data. I want information that then can inform the decisions I’m making to ensure that I’m making the correct sort of content. 

What we do is we pull all the data in from all the merchants, and we do it not only from the merchants, but we do it by which channel they’ve made the purchase. So we can track if they’ve gone through social media, if they’ve gone through just the website, if they’ve gone through Twitter, YouTube, whatever. 

Pull it all in and then serve it off in a dashboard so that the publishers can sit down and look at who’s buying what from where, and how at what time. That’s quite important.

2. “The sweet spot spot for affiliates”

Let me talk about content because the type of content that works best, and then I’ll talk about the categories. The type of content that works best is reviews-based content. 

That’s absolutely because the mood music in the consumer’s mind is, I’m looking to make a purchase. I’m, you know, I’m thinking about a new television. Where do I, you know, let me have a look at the review. So if you’ve got reviews-based content, that is absolutely the sweet spot spot for affiliates. 

The other side of content, I call it snackable content. And snackable content, there’s probably not the purchase intent. The person’s coming to your site and not necessarily thinking about making a purchase. And then you’ve gotta try and make them think about making a purchase.

3. How to generate long-term revenues

Snackable content for me is when somebody’s just surfing the web, they just want a bit of information. You know, they’re looking for a bit of gossip, they’re looking for a, a bit of news. They’re not, they’re not coming to find a product and read a review about it. They’re just looking to be entertained. 

A lot of consumer lifestyle magazines are very much snackable content. You know, what was Holly wearing this morning? What was the football score last night? What’s trendy, and all that sort of stuff. 

Then you just have to think, is there a commerce angle there? Is there an angle that I can filter into this that will allow us to just build the archive of content? Ultimately that will generate long-term revenues.

You can watch the entire session here:

Di5rupt, the organizer of the annual FIPP Congress, is proud to release its latest Mx3 Leadership report, AI, Technology and the Media – updates from the FIPP World Media Congress 2023.

Topics covered in-depth include AI, Web 3.0.

The event featured presentations from many of the world’s leading publishers and platforms, including Google, Axel Springer, and others – as well as leading commentators including Rafat Ali, CEO of Skift and Richard Lee, CIO of the Media Lens Group.

Click here to access the free report

As a bonus to readers who couldn’t attend the event, the report also includes links to these full Congress presentations (via the Congress On Demand Video Hub):

• Steffen Damborg, Author of Mastering Digital Transformation and
  digital transformation specialist
• Carolin Hulshoff Pol, CEO of the Welt Group at Axel Springer
• Ana Rocha, Senior News Programme Manager, EMEA, Google
• Yulia Boyle, Senior VP for International Media Partnerships, National Geographic
• Tav Klitgaard CEO, Good Tape and Zetland
• Richard Lee, Chief Integration Officer, The News Lens Group
• Rafat Ali, CEO of Skift
• Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana, Chief Executive, Impress
• Juan Señor, President, Innovation Media Consulting
• Keith Grossman, President, Enterprise Moonpay
• Dan Pacheco, Peter A. Horvitz Endowed Chair in Journalism
  Innovation, Syracuse University

Click here to access the free report

Welcome to the third in our series of ‘Podcast of the Week’ — an opportunity to present a handpicked selection of media podcasts we believe have key learnings for other media companies.

If you missed last week’s selection, here it is: 
How publishers can make the best of TikTok: Podcast of the week

It included Gabriela Campbell Gómez (Ac2ality), Johanna Rüdiger (DW), and Erika Marzano (DW) discuss the most effective ways publishers can mark their presence on TikTok, the strategies to be used, and the importance of knowing trending TikTok songs – although if you know that Barbie World is the top trending TikTok song for this week, there’s little hope for you.

Either that or you have a young family!

TL;DR: To really understand TikTok’s unique appeal and build your community, you have to be committed, and show up every single day.

Moving on…this week’s podcast is a real gem. It features Chris Stone, Exec Producer of The New Statesman’s podcast offerings, talking about monetising podcasts. Chris has serious form – The New Statesman podcast network won “Best Commercial Podcast Strategy” at this year’s Publisher Podcast Awards, the second time in as many years.

Whilst the judges heralded the New Statesman’s podcasts as a “masterclass“, success hasn’t come easily – the New Statesman has pivoted more times than a lap dancer – but therein lies its strength. Indeed, Chris’ ability to listen to other people, be adaptable, experimental, and innovative, has paid huge dividends.

Critical timestamps: 

5.40: “We’re bringing more of our content into one single feed (New Statesman podcast feed) which will increase downloads, increase available ad inventory and makes the feed more appealing to commercial partners to get involved with sponsorship.”

7.28: ”Our revenue mix is 30% platform revenue and 70% direct sold inventory (the vast majority is through branded content). The platform revenue pays our bills, but the profit opportunity is on the self-sold inventory.”

We’re watching very carefully the impact on our audience – we want to give them a better experience rather than just chasing the money.

Chris Stone, Executive Producer, New Statesman

15.04: “We offer an ad-free option via the New Statesman app and this has been reasonably successful, but you have to subscribe to get this….overall, we’re trying to provide a lot of added value to our subscriber audience.,…the users on our app have a tremendously high engagement rate.”

Listen to the entire podcast below:

Specialist media businesses are thriving by serving consumer and professional communities around topics of interest. It is a bustling, agile sector with creator-led, consumer and B2B media. 

We interviewed six leaders from our featured companies to dig into their strategy, uncover best practices and learn about their future plans.

Video recordings of all interviews are available, and here are the highlights from the series.

#1: Creating a global expert community that powers events

#2: Developing new content and services for an entire ecosystem

#3: Landwirtschaftverlag

LV set up its idea lab in 2016 – called “Ideenbauer” – a play on the German word for both builder and farmer.  This brought together external NPD experts with teams drawn from the publishing business to test and develop ideas. 

Staff are encouraged to volunteer ideas, then work with the ideas lab to test whether there is a customer need and a viable business model.  Only a small number of ideas are progressed, but the ideas lab provides staff in the publishing business with tools and techniques to develop ideas. 

This is a long-term programme, about developing an NPD culture and skills across the entire business.  Have to be open-minded about an idea and invest time to research customers thoroughly before jumping to a solution.

Tracktorpool, a machinery marketplace, existed before the idea lab, and as a web-based business, has the potential to reach beyond Germany.  Platforms like bullship.de, a livestock marketplace, developed by the idea lab, could also expand to new markets.

So developing an NPD culture will help LV reach beyond its traditional publishing customers.

LV has developed a daily online news service alongside its established print magazine Top Agrar.  A team of 20 was drawn from new hires and the publishing team and created original digital content, including articles and newsletters, for topagrar.com on a freemium model. Digital only subscribers now exceed 4000 and have a younger profile than existing print subscribers.

“I don’t like the term digital transformation as in a rapidly changing environment, it is never done. Better to develop the skills to continually adapt to change, to understand customer needs and develop new ideas and better products.”  

Michael Romer, Head of Product, LV

Specialist media, be that creator-, consumer-, or B2B-led, is a proven resilient segment of media. What’s more, they continue to innovate as they look for new and better ways to serve their special interest communities.

All on the shortlist answered an email questionnaire and six were interviewed on zoom. We have included a short profile of each business in this report. Here we have the full interview recordings with top innovators included in our Mx3 Leadership report on innovation and trends in specialist media in Europe.

To watch in-depth interviews with six specialist media leaders, click below to view the recordings.

Click here to watch the interviews

Password is Mx3P@ssword

In the report, the best of Europe’s specialist media innovators share their experiences and strategies for growing revenues, including best practices, revenue sources, and investment priorities.

The “Specialist Media Innovators in Europe” report is free and available to download here.

The media industry is bigger than it has ever been, with the rise of the internet and digital media seeing an explosion in the ways companies can reach audiences. This digital reach has also allowed for much greater insight into the behaviour of audiences.

No longer relying solely on cumbersome data collecting methods such as mail surveys, companies can now see how any given user interacts with their media, building a profile for them and enabling more granular and far-reaching analysis. 

Pair this with the fact that media consumption is at an all-time high, increasing by 20% since 2011, according to Recode, and one can begin to understand why it is more important than ever for media companies to be using their data to the full extent.

Ensuring the data you collect and store is free from common problems should be a priority for any media organisation; some of these key data issues are:

Data silos 

Data silos are always a threat to any database, where data can become isolated and inaccessible. This can be especially prevalent in the media industry, where vast amounts of data are generated at any time. For instance, your newsletter subscribers’ contact details may be gathered by a third-party tool and stored in a database separate from your analytics applications. The goal should be the unification of your data to create a well-rounded picture, free from gaps.

Data decay 

Data decay is a constant challenge, as people change professions, move countries, or change their names. The data relating to a given contact will ‘decay’ and decrease in value over time. Unfortunately, data decay presses onwards with the march of time, but there are measures you can take to keep your data fresh.

By and large, the best way to fight data decay is to regularly engage with your target audience and gather new data whenever possible. Likewise, any bought data needs to be from reputable sources who research contacts fresh on the day, as opposed to a mass data seller with an unmaintained list of contacts researched many years ago.

Having a data hygiene strategy is also key to any database governance, giving your data regular audits and assessing where the gaps are is vital to ensuring you are not wasting money storing and marketing to contacts who do not exist or are not part of your target audience. 

Standardisation of data

Standardisation of data is also a crucial area to address. Data in the media industry comes from numerous sources, from websites and apps to various distributors; these will all be generating reports in various formats with their own unique fields. Therefore, it is of great importance that this data is unified into a standard format so that you can see the big picture that all your media channels come together to form. 

Until the data has been standardised, it is much more difficult to perform meaningful analysis and compare your different media channels. Only once standardisation is achieved can the relative performance of these different channels be observed clearly. 

GDPR compliance 

GDPR compliance should be paramount when collecting and handling your audience’s data. This means ensuring the data you buy and gather is legally sound and of legitimate interest. The risk of fines for failure to comply goes without saying, but demonstrating and practising GDPR awareness also raises the relevancy and quality of contacts in your database, increasing the likelihood of a successful conversion. In addition, demonstratable GDPR compliance can help build trust in your brand, making new leads more likely to warm to an offer. 

Keeping your data in good health

Addressing these common data issues and maintaining the overall health of your database helps set you apart from the competition and increases the value of your data, saving your time and ensuring money is not wasted on irrelevant or non-existent contacts.

The media industry sees a constant stream of incoming information, with each publication, event or product release generating potentially massive spikes of new audience data to sift through. It can be easy to become inundated by such influxes of information, but the proper gathering and storing of such data helps you overcome this and extract more value.

Technology, and the way we use data, is evolving daily; tasks that would have taken a team of a dozen thirty years ago only need the click of a button today; embracing the changing landscape of data gathering and utilising the tools available is the key to staying on top in the media industry today.

For more information contact The Data Business here.

Di5rupt Collectif is a strategic partner community that brings together industry technology leaders and media advisors to benefit from various exclusive initiatives and to add their voices to wider industry conversations.

Welcome to the second in our series of ‘Podcast of the Week’ — a chance for us to present a handpicked selection of recent media podcasts we believe cut the mustard.

If you missed last week’s selection, here it is: 
“All our money was in Silicon Valley Bank”: Podcast of the week

It includes Skift founder Rafat Ali’s take on building a robust B2B business in a considered, painstakingly slow, non-VC fashion. Don’t miss it, if nothing else but to hear how one of B2B’s most successful entrepreneurs faced seeing his company’s bank account evaporate in the space of a single hour (spoiler alert: he didn’t sleep well).

Moving on, to this week’s business …

Podcast of the Week:

Media Insider is a podcast series by The Fix—trade magazine for media professionals—looking into the changing world of media. The Fix is based out of Ukraine and has a superb overview of central European media.

In the latest episode, three experts share crucial learnings on what publishers need to know to flourish on TikTok. If you are aged eighteen, please fast forward. Over twenty five? You’ll need to listen. Hard.

Gabriela Campbell Gómez (Co-founder of Ac2ality), Johanna Rüdiger (Head of Social Media Strategy at DW), and Erika Marzano (Project Manager of audience development at DW) discuss the most effective ways publishers can mark their presence on TikTok, the strategies to be used, and the importance of knowing trending TikTok songs. 

TL;DR: To really understand the platform’s unique appeal and build your community, you have to be committed, and show up every single day.

Critical timestamps: 

3.30: “There is a huge variety of content in the app: there are a lot of dances, jokes, recipes. But now [in TikTok] there is definitely a space for education and therefore, for publishers.” 

4.50: ”You have to find your niche, you have to have a content strategy, you have to be ready to upload every day and you have to be committed to that niche. You have to be on a platform every single day, build your community and understand the language and trends.” 

5.45: “The good news is that it is possible to go viral even if you have 5 followers: you make a really good video and you got 1 million views, because the algorithm is not status-based, like Instagram and Facebook, but content-based.” 

19.20: “The KPI for TikTok is definitely not followers, where on the other platforms it still is.”

Bubbling Under

Simon Owens — Let’s talk about growing your sponsorship revenue

Simon Owens is an outstanding tech and media journalist based in Washington, DC. His weekly newsletter provides deep analysis on the media industry, covering everything from the creator economy to traditional media. He also hosts The Business of Content, a podcast about how publishers create, distribute, and monetize digital content.

In his latest YouTube podcast, Simon goes in deep with one of the most consistent questions he gets from readers: How can they find more sponsors? He discusses various options like recruiting sponsors from your own audience, joining programmatic ad exchanges, hiring sales staff, and joining sponsorship marketplaces. Just be careful with the T’s & C’s.

Recode Media with Peter Kafka — Black Mirror creator Charlie Booker says tech isn’t our problem – it’s us

What happens when media, entertainment, and technology collide? Host Peter Kafka, one of the media industry’s most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, and podcasters to get their take.

The latest episode touches upon how Black Mirror isn’t just a hit TV show, it’s a window into the not-too-distant future. Creator Charlie Brooker has an astonishing track record of consistently imagining what we’re just about to see, including the downside of social media, and AI-generated content. Brooker tells Peter that, despite what it might appear, the problem isn’t tech, it’s the humans that use it.

Rather like nuclear power.

Specialist media businesses are thriving by serving consumer and professional communities around topics of interest. It is a bustling, agile sector with creator-led, consumer and B2B media. 

We interviewed six leaders from our featured companies to dig into their strategy, uncover best practices and learn about their future plans.

Video recordings of all interviews are available, and here are the highlights from the series.

#1: Creating a global expert community that powers events

#2: Karger

Karger publishes about 100 academic journals in healthcare, and has been expanding its services for academics, healthcare professionals, pharma companies over recent years as the move to open access for scholarly publishing continues. 

Daniel Ebneter, CEO, bases his strategy on the “cycle of knowledge” as academics develop new research, then communicate to clinicians and patients.

Karger has developed a suite of online courses, including the Campus series for early career academics which provides advice on how to submit articles for publication, and communicate research in progress to a wider audience.  Available in multiple languages, courses have been popular among early career academics, strengthening their relationship with Karger and building more of a peer community.

Karger has also established innovation awards for medical start-ups, providing mentoring for businesses, and developing relationships with investors.  As well as expanding to another part of the medical research ecosystem, this has helped inspire Karger staff to become more innovative, essential in a rapidly changing environment.

A few years ago, Karger acquired a publisher of medical handbooks, interpreting medical research for healthcare professionals, later evolving into content for patients. Last year, they acquired a medical communications business, adding skills in creating digital content, animations, audio.  This can be used to support pharma businesses communicating to clinicians, or academics pitching research ideas to funders. 

For the next few years, Karger is focussed on developing its portfolio of courses, communications and awards, to strengthen relationships with all in the research ecosystem.  Meanwhile, they are investigating how AI can be used in academic publishing, how open access is changing the business model, and how upcoming generations of academics and healthcare professionals want to consume scientific content.

“Today we are in the business of scientific storytelling, upstream and downstream from the scholarly article.”

Daniel Ebneter, CEO, Karger

Specialist media, be that creator-, consumer, or B2B-led, is a proven resilient segment of media. What’s more, they continue to innovate as they look for new and better ways to serve their special interest communities.

All on the shortlist answered an email questionnaire and six were interviewed on zoom. We have included a short profile of each business in this report. Here we have the full interview recordings with top innovators included in our Mx3 Leadership report on innovation and trends in specialist media in Europe.

To watch in-depth interviews with six specialist media leaders, click below to view the recordings.

Click here to watch the interviews

Password is Mx3P@ssword

In the report, the best of Europe’s specialist media innovators share their experiences and strategies for growing revenues, including best practices, revenue sources, and investment priorities.

The “Specialist Media Innovators in Europe” report is free and available to download here.

Specialist media businesses are thriving by serving consumer and professional communities around topics of interest. It is a bustling, agile sector with creator-led, consumer and B2B media. 

We interviewed six leaders from our featured companies to dig into their strategy, uncover best practices and learn about their future plans.

Video recordings of all interviews are available, and here are the highlights from the first in the series.

#1: B2B Marketing

The pandemic’s impact on live events forced publisher B2B Marketing to rethink its business model. Focus is now on senior B2B marketers in global organisations, and their proposition is rooted in peer best practice. Propolis is their all-year-round expert community, for enterprise members only, where all content is published. Live events are open to individual delegates, and their programmes are deeply integrated with the Propolis community.

For example, content themes are scheduled on the community and members and industry experts hold discussions to identify topics which then feed into the event programme. Propolis has a cadre of experts on retainer who are on hand all year round to answer member questions, and also moderate event sessions. Propolis can also be used to test out new session formats that are then transferred to live events.

To encourage member contributions and engagement, the experts are expected to start discussions, as well as answer questions, and a dedicated community manager draws members attention to relevant discussions. The home page has been redesigned to feature popular discussions more prominently, to alert members. The editorial team can base articles on live discussions and use the community to get feedback on new stories. Focus is largely on peer best practice, and sponsor and agency involvement has been tightly controlled, to avoid sales pitches.

With a corporate membership drawn from global organisations, B2B marketing has had to expand its coverage of North America and Asia as well as UK and Europe. Specific live events in the US, plus recruiting US experts, has helped add more relevant content. Member organisations have also been supportive in making introductions to their international colleagues.

“Propolis provides experts, and a community, and content discussions, so we can be more experimental at our in person events, running workshops. People will turn up to sessions because they are based on genuine peer learning.”

Richard O’Connor, MD

Specialist media, be that creator-, consumer, or B2B-led, is a proven resilient segment of media. What’s more, they continue to innovate as they look for new and better ways to serve their special interest communities.

All on the shortlist answered an email questionnaire and six were interviewed on zoom. We have included a short profile of each business in this report. Here we have the full interview recordings with top innovators included in our Mx3 Leadership report on innovation and trends in specialist media in Europe.

To watch in-depth interviews with six specialist media leaders, click below to view the recordings.

Click here to watch the interviews

Password is Mx3P@ssword

In the report, the best of Europe’s specialist media innovators share their experiences and strategies for growing revenues, including best practices, revenue sources, and investment priorities.

The “Specialist Media Innovators in Europe” report is free and available to download here.

As Gen Z matures and becomes the primary audience for news and digital content, a paradigm shift is necessary to cater to their digital-native lifestyle

Relevance of AI for Gen Z Audience Development

Artificial Intelligence is a vital tool to facilitate this shift. It has the potential to fundamentally change how Gen Z interacts with news and digital content, mainly through personalisation.

AI-driven algorithms can tailor content recommendations and curate news feeds to match individual preferences.

This data-driven personalisation serves a dual purpose:

1. Enhancing user experience
Providing relevant information and thus increasing engagement

2. Reducing information overload
A common pain point in today’s digital era

Gen Z’s Collaborative Nature and Engagement with AI

Our report has found that Gen Z’s distinguishing trait is their highly collaborative nature.

This engagement aligns well with the use of AI, which enables transparency and interaction between consumers and content providers.

This interactivity creates a new breed of engaged consumers, ensuring that Gen Z’s voices and needs influence the decision-making processes in content creation.

The Versatility and Practicality of AI Tools

Once we move beyond ethical and privacy considerations, the true potential of AI lies in its adaptability and utility. AI tools can transform universal content into various formats that Gen Z finds appealing.

The possibilities range from turning an article into an Instagram post, a Twitter tweet, or a script for a YouTube video. Our data has consistently shown that the format of content presentation is a significant influencer of Gen Z’s content preferences.

AI in Digital Publishing

The digital publishing industry has been quick to utilise AI for audience development. AI optimises generative work and provides insights into specific audience traits, allowing the creation of more tailored and targeted content for Gen Z.

Looking Ahead

As Sam Altman, CEO of OPEN-AI, stated at the MIT Conference in April 2023:

What we have today, it’s AI in its infancy and there are much more profound developments on the horizon.

Sam Altman

With this in mind, we stand on the brink of a revolution in AI and content creation. This technology, combined with a deeper understanding of Gen Z’s needs and preferences, promises to reshape how we engage with this pivotal demographic in the years to come.

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

With key insights into how AI is influencing Gen Z’s media habits – from content personalisation to combating information overload – the report demonstrates clearly how AI is becoming an essential tool in creating a more resonant media experience for Gen Z. 

Click here to access the report

We invited leaders from news organisations in the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands to join us in Leuven to discuss strategy, products and the future of news. 

During the workshop, we asked leaders from Mediahuis, Le Monde, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, and The Telegraph which technologies are crucial to business growth in the next coming years. We also tackled the complex topics of cross-generation engagement.

We asked a couple of questions to learn more about their professional opinions regarding the news industry, and where it is heading. Starting with the first question: 

‘What technologies are crucial for business growth in the next 3 to 5 years?’ 

To have a better understanding of the industry’s landscape, knowing what technologies are prevalent within the space is certainly important. This question also provides an understanding of the industry’s trajectory and what to keep an eye out for.  

During the interviews, we received many similar answers. Most of the responses were, not surprisingly, about Artificial Intelligence or AI. This technology has recently taken the world by storm, a development spearheaded by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT back in November 2022.

Artificial Intelligence

CEO at Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Thomas Schultz-Homberg strongly believes there will be “advanced AI in the next 3-5 years”, adding that “generative AI will play an important role”. Director of Product at The Telegraph, Mathias Douchet added that machine learning, a subsection of AI, is also another technology that will gain more widespread presence within the industry.

A definition of machine learning describes it as ‘a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy’.  

Clearly the trajectory of the industry, at least in the technology department, is utilising AI to perform tasks that can be automated, which helps to free up brainpower for more uniquely human-exclusive creative tasks. Additionally, Schultz mentioned “technology that fosters automation” will also gain significance as that will help with reducing cost, especially in an industry susceptible to declining revenues.

Multichannel Publishing

CTO at Le Monde, Sacha Morard, touched upon the topic of “multichannel publishing technologies”, to add his support to the notion that automation is something to pay attention to. A bottleneck that automation can alleviate would be reducing the need to adapt a piece of content to accommodate all the different platforms’ formats.

There are definitely advancements being made towards this reality especially with the advent of Generative AI. Our team at Twipe is already exploring this topic this summer – stay tuned as we will share its results later this year in our newsletter.

Mobile Apps

Another technology that got mentioned was mobile apps. Deputy Chief Product Officer at Le Monde, Quentin Leredde, alongside Douchet told us the importance of mobile technologies in the future of news, partly due to the changing ways of news consumption. Indeed, in the words of Chief Digital Officer at Mediahuis, Han-Menno Depeweg, publishers need to follow their subscribers and the technologies their readers are using, and to be “technology agnostic”.  

The widely referenced digital report by Reuters showed one of the key takeaways is ‘the war in Ukraine and the Coronavirus pandemic, have accelerated structural shifts towards more digital, mobile, and platform-dominated media environments’. 

Only around a fifth of respondents (22%) now say they prefer to start their news journeys with a website or app – that’s down 10 percentage points since 2018.

Reuters Digital News Report

Our solution – EngageReaders, certainly can be a recourse for this challenge. The technology helps to identify well-performing articles to aid in increasing reader engagement. This introduces a number of benefits which includes churn reduction, raising subscriber loyalty, performance prediction, and overall creating better digital news experiences. 

Then we went onto the second question: 

‘Which generation keeps you awake at night, and why?’ 

We asked this question because it is a well-established fact within the industry that news consumption significantly differs from generation to generation. However this is not an attempt at singling out any one of the generations as more important, but there are of course key differences that make them more unique than the other. 

But unlike the first question we asked, this question actually received different answers. Depeweg said that it is the last generation, sometimes called the ‘Silver generation’, that keeps him up at night. He believes that by putting in preventive measures to keep them from churning, it may prove to be a profitable decision. Shultz-Homberg and Lerrede also maintain on the same page, that the so-called “print subscribers” generate the most revenue which the publishers can leverage to build towards a digital future.

On the other hand, the younger generations starting from the millennials, received some recognition from the guests. It is noted that these younger generations have developed different behaviours when consuming news that needs to be adapted to in order to capture their attention. 

However, a concern expressed by Leredde is the method of monetisation of these generations. As there is supporting evidence showing they do not stick to the traditional way of accessing news, of which an alternative approach needs to be constructed. It is a challenge faced by many players within the industry that requires more time and research to develop a holistic understanding of these generations. 

Daniel Tee

Get Twipe’s weekly insights on digital publishing, artificial intelligence, and paid content in your mailbox. Sign up here.

This chapter presents five innovative AI-driven strategies for transforming standard content into engaging, Gen Z-friendly formats. Using artificial intelligence technologies like Chat GPT and Midjourney, the chapter showcases techniques for creating interactive “breaking news” Instagram stories, trivia quizzes, enticing Instagram posts, humorous memes, and striking YouTube thumbnails.

Each section details the methodology of repurposing existing content – from a conventional news article to a YouTube video – into a novel, engaging formats that cater to Gen Z’s preferences. These strategies allow for the production of dynamic, immersive content without excessive time or resource investment, fundamentally reshaping your approach to content development.

Revolutionizing the process of presenting information, trivia, and other information to captivate Gen Z

Before we begin.

In order to follow along, you’ll need to complete the steps listed below. This is completely free to do.

• Visit https://chat.openai.com/
• Sign up for an account
• Click “New Chat”
• Experiment with a few queries
• Set up complete – let’s get to work!

Breaking News Story Builder: Unleash Chat GPT’s Power for Gripping Narratives!

Idea

Craft interactive “breaking news” on instagram stories that captivate Gen-Z with Chat GPT’s storytelling expertise. Start engaging

Origin

We began with a typical news article (view the original here) and set out to transform it into an attention-grabbing Instagram story, with the aim of increasing Instagram engagement and in-turn website visitors.

Makeover

Chat GPT became our newsroom star! We provided the AI with the news article, and it crafted a “breaking news” narrative. Next, using an intuitive design tool (like Canva), we created eye-catching visuals in line with Chat GPT’s recommendations.

Final product

Catchy “breaking news” Instagram story that takes 10 minutes and no extra resources to make which has a massive potential to drive people to the news website.

Insta-GPT Quizzes: When Chat GPT Turns News into Swipe-worthy Trivia!

Idea

Instagram quizzes attract Gen Z by offering cool images and bite-sized content that encourages interaction and sharing. These quizzes make information sharing more fun by provides personalised experience that fit their fast-paced digital lives.

Origin

We grabbed a normal news article (view the original here) and decided to add some Gen Z touch.

Makeover

Chat GPT is our secret sauce again! We gave the AI the news story, and it cooked up cool quiz questions and multiple-choice options. In the prompt, we also asked design suggestions from Chat GPT. Next, we unleashed our creative side and used a user-friendly design tool (like Canva) to build the two visuals.

Final product

Insta-worthy news quizzes! Gen Z loves engaging, eye-catching content that’s shareable and easy to digest. It’s incredibly easy, ideal for publishers, and a guaranteed way to boost engagement!

Insta-News Makeover: Transforming Articles into Captivating Posts with Chat GPT

Idea

It takes too much time and effort to manually convert news articles into instagram posts and captions? With Chat GPT it becomes effortless. With the right assignment for Chat GPT any article can become a gripping caption for an Instagram post.

Origin

We picked a standard news article (find the original here) and aimed to give it a Gen-Z twist for an Instagram post.

Makeover

Chat GPT played a vital role! We fed the AI the news story and asked it to generate a fun, interesting idea for an Instagram post, including a captivating caption and a description of what the post should look like. We also asked for hashtags to maximize reach. Next, with Chat GPT’s suggestions, we used a design tool (like Canva) to create an appealing visual.

Final product

A very cool Instagram post with an eye-catching caption! This method is incredibly easy, perfect for publishers looking to increase engagement on Instagram.

Meme-tastic News: When Chat GPT Transforms News into Viral Memes!

Idea

Chat GPT spins news into side-splitting memes that Gen Z can’t resist sharing on the ‘gram. Get ready to laugh out loud as we make headlines hilarious!

Origin

We picked a standard news article (check out the original here) and decided to inject some humour, more precisely turn information into a meme.

Makeover

Chat GPT was our meme maestro! We provided the AI with our news story, and it generated up a comical meme concept that was sure to go viral. Next, we got artsy and used a user-friendly design tool (like Canva) to create meme magic. We merged background picture, Elon’s face and a caption. All suggested and described by Chat GPT in seconds and executed in under 10 minutes.

Final product

News-inspired memes that are equal parts funny and shareable! Gen Z adores content that makes them LMAO and is top match for social media sharing. Don’t forget to link it to your landing page and you are good to go

Thumbnail Titans: Midjourney & Chat GPT Helps Craft YouTube Thumbnails!

Idea

Follow Chat GPT’s guidance and Midjourney assistance to design eye-catching YouTube thumbnails that hook viewers and boost clicks! Let’s create visuals that stand out on the platform! 

Origin

We asked Chat GPT for a creative idea for a YouTube thumbnail inspired by a specific topic or a video. We also requested a detailed prompt for a visual design that could be generated by AI MidJourney.

Makeover

Next, we harnessed the power of Midjourney to generate the custom image based on the prompt provided by Chat GPT. This image would become the centrepiece of our attention-grabbing thumbnail.

Final product

With our stunning Midjourney image in hand, we moved on to a user-friendly design tool (like Canva) to assemble our YouTube thumbnail. Following Chat GPT’s instructions, we crafted a visually appealing and clickable thumbnail to represent our video content.

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

With key insights into how AI is influencing Gen Z’s media habits – from content personalisation to combating information overload – the report demonstrates clearly how AI is becoming an essential tool in creating a more resonant media experience for Gen Z. 

Click here to access the report

Or, to put it bluntly: we’ve listened to them, so you don’t have to! 

In all seriousness, it would be a brave analyst to dismiss the high quality of media podcasts on our curation list – all of which truly are excellent in their own way, not least in terms of content, production values and, crucially, insights.

Moving forwards, what we aim to do is to bring you one key podcast a week, along with a few choice timestamps and insights of our own. 

If you’re still craving more, we’ll also include two or three other podcasts that are ‘bubbling under’ and worthy of a listen on your commute or whilst cooking dinner.

Right, down to business…

Podcast of the Week:

We’re huge fans of Rafat Ali, Founder and CEO of B2B travel vertical Skift. A serial entrepreneur, Rafat is a champion of ‘the slow route to growth’ and in this podcast with Media Voices he goes into detail about his method of building a robust B2B business in a considered, painstakingly slow, non-VC fashion. 

And by ‘robust’, he means it – Skift has withstood Covid where in his own words, “we lost three years” (travel being the hardest hit vertical), the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, as well as many other curveballs that have hit the travel brand squarely in the face. 

TL;DR: Become the best specialist you can be within your vertical. Nail it. 

Critical timestamps: 

17.06: “I’m not a data led entrepreneur, I’m a very instinctive entrepreneur. If you asked me the monthly traffic for Skift I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head, but I can quickly find it for you. I have a good business head otherwise we wouldn’t have come this far.”

18.17: “We have survived everything – including not being able to raise money; Covid (which should have been a death blow because 100% of our revenues came from the travel industry); And all of our money was in Silicon Valley Bank which was a three day nightmare….I feel we’ve passed the rubicon where we will fail.”

21.10: “Many media brands, especially in B2C, raise too much money and the expectations become warped. You can’t be a one trick pony, you must bring all business models along and have multiple revenue streams.”

22.50: “A lot of companies don’t know what their core is, their reason for existence. Maybe they knew when they started but they have lost it along the way. Eleven years in, we think a lot about this, how do we stay relevant?……I speak to two people in the industry every single day to keep on top of the industry.”

If you enjoyed Media Voices’ podcast with Rafat Ali, then you might wish to take a double measure by watching a pre-record interview he gave prior to the FIPP World Media Congress 2023 in June. Entitled, ‘Building a multifaceted vertical media business from scratch’, you can watch the video here.

Bubbling Under

Unmade – Start the Week: Grim outlook for marketing industry; Media’s ‘biggest horror decisions.

Former Mumbrella founder Tim Burrowes started Unmade in 2021 and it offers a solid twenty minute insight into media and advertising Down Under. Many of the challenges facing Ozz media are no different to those in Europe or across The Pond, not least the cost of living crisis, password sharing, etc.

The latest podcast is a good example of the Unmade genre, with an interesting look at Ozz media’s biggest horror stories, although as Burrowes remarks, “there are no stupid people at the top of media, and often we don’t know the full story behind events.” It’s a chilly time in Ozz, and the July/August winter doesn’t help.

Empower – Unleashing potential: Hannah Ajala’s Impactful Mission for diversity and empowerment in journalism.

Wempower is a London based media platform focused on stories of ordinary women that are powerful, inclusive and inspiring. In this episode, we get to hear at first hand how black journalist Hannah Ajala perceives the media environment she works in. 

For UK publishers, it’s a rude awakening – diversity and inclusion might make for good brochure copy but at the sharp end, the results aren’t feeding through – only 1% of UK journalists are black. 

It comes at a time when many media candidates are asking potential employers as their first question, “What’s your DEI policy?” Let this podcast serve as a warning. 

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

As the next generation of workers, Gen Z is poised to significantly shape the future workplace with their unique attitudes and perspectives. These attitudes primarily revolve around ethics, transparency, and authenticity – values that are especially significant within the context of AI and news.

In previous sections, we have discussed Gen Z’s heightened awareness surrounding inclusivity, individualism, and their propensity towards the personal and experiential. In this section, we will explore how these attitudes translate to a Gen Z workforce and how the workplace is evolving in response to these renewed perspectives driven by advanced technologies.

Ethics

Gen Z has a strong inclination towards ethical considerations. They prioritize working for organisations that align with their values and social causes, even over salary and benefits. In the context of AI and news, Gen Z employees are likely to champion responsible and ethical AI practices, advocating for transparency, fairness, and unbiased algorithms in news dissemination.

This emerging generation has higher expectations for the workplace than ever before. They prioritize flexible working arrangements, shared values, higher pay, and increased support for mental health. Gen Zers not only know what they want; they are more likely to seek out new opportunities to get it. A Bank of America report found that 25% of Gen Z workers have switched jobs in the last six months – and more are on the move every day

Forbes Magazine 2022

This shift indicates that Gen Z is willing to change jobs or careers if their values are not aligned with their current workplace, demonstrating lower levels of job loyalty than previous generations. Therefore, attracting and retaining a skilled Gen Z workforce requires organizations to emphasize the values that are important to Gen Z workers, especially in the context of AI, where transparency, responsibility, and accuracy are of utmost importance.

Transparency

Transparency and open communication are key values for Gen Z employees. They expect their employers to be transparent about their practices and decision-making processes, including how AI is used in news production. This emphasis on transparency extends to their role as consumers; Gen Z is keen on engaging with authentic and trustworthy news sources. They desire access to well-researched articles and expect the process of its creation to be transparent.

A Pew Research study found that fewer Americans had trust in tech in 2019 than they did in 2015, the percentage dropping significantly from 71% to 50% in those four years. This trend suggests that Gen Z is more discerning with regards to the brands it engages with and more inclined to probe into their ethical credentials. In essence, to attract and retain Gen Z talent in the AI-assisted news industry, maintaining openness and transparency is crucial.

Authenticity

Despite being digital natives, Gen Z values authenticity and genuine connections. In the context of AI and news, they appreciate news platforms that offer diverse and authentic perspectives. They actively seek challenging or opposing views and are willing to confront difficult topics in the pursuit of authenticity and change.

This preference for authentic content, representing diverse views and experiences, is likely to shape their contributions in the workforce. Gen Z employees are expected to drive the demand for AI-powered news tools that offer personalized, balanced, and unbiased news feeds. By doing so, they respect individuality while ensuring a broader understanding of different subject matters and demographics.

The potential impacts of this shift are profound. Historically marginalized groups might finally have their stories heard as employers and news organizations adapt their practices to meet the values and expectations of Gen Z. This development ultimately benefits everyone, fostering a more ethical, responsible, and inclusive world. This projection of the future of the workplace underscores the importance of understanding and aligning with Gen Z’s attitudes towards ethics, transparency, and authenticity.

Next up:

5 AI prompt ideas

This chapter presents five innovative AI-driven strategies for transforming standard content into engaging, Gen-Z friendly formats. Using artificial intelligence technologies like Chat GPT and Midjourney, the chapter showcases techniques for creating interactive “breaking news” Instagram stories, trivia quizzes, enticing Instagram posts, humorous memes, and striking YouTube thumbnails.

Each section details the methodology of repurposing existing content – from a conventional news article to a YouTube video – into novel, engaging formats that cater to Gen-Z’s preferences. These strategies allow for the production of dynamic, immersive content without excessive time or resource investment, fundamentally reshaping your approach to content development.

Click here to access the report

In the rapidly changing sector of news media, newsrooms grapple with many challenges, notably with how to sustain themselves after the internet has eroded their grip on advertising. The relationship between news and ads has experienced dramatic transformations in recent years, marked by shifts in media consumption and the need for viable business models.

In 2009, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch had presciently declared that the future of journalism relied on news organisations’ capability to generate revenue by providing valuable news and information for which consumers were prepared to pay. Over the years, this insight has propelled a broader realisation that for newspapers to survive, the revenue sources need to go beyond advertising. In that, there has also been a greater emphasis on attracting income from readers.

This instalment of our research roundup series delves into the complex world of news and ads, exploring the hurdles and opportunities in this fluid media ecosystem.

“Attention spillovers from news to ads: evidence from an eye-tracking experiment”

• Simonov, A., Valletti, T. M., & Veiga, A. (2023). Attention Spillovers from News to Ads: Evidence from an Eye-Tracking Experiment. Retrieved from SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3836531. 

This discussion paper delves into the relationship between online news content and the efficacy of display advertising. Specifically, it investigates whether the levels of attention fluctuate between reading news articles and the advertisements that are displayed alongside them. And more importantly, whether this attention influences purchasing behaviour.

Selected participants read various articles embedded with randomised brand advertisements; a non-intrusive eye-tracking technology tracked their attention between articles and advertisements.

The technology collected data on gaze location, duration, and other related metrics that were analysed to understand the attention devoted to articles and ads. The study found that articles that successfully captured readers’ attention also increased their attention to ads on the same page. This heightened attention to ads led to better brand recall and elevated the likelihood of a purchase. Interestingly, the nature of the news – political, entertainment or otherwise – did not seem to have any impact on the effectiveness of the ad.

The results carry significant implications for both news producers and advertisers. For news producers, the key factor to optimise ads is to have gripping news content, irrespective of the subject. For advertisers, the overall user engagement with the webpage, rather than the content on the page, should be the guiding metric when allocating display advertising.

“How does fact-check labeling impact the evaluations of inadvertently placed brand ads?”

• Lee, C., Kim, J., & Lim, J. S. (2023). How does fact-check labeling impact the evaluations of inadvertently placed brand ads? https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2023.2216965

Taking another angle, this study explores the impact of fact-check labelling on the evaluation of brand ads unintentionally placed next to fake news. While fact-check labelling is an effective tool to curb the spread of misinformation, it may have unanticipated repercussions for the ads (and their brands) associated with such news.

In a series of three experiments, the study discovered that fact-check labelling negatively affected the evaluation of ads adjacent to fake news. For instance, the authors took a false news story about a bottled water product being recalled due to contamination by parasites. This story was labelled as “false” by Snopes and Associated Press. The researchers then slightly altered the story by replacing the brand name with a fictitious one and presented it to a group of 183 participants on a mock online news website.

The results revealed that ads associated with somewhat uncredible content suffered a pronounced negative impact. Fact-check labels prompted participants to scrutinise the news story thoroughly, and in turn, the advertisements.

“Local journalism: critical perspectives on the provincial newspaper”

• Matthews, R., & Hodgson, G. (Eds.). (2023). Local Journalism: Critical Perspectives on the Provincial Newspaper. Routledge.

Despite the challenges news outlets face, local news continues to captivate audiences. This interest particularly surged during the pandemic as people sought reliable local information and consequently, there was an increase in digital memberships and subscriptions.

In the book “Local Journalism”, an entire chapter is devoted to spotlighting the value of local newspapers for communities and emphasising the high degree of trust they command. The book basically examines the strategies local newspapers adopt to adapt to the fluctuating media landscape.

Interviews with 40 staff members from local and regional newspaper newsrooms revealed a concerted effort to streamline online editorial content creation. These newsrooms focus on engaging the readers via websites, social media channels and some other platforms. There is a sharp focus on what they call “information-stale” content which includes evergreen articles that resonate well with readers, are easy to digest, and also end up gathering a significant number of page views.

An emerging trend here is the creation of a central newsroom that is supported by a digital-savvy unit. This structure fosters the development of new digital tools, optimises time and resources and creates opportunities for collaborative digital projects that can resonate with the local audiences.

In terms of business models, there is a growing focus on shared platforms for selling products such as multimedia advertising and subscriptions. For instance, a UK-based publisher successfully established a network among regional advertising representatives, complemented by digital advertising experts in regional centres. This approach allowed them to effectively reach an expansive audience, generating an astounding 3.5 billion impressions per month. However, it is a constant balancing act between scaling local news and attracting dedicated niche audiences for short-term engagement.

These findings underscore the resilience of local news organisations amidst challenges. Local publishers adapt their strategies by prioritising online engagement, leveraging “information-stale” content, and promoting collaboration in the digital domain. While their struggles remain, these businesses are leaving no stone unturned to figure out their way in the new media landscape.

“Subscribe now: On the effectiveness of advertising messages in promoting newspapers’ online subscriptions”

• Wilczek, B., Schulte-Uentrop, I., & Thurman, N. (2023). Subscribe Now: On the Effectiveness of Advertising Messages in Promoting Newspapers’ Online Subscriptions. International Journal of Communication, 17, 3782–3798.

This research explains the influence of advertisements on an individual’s willingness to subscribe to online news. There have been many prior studies that have outlined the significance of news publishers advertising and promoting their online subscription plans. However, there is limited concrete evidence regarding the effectiveness of such advertisements. So far, mass audiences have generally demonstrated a lukewarm response to paywalled online news, which is why many subscription initiatives have faltered. This begs the question: how can newspaper publishers effectively advertise their online subscriptions to incentivise readers to pay for online news?

To answer this, the authors conducted an online experiment with 815 participants from the United Kingdom. They tested various subscription pitches that highlighted digital-only features of the publications, social aspects, normative influences and pricing. These pitches were designed to underscore the advantages of personalization, online-first delivery, exclusive online offers, both online and offline events, community membership, support for independent journalism, and awareness of the news industry’s critical financial situation.

So then, why are people hesitant to pay for online news? For one, readers often see no compelling reason to pay when free news sources are readily available. Moreover, the content itself might lack intrigue or can be too broad, prompting users to question its value. Other variables such as the media brand’s reputation, delivery format, ease of use and payment methods also shape consumer attitudes. As a result, when faced with a paywall, users are more inclined to exit the site.

Yet, this research revealed a fascinating insight: a subscription pitch that marries normative messaging (underscoring the importance of supporting independent journalism) with price transparency (explaining the news industry’s financial challenges) can significantly boost people’s readiness to pay for online news. By enlightening the audiences about how their subscriptions support independent, inclusive and watchdog journalism, and by explaining the financial predicament of the news industry, publishers can achieve a positive impact.

Anna Sofia Lippolis

This piece was originally published in The Fix

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

In the era of misinformation and ‘fake news’, maintaining trust and credibility is a key concern for news providers. This section delves into the role of AI in fact-checking and misinformation detection and how these technologies can help uphold the integrity of news content. – please see the separate document on ‘Trust & Truth’.

Artificial Intelligence’s growing prominence in content creation has triggered critical dialogues on its influence on digital content quality and its potential impact on content producers’ jobs and integrity.

The answers to these concerns are intricate, hinging largely on the individual or organization’s approach to integrating AI technology. Many industry professionals express reticence to lean heavily on AI tools like ChatGPT, apprehensive that they could compromise authenticity, accuracy, and, notably, accountability. There is a particular concern that in the pursuit of crafting tailored content for Gen Z audiences, content reliability could be compromised for the sake of appeal.

Liberation of content creators

AI can liberate content creators, allowing them to focus on improving digital content. Moreover, it can help audiences navigate the overwhelming volume of content online, connecting them with credible, engaging, and useful information.

Charlie Beckett, Head of the Polis/LSE JournalismAI research project

Nonetheless, a faction of advocates for AI integration in the daily workflows of digital content creators is growing. They argue that AI can enhance the speed and efficiency of content production, enabling rapid responses to unfolding events. This ability to deliver timely, fact-checked information to audiences addresses one of the significant challenges the digital content industry currently faces: combating misinformation.

This role of AI is particularly pertinent in light of the rise of ‘clickbaity’, poorly researched, biased content. These often dubious sources have seen increasing traction, potentially influencing audiences, particularly Gen Zers. A Dscout survey reveals that Gen Z’s identity is heavily influenced by their experiences and social circles, indicating the weight and impact the content they consume can have.

AI could play a crucial role in counteracting this subjectivity. It offers a means to deliver more objective, diverse, and impartially sourced information. With its powerful data processing capabilities, AI can gather a wealth of perspectives, offering a balanced viewpoint often absent from more subjective human-generated content.

However, the process doesn’t end with simply generating content using AI. Validating this information and ensuring its accuracy remains a vital human task. When utilized responsibly, AI can stimulate a balanced, fact-driven approach to content creation, capturing a broad view of the subject matter. This allows content producers to start their creative process from an informed, holistic perspective.

While AI’s benefits in content creation are considerable, its limitations must also be acknowledged. As an artificial entity, AI lacks the nuances, emotional understanding, and cultural subtleties inherent in human cognition. It cannot replace the creative and intuitive skills humans bring to content creation or the complex cognitive processes involved in crafting compelling, engaging content.

Therefore, it’s crucial for digital content professionals to thoroughly scrutinize and refine AI-generated content, discerning between absolute and subjective truths. Beckett, speaking to Reuters in 2023, highlighted this, emphasizing the importance of human supervision in the use of AI tools. He warned against over-reliance on technology, reminding us that AI’s role is to augment human abilities, freeing up professionals to focus on areas where human skills excel.

The current situation

At present, AI serves as a useful tool for the swift production and distribution of fact-based content, but it can’t substitute human oversight and creativity.

Oliver Busch, Meta COO Dach

If integrated with a balanced and cautious approach, AI has the potential to reduce biases in content production, offering a path toward more objective content. However, this integration must respect the indispensable role of human insight, creativity, and critical analysis in content creation.

The future of content production may well be a blend of human and AI capabilities, each enhancing the other’s strengths while compensating for their weaknesses.

Next up:

Gen Z in the workplace

As the upcoming generation of workers, Gen Z will significantly shape the future workplace. Their attitudes towards ethics, transparency, and authenticity, especially in the context of AI and news, will be dissected in this section. The implications of these attitudes for media professionals and organizations will also be examined.

Click here to access the report

Continuing the Future of News series, we explore Ezra Eeman’s Wayfinder report. Ezra’s weekly newsletter is taking a short summer break, so we thought it was the perfect time to deep dive into his work.

Without further ado, we’ll begin our summary with the same quote that kicks off the Wayfinder report:

For media the future is no longer about digital transformation but about the transformation of digital.

Ezra Eeman

1. By 2030 total annual spending power by people aged 60 and over in Europe is expected to increase 39% to almost 5 trillion

Since older people tend to have both high incomes compared to younger cohorts (especially in OECD countries, thanks to old-age pensions) and high needs (if only on account of medical and specialised care), they are major consumers.  

The senior population is experiencing rapid growth, with 750 million seniors worldwide, projected to surpass 1 billion by 2030. They are becoming increasingly significant players in the economy, with their role expected to expand further in the 2020s. 

Despite possessing a strong computer knowledge foundation, the swift technological advancements overwhelm nearly 91% of Gen X’s and Baby Boomers. Computers, social media, and smartphones tend to cause the most frustration and confusion for them. 

And as people grow older, physiological and cognitive changes become inevitable. Thus designers must understand these changes to master interface design for older target audiences.  

2. The generation that grew up together with the iPhone turns 16

The first truly mobile and social generation is coming of age. And they are redefining media through self-expression, community-building, and mobile technology.

A growing generational gap was revealed in a study of media consumption patterns. Younger audiences are shifting away from linear radio and TV, and instead spending more time on social media. Meanwhile, data indicates that the youngest generation, known as social natives, primarily engage with platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. This shows a clear preference for app-based content consumption over direct visits to news websites. 

Mobile phones and video apps play a pivotal role in shaping media experiences, catering to highly engaged and short moments, as well as longer binge-watching sessions. This shift goes beyond traditional social media giants, as smaller, community-based apps gain popularity due to their direct and private nature. 

Efforts toward fostering engagement and discussion amongst audiences can be rewarding. 

Emphasising the power of communities, platforms now offer subscription models to enhance communal experiences and interactions, fostering a sense of belonging among users. 

3. 19% of teens (13-17 years old) in the US visit YouTube almost constantly. 16% are locked in TikTok

A study by Pew Research Center revealed 35% of teens in the US aged 13 to 17 are virtually constant users of either YouTube or TikTok.

These platforms together with their auto-play features, have become major sources of entertainment and content consumption for this tech-savvy generation. The findings underscore the significant shift in media consumption patterns among teens, who now find themselves drawn to the endless stream of videos and content curated by these platforms. 

4. 81% of weekly listeners believe that podcasts alleviate the stresses of everyday life

Research showed that podcasts are valued by listeners as spaces of tolerance and trust, unlike the perception of social media, which is often seen as a source of misinformation and information overload.

The flexibility of audio content allows listeners to engage with podcasts and streaming music during various unserved moments throughout the day. This makes podcasts an attractive option for publishers seeking to capture attention amidst increasing competition.

Podcast listeners are highly sought after by brands due to their demographic characteristics—young, urban, ultra-connected, media enthusiasts, and highly educated. Despite this, there is still significant untapped potential for growth. 

53% of non-listeners in France admit they either don’t know what a podcast is or haven’t considered using it. 

Real-time audio briefs are emerging as a new trend, exemplified by Insider’s ‘The Refresh’, offering updated, on-demand news in a podcast format, created by seamlessly stitching together individually produced live audio segments. 

Moreover, the growing interest in video podcasts has propelled YouTube to surpass Spotify as the preferred platform for weekly podcast listeners, while heavy listeners continue to favour Apple Podcasts.

  YouTube has capitalised on this popularity by launching a dedicated podcast page. 

5. Media will evolve inevitably to its most natural and immersive form. Not flat and immobile, but rather always on, lifelike and immersive.

The potential of VR and AR for storytelling is promising, but it is still quite complex to create and consume, in comparison to social media platform like TikTok. 

This explains the early ‘Betaverse’ experiencing a decline in users; platforms like Decentraland, The Sandbox, and Horizon Worlds encounter challenges with daily active users and user engagement. 

Technology expert Matthew Ball identifies elements that define the Metaverse, already present in various forms, but lacking a unified, connected, and continuous environment. There are certainly efforts put forth to bring the Metaverse into a more accepted ‘reality’, however the optimism of tech companies are not yet met by the market.

Meta’s Reality Labs unit recorded a $4.28 billion operating loss in the fourth quarter, bringing its total for 2022 to $13.72 billion.

6. Everything that can be automated will be automated

AI could decouple digital news production from print creation, streamlining daily output and allowing for more creative content catering to online audiences. 

Over 75 percent of news executives believe that AI is crucial for their business’s success by 2024.

The creative AI tool landscape is expanding exponentially, capable of generating stories, images, videos, voices, with improving output quality, pressuring specific tasks and roles within media companies. 

A famous example is ChatGPT, a large language model AI-tool, which engages in natural conversations and produces convincing textual output, albeit sometimes factually incorrect. 

Moreover, AI-tools can extract various formats from news articles, even from behind paywalls. This certainly poses challenges for publishers as AI startups offer remixes and generate content based on original reporting. 

With media companies adopting these technologies, ethical discussions are more critical than ever. We talked more about this in our previous blog post here.

7. Digital has blurred the lines between media – video, audio, test – it’s all bits and bytes and it’s all going through the same pipeline

The renowned long tail of the internet has evolved into an expansive pipeline that encompasses a wide range of mainstream and niche content. The convergence of diverse perspectives and individual creators presents opportunities for new media companies.  

Organisations like The Every have embraced collective bundling, offering financial incentives to writers contributing to their podcasts and newsletters since 2020. 

The New York Times leverages growing demand and willingness to pay for a connected portfolio of complementary products.

Brands are also catering to their most loyal users, offering additional proposals to these superusers who willingly spend money or attention. These high-value customers serve as a buffer during challenging times, ensuring stability and resilience for the future. 

8. Rather than storing data centrally, users would hold their personal data in a personal data pod

Research highlights widespread concerns about data collection and personal privacy when using browsers and search engines. Despite these apprehensions, many users still fail to take action to address privacy concerns effectively. 

Playing the privacy card is a major game changer for the digital economy.

The advancements in AI technology enable it to comprehend the digital landscape in a human-like manner. This creates new possibilities for understanding user behaviour, preferences, and needs while respecting their privacy. Moreover, the value of first-party data as an exclusive and owned resource cannot be underestimated. However, this data often passes over publishers’ platforms without being captured. 

Publishers are raising concerns about ad-tech firms using their content to create contextual advertising segments without permission, leading to disputes over contracts and trust issues in the programmatic advertising space. As third-party cookies phase out, and contextual advertising gains traction, publishers seek a more significant role in shaping industry practices and securing stronger terms. This shift prompts a call for better representation and fair treatment as new technologies emerge.

More brain snacks from the report:

• AI-driven tools made way for technology such as voice cloning and synthetic text-to-speech, allowing publishers to experiment with new audio formats. However, this technological advancement also brings concerns about third-party piracy. 
• Enhancing podcast searchability and accessibility is vital, and rich metadata, powered by speech recognition and NLP engines, offers users different ways to access podcasts. 
• There are strides towards expanding commercial translation technology to cover over 20% of the global population that currently does not have this technology. Meta recently announced they are performing a real-time text conversion among 100 languages without using English. 
• Gen Z users are embracing avatar customization, with 47% dressing their avatars to express individuality. 
• Loneliness is a significant concern for seniors, and startups like Hank and GetSetup address it through interest-based classes and community gatherings. 

Daniel Tee

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The impact of COVID-19 has accentuated and accelerated underlying structural issues, catapulting the industry into a new and uncertain future much quicker than anticipated.

To survive, nevermind flourish, in this environment, strategic innovation — rather than innovation for the sake of it — is more important than ever.

If we accept that principle, what lessons can be learned from other news and media organizations around the world?

In this series, I’ve shared thoughts from leading media scholars, researchers and practitioners for their top tips for successfully implementing innovation as well the principles and likely barriers organizations need to consider.

For this final article, based on their expert insights, I’ve identified nine principles of content innovation, and examples of them in action.

Theme 1: Business Model Innovation

Principle 1: The Value of Niche

“There was a point where the mainstream media industry believed scale was taking marginally valuable audiences and trying to make them bigger. We’ve done the opposite,” Sean Griffey, CEO and co-founder of Industry Dive, told Axios recently.

“This is a company that has taken a ridiculously simple idea — that ‘the real value in business media is in niche, highly targeted audiences’ — and then replicated it profitably multiple times,” observes Rishad Patel, the co-founder of Splice Media in Singapore.

Patel highlighted how Industry Dive had identified a successful approach and replicated it (e.g. Retail Dive, Utility Dive, Food Dive, Supply Chain Dive, Payments Dive). As a result, profits are expected to grow to 30% this year.

As Griffey himself puts it:

“Basically, the true secret to scale for a media business is to do something *valuable* multiple times.”

Thomas Seymat, Editorial Projects and Development Manager at Euronews, and an Adjunct Professor of Journalism at Paris’ Centre de Formation des Journalistes and Sciences Po Lyon, also cited the work of a niche publisher, The Fix.

An online trade publication for media professionals with a strong focus on Central and Eastern Europe, the site has innovated, Seymat says, “by occupying a (to my knowledge) unused space — topic and geography-wise, and in English.”

“They write a lot about media revenue experiments and I hope they too will find the right balance of revenue streams to be sustainable in the long term,” he adds.

Principle 2: Going Against the Grain

Both Patel and Seymat cited further examples of publishers and content creators who have bucked obvious trends.

“Our friends at The Ken in Bangalore realized that their strength lay not in throwing multiple stories at an audience to see which one would stick,” Patel recounted, “but in publishing one well-researched, deeply reported story a day.”

“If you’ll allow me to be corporate, I think my employer’s (Euronews) strategy to launch and grow an affiliates network in Southeast Europe and the Caucasus region is strategically innovative,” Seymat says.

“Finding local partners and investors to start whole new media organizations — facing a pandemic and other challenges — is a great example of innovation that makes sense for the business development side, for the brand, and for the audience too.

“These affiliates bring a new independent voice in their region,” he adds, “and they contribute to Euronews’ main news coverage, along with the rest of our language services.” “I know it’s a ton of work for everyone involved, so I have to give kudos to my colleagues.”

Launching new services in the midst of a pandemic was a bold idea reiterated by Patricia Torres-Burd, Managing Director, Media Services Advisory Services, MDIF (Media Development Investment Fund). Torres-Burd noted efforts led by Styli Charalambous of the Daily Maverick in South Africa, “a CEO focused on product and innovation.”

“He is not afraid to make changes,” Torres-Burd says, “and during the pandemic — this digital news portal — are you ready for it? … Launched a weekly print section. It is entirely counter-intuitive but in line with their goal to reach and inform as many people as possible in their country.”

Theme 2: Cultural Innovation

Principle 3: Investing in — and Creating — Community

“Although news organizations, in general, remain reluctant to relinquish their role in deciding what constitutes news and how best to convey it, there are some creative experiments,” notes Dr. Jane Singer, Professor of Journalism Innovation at City University in London.

Focusing on what Singer refers to as “audience-driven news,” one such organization that has caught Singer’s eye, is Tortoise Media in the UK.

“Although the name stems from its ‘slow news’ approach, I think one of the more innovative things about Tortoise is the way it makes audiences integral to the news process, from deciding what to explore to engaging directly with newsmakers,” she says.

Singer also mentions The Ferret, an award-winning investigative journalism co-operative, based in Scotland. As they explain in their online FAQ, “when you subscribe to The Ferret you become more than just a passive supporter — people become part-owners of the project and can influence how it will develop.”

This community-centric model also resonates with Patricia Torres-Burd, who points to case studies from the Membership Puzzle which showcase innovative forms of content creation, distribution and engagement.

“I absolutely love and devoured these,” Torres-Burd says, “but the standouts are KPCC and their community-driven efforts during the pandemic, and Black Ballad out of the UK and how they built a safe space online for Black women.

“This effort not only created a community, engaged and active participants but has now turned it into so much more with opportunities for revenue and brand alignment that fits their mission.”

Torres-Burd also highlights the Mexican media platform “Malvestida, which “is focusing on women’s issues beyond fashion and beauty … amplifying the voices and experiences of a new generation who can define their needs and identity on their own terms.”

“Most of what they have to say and discuss is region agnostic,” she adds, recommending people check out their Instagram page, and reminding us how in the digital age communities are no longer bound by geography.

Principle 4: Collaboration

Community building principles are not just embodied in the relationship organizations have with their audience, but increasingly with each other.

“As I write, the Pandora Papers has just dropped,” Jane Singer commented in an email. “They are the latest manifestation in a growing trend of journalists from different news organizations working together, rather than competing, to tell different parts of a major story.”

Other efforts shared by Singer include how “BureauLocal, (part of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism in the UK) has “brought local journalists from around the country together to collectively explore a national data set and develop local stories from it, ” and the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance database (created by the International Fact-Checking Network), “a compilation of debunks of coronavirus hoaxes by fact-checkers all around the world.”

“Innovation is not easy,” Patricia Torres-Burd reminds us. “It can be internally disruptive and expensive. Collaboration can provide an excellent opportunity to test and find the best ways to reach audiences with relevant content.”

By way of an example, she cites the work of Hashtag Our Stories (and their collaborations with Snapchat and NBC LX, a local news network targeted at younger cord-cutters), and two examples from India: Josh Talks and Sheroes a social network for women.

“While they are not traditional media outlets — both are utilizing social and content platforms to connect with and improve communities,” she says.

Principle 5: Transparency and an Open Innovation Culture

“I’ve spent a couple of intense years leading Euronews’ immersive journalism efforts,” says Thomas Seymat, Editorial Projects and Development Manager at Euronews, “so VR, AR, etc. are mediums I keep a (nostalgic) eye on.”

“However, the field evolves constantly and it’s easy to fall behind if you’re not paying close attention.” Because of this, Seymat says he was “happy to see that the New York Times’ R&D department published a guide teaching how journalists can create stories through photogrammetry using only their mobile devices.

This was “cutting-edge stuff made available to the greater public,” he notes.

“It’s one thing to lead innovative projects with cutting-edge technologies with the financial support of tech companies, it’s a whole different thing to do it openly (as Seymat’s company has previously done) so it benefits the rest of the industry.”

It’s a model others have also adopted, with Jane Singer underscoring how “growing numbers of large news orgs also now have dedicated ‘spaces’ for exploring new ideas.”

Found on Medium and elsewhere, efforts like BBC News Labs can help spark discussion and “explicitly seek to foster and encourage creativity.”

Theme 3: Audience-first Innovation

Principle 6: Products Designed to Meet User Needs

“A lot can be learnt from looking at other traditional industries,” argues Joon-Nie Lau, Director, Asia, WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers). “Entire books have been written about how these industries have transformed digitally.”

“What they [and the media] have in common is that they make their money by serving consumers and addressing customers’ needs, constantly tweaking their products and services to ensure that consumers will want to pay for them.”

For Splice Media’s Rishad Patel, one example of a company embodying these ideals is The Information. “[It] has such a richness of products for its users that all speak to its mission — to cover the technology business like nobody else — and that it does this in so many formats that meet their audiences where they are (or want to be),” he says.

“They understand that the text-based article isn’t the only way we consume information, so their ‘stories’ take the form of paid products like conference calls, Slack channels, events, workshops, commenting on their website (because they get that being a part of the conversation is something their members were willing to pay for) and… org charts.”

“I think [the org charts] is a genius product in that The Information understands the needs of that segment of their tech insider users who work in finance or journalism that would pay for this sort of intelligence because of its utility in the work that they do.”

Theme 4: Content and Tech-led Innovation

Principle 7: Embracing New Formats and Products

“I love what The Guardian, The New York Times, Washington Post and NPR are doing — particularly in the areas of data storytelling, immersive podcasts, VR and AR storytelling on Instagram,” says Devadas Rajaram, a Professor at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, India.

“They are very engaging and user-centric,” he adds, reflecting on the fact “it’s ironic that they’re all legacy media organizations.” Of digital-born entrants, Rajaram adds BuzzFeed News and Hashtag Our Stories into the mix.

Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), stressed how content-led innovation can be found across a number of different areas, from the types of open-source investigations produced by outlets such as Bellingcat and the BBC Africa Eye team, through to product format innovation like Quartz Obsessions, The New York Times’ podcast The Daily, and live events hosted by Tortoise.

The next leap forward, he believes, will be in “flash briefings,” as well as “personalized” and “atomized audio.”

Principle 8: New Tech

Although there’s a deluge of new tech that companies can — and are — using, Dr. Gillian Youngs, a strategist, innovation and ecosystem expert, who has worked across the creative, digital and academic sectors, stressed the role of AI as a major focal point for innovation in media and journalism.

Youngs pointed to the role of this technology in tackling areas such as misinformation, (through initiatives like the EU-funded Fandango project).

“Even if automatic detection of Fake News and disinformation is not possible for the moment…, Machine Learning technologies and Big Data analysis can strongly support journalists and media professionals to detect disinformation in their day-by-day working activity,” she says.

More widely, “curating audience preferences and interests, social media, and links across different forms of content can be part of this picture in far more complex ways than is happening at present,” Youngs argues.

Embodying principles that can go way beyond managing misinformation, Youngs notes how “innovation in these areas requires a lot more thinking outside of traditional mass media boxes, and new interdisciplinary strategies.”

Theme 5: Changing Editorial Culture

Principle 9: Leadership Matters

Underpinning much of this is the ability of leaders to change editorial culture and a company’s mindset.

With this in mind, Jane Singer admits this “reflects my own reader biases,” but, she cites The New York Times and The Guardian as two examples of where this can be seen.

“Not incidentally, both also have strengthened their financial situation as a result of these changes, including by adding significant numbers of new readers.”

Innovations can resonate beyond institutional boundaries, priming the entire industry.

Nic Newman points to efforts such as engagement metrics like RFV (which measures the Recency, Frequency and Volume of reading the FT digitally) a move from the Financial Times which “galvanised the industry on loyalty.”

Meanwhile, Joon-Nie Lau, Director, Asia, WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers) highlights innovation strategies at outlets such as Stuff NZ (New Zealand), Mediahuis (Belgium) and the South China Morning Post as outlets others can learn from.

Led by new CEO Gary Liu, the South China Morning Post has “transformed a local English paper of record into a global news publication helping readers understand China.”

Liu “started with 250 staff producing print, 40 on digital, and transformed headcount to 250 on digital and 40 in print.”

Final Thoughts

“To create the space for innovation and the opportunity for growth, companies at every scale and every stage from start-up to storied legacy media must decide not only what to do,” the journalist and communications consultant Kevin Anderson argued for the Reuters Institute back in 2017, “but also what they will stop doing.”

The reason for this, Anderson suggested is “so that they can focus on editorial and commercial innovation — not simply for the sake of doing something new but to achieve their journalistic mission and their editorial ambitions in a constantly changing media environment.”

That’s an argument that remains as true today as it did four years ago.

After all, as Federica Cherubini, Head of Leadership Development, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) reminds us, we all want to be “inspired by those who are really embracing the change, not for the sake of changing or just doing something new, but for their ability — and commitment — to find the best way to serve their audiences, build a sustainable business, and nurture their newsrooms.”

Hopefully, this three-part series has done exactly that!

Download the report here

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, Innovation in news media and journalism

This is the second in a three-part series looking at innovation in journalism and news media. Part One explored the characteristics of innovation and identified five major barriers to change. In this article, Damian Radcliffe asks leading media scholars, researchers and practitioners for their top tips for successfully implementing innovation.

“The bad news is that there’s a pretty low bar for innovation in journalism and media,” says Rishad Patel, co-founder of Splice Media in Singapore. “The good news is that there’s a pretty low bar for innovation in journalism and media.”

Nevertheless, despite this perceived low bar, addressing issues of innovation — and its implementation — is not easy.

“These are important questions… [and] very hard to give a brief answer to,” says Dr. Lucy Kueng who as Professor of Media Innovation (University of Oslo) and the Google Digital News Senior Fellow at Reuters Institute, Oxford, has written extensively on strategy, innovation and leadership with particular emphasis on managing technology shifts.

“I think the industry has a systematic problem with innovation — too much with too little focus,” Keung told me in email correspondence. ”Innovation needs to be embedded in a smart and strategic process, and then setting up the process to match the outcomes needed,” she says.

With that in mind, here are twelve strategic considerations which need to be factored into the processes — and outcomes — that companies looking to innovate need to consider.

1. Define what problem — or problems — you’re trying to resolve

“Innovation per se does not lead to growth,” Lucy Kueng reminds us, “and more innovation is not necessarily better, especially if it’s not wrapped in a strategy.”

“Innovation can ironically lead to fragmented attention, resource stretch, complexity and lack of focus. The answer is clarifying at the start what kind of innovation is needed, and why,” she adds.

2. Reframe your mindset to be more audience-led

For Rishad Patel, one major driver that he doesn’t see often enough are efforts that are externally focused, with media outlets innovating with the goal of seeking to solve the problems faced by audiences.

“We don’t see enough of that in the way we run our media organizations,” he adds. “True innovation in media comes from that value exchange: by serving our audiences with anything at our disposal that allows them to make better decisions and live better lives.”

“All of that takes a lot of conversation — actual conversations with the actual people we produce our content and media and journalism for, and an ability to listen with real empathy,” he advises.

3. Measure the right things

Once you’ve identified the problems you wish to solve, and put steps in place to address them, then “a great metrics framework to help show whether innovations are working or not,” is essential says Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ).

One potential challenge to address here, Newman observes, is to ensure that everyone is speaking the same language, especially where innovations involve a mix of tech, editorial and commercial staff. Given that these diverse roles may express themselves — and understand their roles and what success looks like — very differently, it’s essential that they are all on the same page.

4. Provide effective and clear leadership

Setting this framework, and communicating the vision and focus behind innovation efforts, are cornerstones of the work that those in leadership roles must deliver on.

It’s essential that senior management “set [a] clear vision and mission and ensure all staff are in alignment,” says Joon-Nie Lau, Director, Asia, WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers).

To help do this, that means being clear about “who is in charge” Nic Newman recommends. This is especially important given the myriad of stakeholders (e.g. editorial, tech, marketing, commercial) who may be involved in these efforts.

It also requires industry leaders to possess a broader range of skills than perhaps they have in the past too. As Federica Cherubini, Head of Leadership Development at RISJ, explains:

The task requested of newsroom managers is much more complex now.

The skills needed have widened to include empathy, listening and understanding. It’s about adding on top of the old jobs the ability of taking care and truly leading a team.

We need to rethink what leadership means and who we consider a leader. We need to think about how that strategic change is reflected into having more diverse and inclusive newsrooms.

5. Look beyond the C-Suite

Putting these ideas into practice is key, for those like Devadas Rajaram, a Professor at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, India, who see “the biggest barrier [to innovation] is the traditional mindsets of the people running newsrooms.” “Media management should be open to new ideas and young people should be given a place at the table.”

It’s a view that resonates with Thomas Seymat, Editorial Projects and Development Manager at Euronews. “I would strongly recommend setting up structures or pathways internally for people with innovative ideas where they can find the support of people who “have done it before”, he advises.

Seymat recognizes that this may be difficult in resource-scarce environments, but that a failure to broaden the conversation reduces the pool of people given opportunities to lead change or have their ideas heard. Overcoming this is essential, not just to drive innovation, but also to promote fresh ideas, inclusivity and overlooked perspectives.

Allied to this, Joon-Nie Lau, Director, Asia, WAN-IFRA advocates teams “look outside the company and media industry for inspiration and answers,” given that the challenges being faced by the media industry are not unique to it.

6. Commit for the long-term

In implementing new ideas, “your first version probably won’t be right,” instructs Nic Newman, a former BBC News veteran who oversaw the launch of many of the Corporation’s early digital news products, “so you need to iterate and change.”

Recognizing — and committing to this reality — can be challenging, especially when “the newsroom’s understaffed and the higher ups’ focus is solely on quick wins or the bottom line,” acknowledges Euronews’ Thomas Seymat.

As a result, too often, it would seem, organizations risk being “fair weather innovators,” committed to the idea of change, but not necessarily sticking with it. This can be one reason why, implementation can be such a challenge. Lucy Kueng’s recent work on strategy and culture, for example, revealed that “only a fraction of strategies are ever implemented.”

“This is due to the complexity of strategy implementation,” Kueng wrote. “It involves shifting from a rational, deeply thought-out plan to the messy realities of human action, organizational inertia, and small ‘p’ internal politics and personal intractability.”

7. Trust — and invest in — the process

“We might have a good strategy on paper but its implementation brings lots of uncertainties. And this is because change is not just about process, but people,” says Federica Cherubini.

The process needs to match the outcomes that an organization is looking to deliver, advises Lucy Kueng. “Is this open-ended experimentation to test an idea, and learning is just as valuable as it working, or are we dealing with a fundamental pivot that has to deliver?”

“Each of these categories needs an entirely different processes, and teams people working on it,” Kueng observes.

“So underlying this, the big point is the process is as important as the innovation. Those doing well tend to have nailed the process — a central piece of which is simply unpicking the learnings that emerge.”

8. Acknowledge fear, risk and uncertainty

A consistent theme among contributors to this article was what Joon-Nie Lau categorizes as “FUD.” Fear, uncertainty and doubt.

“Fear of change, of upsetting whatever’s left of the status quo, fear of the unknown… fear of taking risks and investing in technology or new ventures which may not pay off.

Uncertainty in the political and economic outlook… uncertainty over what audiences want (or don’t) despite the existence of tools and techniques to determine and measure such preferences.

Doubt over whether any changes or new ventures will actually work, doubt and insecurity over being left behind.”

The sum of all these fears is understandable. After all, as Federica Cherubini, reminds us, “change is hard. The result of change is often (always?) unknown.”

Industry leaders need to lean into this, setting clear objectives and expectations.

“We are all afraid of change and what it implies,” confesses Patricia Torres-Burd, Managing Director, Media Services Advisory Services, MDIF (Media Development Investment Fund). “[But] I will say that fear of this need for continued relevance brings out the insecurity in the best of us!”

“Similarly, and the reverse is true,” argues Thomas Seymat. “It’s easy to imagine that change management in news organizations bloodied by cuts, buyouts and layoffs cannot be fully effective, or even well-received by the staff.”

9. Bring people with you

“Buy-in from a critical mass of people at all levels of an organization is necessary but is exceptionally difficult to obtain,” Dr. Jane Singer, Professor of Journalism Innovation at City University in London, divulges.

“Changing habits of both practice (how things are done) and thought (what things we believe ought to be done, and how we believe we ought to do them) is not only hard but also tends to happen unevenly: Some people will be enthusiastic, some will be less keen but receptive, and some will be resistant.”

“The size of each group will vary, but all will include senior managers, middle managers and junior staffers — and not just on the editorial side but right across the organization.”

10. Empower managers, cut the detractors loose

Everyone knows that culture change is hard. To help drive it, “remove detractors and naysayers,” counsels Joon-Nie Lau. “They are toxic!”

“Make it easy for them to leave if they do not agree with the new direction,” she recommends. At the same time, you need to “build trust [and] empower staff,” Lau says, which means showing your trust in your teams and working hard to “identify talent gaps, train, promote from within or hire from outside.”

Stressing some of the same lessons as those espoused by Jane Singer, Federica Cherubini points out that “strategic change has implications at all levels of an organization.”

Because of this “it needs to be embraced, pursed and championed by the top leadership, understood and implemented by the middle management — who often are confronted with the most real implications on the people aspect of this — and it needs to make sense and work for everyone who is executing that strategic change, working on it every day, throughout the organization.”

“I think a way to overcome these challenges goes through investing on and empowering managers,” she says.

11. Let go of the past

Having put these principles into practice, outlets may find themselves looking — and feeling — very different from when (and where) they started.

“These solutions, or products, may not look very much like the journalism business we grew up with, but that’s a good thing, because it probably means that we’re meeting those audiences where they are, rather than asking them to come to us, as we’ve done for so many decades,” proposes Rishad Patel.

Nevertheless, “it is complicated to change the ethos of a newsroom that has for decades been the leader in the market… but in print,” says Patricia Torres-Burd, sharing a sentiment applicable to players across multiple mediums. “Switching to digital is an enormous shift on so many levels! Managing this need internally and externally is hard work that takes vision, time, and strategic expertise.”

12. Understand that change is the only constant

That said, few organizations can rest on their digital laurels, so however uncomfortable and uncertain this ride is, it remains a necessary one.

“We’re on a journey and there is no playbook or silver bullet to solve it all,” Federica Cherubini says.

“It’s about learning and iterating,” we need to “keep evaluating [because] what works now might not work in the future,” Cherubini argues. “This has been true probably for a very long time, but the pace of the evolution has increased dramatically.”

“The ecosystem is constantly evolving and embracing change means embracing the fact that we’re not simply trying to figure out how to get from A to B, but that that finish line keeps moving forward,” Cherubini cautions.

Subsequently, “transformation is the default,” she adds.

In the third and final part of this series, we look at examples of innovation in media and journalism, and some of the key ideas and principles that these case studies demonstrate.

Download the report here

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a media company in possession of a good fortune (an audience, brand recognition and decent revenues), must (still) be in want of innovation.

The pace of change in our industry means that even the biggest, most successful, companies need to continually innovate, refresh and reinvent what they do and how they do it. Those who don’t risk being left behind, overtaken by digital upstarts, or blown away by more established players with deeper pockets and a longer transformational runway.

I asked 10 experts — leading media practitioners, researchers and scholars around the world — for their insights around what constitutes innovation, the barriers to implementing it, and how to overcome these roadblocks.

Here’s what they had to say:

“I know it when I see it.”

Spotting innovation — and its characteristics — in the wild.

“It is such a difficult concept,” admits Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ).

Newman, like others such as Joon-Nie Lau, Director, Asia, WAN-IFRA (The World Association of News Publishers), highlighted the myriad of areas and activities that can be captured under an innovation umbrella.

This includes innovation in the way journalism is gathered (routines, methodologies, workflows and processes), the way it is packaged (workflow, products and formats), as well as distributed and monetized (platforms, services and products once more).

Principle No 1: The innovation process and mindset

In doing this, “innovation could be a new solution to an old problem or a new approach to a new problem,” explains Federica Cherubini, Head of Leadership Development at RISJ. “It could be about technology of course, but more broadly it’s about process and ways of doing things,” Cherubini suggests.

Dr. Jane Singer, Professor of Journalism Innovation at City University in London, concurs, noting how “in existing news organizations, it [innovation] generally requires a cultural shift, going well beyond the integration of some new technology or tool.”

This is an approach that chimes with Devadas Rajaram, a Professor at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, India. “Innovation in media for me is a mindset — not an architectural thing,” he says. “It’s a total revamp of [our] approach to doing journalism and redefining it.”

For Rajaram, and others, integral to this mindset is the need to be user-centric. That can manifest itself in many ways, from storytelling formats to methods of content delivery, but at its heart, Rajaram argues “should be a complete overhaul of our relationship with the user.”

It’s an end goal that Patricia Torres-Burd, Managing Director, Media Services Advisory Services, MDIF (Media Development Investment Fund) agrees with. “Decades ago, an all-news radio station in the US — had a tag line that I loved then and still believe is relevant. It was ‘KTRH — News You Can Use’. Thinking about your readers needs first and foremost is critical,” Torres-Burd says.

The rationale for being audience-led is simple. As Torres-Burd puts it, “audiences are bombarded with so many choices (not all great) and the competition is fierce.”

Principle No 2: It’s not always sexy

There’s a risk that efforts to innovate focus on big, bold and sometimes seemingly brash changes and alterations. A rash of new products. An eye-catching redesign. An expensive new CMS. New hires whose appointments make a big splash in the trade press, as well as the newsroom.

The reality, however, can (and perhaps even should) be more mundane.

As Jane Singer observes: “Innovation can encompass new ways of doing something that’s already being done, as well as doing something that is itself new.”

Nic Newman stresses the role “of innovation within existing rules.” That might mean “making existing things a bit better often with the use of data e.g. iterating and improving an email,” or “creating something completely new” that helps to usher in “the next great leap forward.”

For Newman that magic leap could constitute “a completely new tech framework like responsive design or voice interfaces and the content.”

Building on this, Thomas Seymat, Editorial Projects and Development Manager at Euronews, and an Adjunct Professor of Journalism at Paris’ Centre de Formation des Journalistes and Sciences Po Lyon, posits that “building a new CMS — because of all the technological and operational changes it entails — is perhaps the most innovative and transformative innovation of all.”

Principle No 3: You should start with the end in mind

Either way, it’s important that innovation is “grounded in analyzing a situation (or a problem) and finding the best way to solve it or improve it,” recommends Federica Cherubini.

“We can think of innovative ways of approaching how to engage with your audiences, or how to automate a task that takes too much human time but could be done very well by AI and technology, or how to tell a story in a way that meets your audience’s needs and consumption habits, or how to implement a new business model that is sustainable and in line with the organization’s needs and structure.”

“The news media industry has been through constant evolution, transformation, and adaption for the last decade (or more!),” Cherubini reminds us, “and all of these examples are about… being able to find the right way to produce and deliver journalism in line with those challenges and opportunities.”

Implementation: Five Key Barriers to Overcome

“Barriers to strategic change are as much about mindsets and established working practices and structures as they are about forms of expertise that need to be introduced into the innovation mix,” says Dr. Gillian Youngs, a strategist, innovation and ecosystem expert, who has worked across the creative, digital and academic sectors.

The aim of innovation-focused work, “is to ensure that areas such as values, accuracy, different forms of interconnected content and audience engagement can be extensively explored in the context of technological possibilities,” she says, “with the appetite for experimentation high on the agenda.”

That said, despite their best intentions, the appetite for experimentation can — sometimes for often understandable reasons — be mixed, or its efforts muted. Similarly, the implementation of initiatives focused on innovation can also be stymied by a combination of structural and cultural considerations.

Understanding why this happens is important, not least so that leaders and organizations can seek to avoid these pitfalls and potentially put strategies into place that might help to mitigate them.

With that in mind, here are five of the most common factors that news and media organizations need to navigate and be cognizant of:

1. Innovation for the sake of it

Media’s obsession with “the next big thing,” or the ‘‘Shiny Things Syndrome’, a term coined by Kim Bui, the Director of Product and Audience Innovation at the Arizona Republic, can be all too real.

Companies need to avoid “quickly jump[ing] on the bandwagon because others are doing it,” cautions Patricia Torres-Burd at MDIF (Media Development Investment Fund). That’s “not a great reason,” for doing something she adds.

2. Organizational preparedness

“Yes you want to be competitive,” Torres-Burd says, but organizations need to ask if specific efforts to innovate fit with your mission, and if your newsrooms — and your audience — are ready for them.

This is a sentiment Rishad Patel, the co-founder of Splice Media in Singapore agrees with.

“I think the biggest obstacle to any sort of strategic change around managing media is our unwillingness to ask our audiences what they need,” he says, advocating that having then listened to their audience, it’s incumbent on outlets to change accordingly.

As it’s stands, Patel clearly feels that many organizations have a long way to go in this regard.

“Far too many of the processes, tools, workflows, and mindsets we have used in traditional media organizations, from newsgathering, creation, processing, and amplification to distribution, sales, and marketing are calcified and codified in structures and hierarchies from decades ago that were created for advertising and a capital-heavy, gatekeeper-controlled marketplace.”

3. Risk aversion

Overcoming traditional working practices can be difficult when many organizations are quite conservative and risk-averse; sentiments that may have only have been exacerbated by the uncertainties of the COVID-era.

“Taking chances and committing to changes in a risk-averse, resource-scarce environment — or even a contracting one like journalism today — can be particularly challenging,” says Thomas Seymat at Euronews.

Together with this, Jane Singer reflects, “the contemporary environment of intense public scrutiny and, in many quarters, radical mistrust of the media,” does not help. “Fear of missteps that might explode disastrously can and does inhibit risk-taking.”

At the same time, although these are legitimate barriers to innovation and doing things differently, the economic reality of our industry — and the competition for eyeballs, attention and revenue — makes innovation a necessity. Standing still is a luxury few (if any) can afford.

For some, like Devadas Rajaram, “the biggest barrier is the old-school mindset in management.” Rajaram sees “fears and reluctance to change things,” coupled with a “refusal to learn, upskill and encourage new ideas,” as endemic among some industry leaders.

“We can overcome these barriers only by persevering and encouraging student journalists and young journalists to explore new methods and open up their minds to new opportunities that are there,” he adds.

4. Resource challenges

Nevertheless, even those with a will — and desire — to change, can still struggle.

“Keeping up with global industry media trends and your local / regional / national competitive market takes time and money,” notes MDIF’s Patricia Torres-Burd, adding how for many outlets “scale is critical for survival,” an economic reality that may influence what your new product offers will be.

At the same time, “when you are struggling to keep the ‘wheels on the bus’ and the bills paid as a leader, finding time to come up with strategic plans is hard to do,” Torres-Burd says.

“An additional challenge for media outlets, of course, is that any change has to happen alongside constant attention to the existing product(s),” Jane Singer reminds us. And, lest we forget, the news industry is “a notoriously voracious and crisis-prone beast that demands full-on time and energy from all involved.”

5. Thinking innovation is all about the tech

A further consideration for organizations is their own definition of innovation and the technological lens through which is all too often viewed.

“Technology isn’t always the big disruptor we think it is,” suggests Rishad Patel, co-founder, Splice Media. “It certainly helps, but the disruption we need for media doesn’t come from a very sexy place at all; it comes from asking people — our users, audiences, and customers — what they need, and translating those needs into actual solutions.”

“Perhaps it’s time we realized that media, or journalism, is a service industry,” Patel advocates.

“If our practice or content is not solving a problem for a community, or at least addressing a real need, it’s probably time to do something else.”

In Part Two of this three-part series, we look at tactics and strategies to help overcome innovation roadblocks. The series concludes with a look at examples of innovation in media and journalism, and some of the key ideas and principles that these case studies imbue.

Download the report here

In challenging economic times, monetisation comes to the fore of media owners’ and executives’ agendas as they try to find new ways of generating revenue.

Over the previous few years more and more have turned to introducing affiliate schemes as a way to offset money that would otherwise have been harvested via traditional display advertising. Sometimes they have been successful, at other times things haven’t worked as they had planned.

So where are we with affiliate revenue in summer 2023? Will the tectonic shift in advertising, ignited by the shift from third-party data, once again push affiliate revenue to the fore?

One person who has some strong opinions on this is Richard Bean, the CRO of Affiliz which has created a single tool that manages all a company’s affiliations, from content production to billing.

In this interview, Richard, whose company is also part of the MX3 Collectif (see here for more details) acknowledges that affiliate systems haven’t always been huge successes in the past but is confident that thanks to technology companies can now make the revenue source work for them.

Do you think media companies across the globe are now on a permanent shift from relying on advertising to other revenue sources? Or might their enthusiasm for ads as a primary source return one day?

I wouldn’t say that anything in the media industry is permanent because everything is shifting all the time! Always has done, always will do.

But yes, there does seem to be a global focus on establishing a broader revenue base and looking to maximise opportunities from sources other than advertising.  

Who do you think in media companies is driving this shift (Directors, editorial teams, CROs) and how do you, as a potential partner, target them?

Everyone!  I think everyone in smart media businesses are thinking about how to broaden the revenue base.  The impetus needs to come from the top, but the initiative can come from anywhere in the business.

Affiliate is a great example of this as one of the cries we quite often hear is, “Our editorial teams will fiercely protect their integrity and independence”.  

But there’s absolutely no need to compromise either of these principles when building a successful affiliate revenue stream.  You can review a product and call it good, bad or indifferent but where is the harm in showing your readers where they can buy it?

It’s really pleasing to see how many editorial teams embrace the affiliate opportunity once they recognise this.

Why do you think there are still many media companies that don’t take advantage of the possibility of affiliate revenue?

I think most media companies have dabbled with affiliate at some point, but a lot have quickly concluded that it was a long walk for a short drink.

However, over the past few years the support for media companies looking to take advantage of the affiliate opportunity has grown enormously.  Companies like Affilizz can take care of the fiddly, administrative back-office tasks that are so laborious but so very, very critical.

Affilizz makes the affiliate journey more palatable. We enable media businesses to build scale quickly and efficiently and to redress the imbalance between walk and refreshment (apologies for the terrible analogy – it’s Friday evening and I want to go to the pub).

What advice would you give to companies in ensuring that their affiliate offering is as effective as possible?

Start with your editorial teams. Great editors understand their audiences and – even though they may not consciously realise it – great editorial teams will have an awareness of what their audiences want to buy, when they want to buy it and where.     

Then don’t get bogged down in technology.  Work with companies like Affilizz who will help you realise your latent affiliate revenue potential.

Are there any technologies that will change the way affiliate offerings will evolve? AI potentially?

Ah, the question of the year!  The simple answer is yes.  We’re a tech business and our team are constantly looking at new ways to evolve our platform to improve the performance of media businesses affiliate programmes.

And AI is absolutely front and centre of these developments.  Affilizz has an exciting new product feature very close to launch which I think will have an enormous impact on the way media businesses build out their affiliate offering.  I can’t say much more at the moment but watch this space!

And what if anything will be the impact of the ongoing shift away from third party data to affiliate offerings?

One of the great things about affiliate is that it can be personal data free.  We don’t need to know who you are when you make a purchase, we just need to know that a purchase has been made.  

We are not reliant on third party data to serve up to a user a product that we think they may want to buy. The user is already looking at editorial content about a product or service they have an interest in buying and we can inform them where that product or service is available and at what price. 

Ultimately what do you see as the future of affiliate revenue in publishing?

Affiliate is quickly becoming a core component of tier-1 content media businesses revenue mix and its importance is going to increase.

Media businesses have always generated consumer demand.  Driving purchase intent through news, previews, reviews, tutorials & features has been fundamental (to a greater or lesser extent) in every single commercial media business I have ever come across.  But historically, the moment someone has taken out their credit card out to make a purchase we’ve waved them off to who knows where?

We can now sit at the business end of the relationship between media brands and their consumers – at the point where a consumer is about to spend their money on demand generated by that brand.  

When someone is about to spend $200 on a new pair of running shoes, they will do so on the recommendation of an expert.  On the advice of someone they trust.  They won’t take a chance on some bot.  And the opportunity now exists for trusted brands to be compensated for that.  

For the foreseeable future, I think this is where Di5rupt’s audience has an advantage over AI.

Tech entrepreneur Ricky Sutton believes that explosive public adoption and the industrialisation of plagiarism mean inaction is simply not an option for publishers.

As a journalist-turned-AI entrepreneur I have a front-row seat to the tech-tonic shifts that are driving change in the media.

I was heading digital at News UK when a still-small Google came to us for help. I pitched a social start-up before Facebook, then saw News Corp splurge £433 million on MySpace. My warnings about programmatic ads were brushed aside before revenue collapsed and our smartest sales people left en masse.

At the top of my news career, I quit and joined Microsoft as a maternity cover to learn what we were doing wrong. I worked on Bing, Big Data, partnerships and video, and armed with what I learned, founded AI company Oovvuu which now services publishers and broadcasters globally.

Knowing what I know through my tech connections, AI will be the most ruthless disruptor the news industry has faced. Explosive public adoption and the industrialisation of plagiarism means inaction is simply not an option.

As an entrepreneur though, I see AI is the best opportunity yet to save and sustain the global news industry and I am writing this to share some media tech-minded perspectives.

AI magic 

OpenAI’s ChatGPT changes the world because it makes AI simple. It feels like magic. It has delivered what founders call product market fit.

OpenAI passed a million users in five days and its value has ballooned to £20 billion. It is worth twice as much as News Corp in just seven months. Microsoft owns 49% of OpenAI and is on track to become the first $4 trillion company.

AI’s risks and opportunities are becoming clear.

Generative AI will make newsrooms more efficient but it also automates industrial-scale content theft. I bought an £11 app this week that scraped articles from The Guardian and re-wrote them posing as the BBC.

A Belarus bot farm can now publish 200,000 different versions of the Sun’s homepage via an automated prompt, and do it every second. Forever.

It poses huge questions. Who owns content in a GenAI future? Is it the publisher as the source? Is it the creator who posted the prompt? Microsoft or ChatGPT for doing the rewrite? 

And if you are the owner, how will you track ownership when your words are being rewritten 10 million times?

To solve this, I am working with international copyright agencies and start-ups in the UK, US and Australia. Proving provenance is about to become big business.

Global broadcasters are rightly fearful that fake news will be passed off under their trusted brands. I am working with them on technologies to reveal forgeries.

Advertising will be next. How do ads work if no-one knows who owns the content? Who gets paid? Will programmatic servers be able to tell real from fake? Why will they care in the chase for scale?

And then there’s scale. Swift adoption of AI will spawn a content explosion. The web will grow thousands of times larger and the competition for attention thousands of times tougher.

Scale leads to falling ad yields. Publisher subscription incomes are topping out now. If ad rates fall, can news websites even be profitable?

Truth and opportunity

That feels frightening but tech has taught me it’s an opportunity.

Oovvuu’s mission is to put a relevant video in every article. It required us to build AI to read articles, watch videos and match them together. It also needed publishers and broadcasters who were traditionally rivals to work together. Building the model for that partnership was Oovvuu’s real innovation.

I achieved it by clearly articulating undeniable truths that benefited everyone, and we are here again with AI.

Truth one
Tech companies need news more than ever. Publisher content trains their AIs and provides relevant results. The Washington Post found that ChatGPT relies on news sites for half its top results. I only know this because journalists at The Washington Post uncovered it. And I only know about this because ChatGPT told me. That’s opportunity number one.

Truth two
The consumption of news, video and audio are all rising because five billion people need it. The media boom only feels like a bust because the business model is broken. This is a classic market failure and solving it is opportunity number two.

Truth three
Big Tech companies have trillion dollar ambitions. They have the cash and need the content. Media has the content and needs the cash. Fixing that supply and demand goldmine is opportunity number three.

Truth four
Media bickering with tech is getting nowhere and regulators are getting heavier-handed with tech. Both sides benefit from finding a sustainable coexistence meaning partnership is now a business. That’s opportunity number four.

Market conditions are right for a collaboration that sees the media fuel the AI rocket for the tech companies but speed will be everything.

Microsoft famously acts at the speed of thought and will become less co-operative as the riches roll in. Media has a woeful record of moving at pace which suggests it’s a bad partner that would rather go out of business than work together.

But it can and must be done.

What happens next?

Nail it, and I see a future where News Corp licenses its content to Microsoft so it is only available on Bing, while Google does a deal with The Telegraph so its stories exclusively appear on Bard. Competition leads to great deals.

This might even be the much-vaunted splinternet – when the world wide web becomes multiple webs, following the path of competitive streaming services that have emerged from TV.

Will Big Tech start buying media companies? Disney bought Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic for $8 billion to make Disney+ a competitive streamer.

Will Big Tech build their own media companies? Netflix spends $17 billion a year commissioning its own programming and has spawned a global content creation industry.

Any which way, AI can be the trigger for making news-gathering a viable business again:

• Big Tech has the money and needs the news
• Publishers have the news, the capability and the trust
• Five billion web users worldwide are looking at us to solve it.

Ricky Sutton is a journalist, editor and strategist to some of the world’s leading media and tech organisations. He also founded Oovvuu, a global AI company that delivers relevant video to half a billion viewers worldwide.

Republished with kind permission of Media Voices, a weekly look at all the news and views from across the media world.

I still struggle with the idea that anyone could be surprised by this. Until this point, it almost feels like no one wanted to ever ask their audience — or do a proper study on this — precisely because they feared this exact result.

Well, the cat’s out of the bag now. Even though this is a small survey that was only carried out in one country — Norway — the conclusions are pretty damning.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

#1: Why Subscribe When You Can Read It for Free Somewhere Else?

The report tells us that consumers place a greater priority on reading news stories that are covered widely by the media, considering them to be of greater importance. At the same time, readers are resisting subscriptions because they claim the publications don’t offer enough distinct content. And when there is something distinct, they don’t think it’s sufficiently important because no one else is writing about it.

And it’s worth noting that there was not a noteworthy difference in the quality/content of paywalled content versus what’s available for free. When reading both subscription and free content over the course of the trial, at the end respondents couldn’t immediately distinguish for researchers what they had read that was paid for and what wasn’t.

What this tells me: It’s a perfect Catch-22 situation! Consumers prioritize stories that they see covered everywhere (because that tells them the news is important). But they won’t pay a subscription to read those stories, because the news is being reported everywhere and they can find it for free.

At the same time, when they find a story that is not covered everywhere, consumers are less likely to read it because the scarcity of coverage tells them the news is not as important. And why would they pay to read a story that’s not important?

#2: Time Isn’t On My Side

We already know that US consumers only spend an average of 4 minutes a day reading news directly on publishers’ websites? The new research found this actually makes subscriptions less appealing! When respondents were given access to subscription news, they felt compelled to spend more time reading more news — but they didn’t want to. Therefore access to subscribed content wasn’t a perk but a chore!

Consumers have busy, active lives, and reading news is a very small part of how they want to spend their day. It’s no surprise, therefore, that respondents would instead prefer to choose freely from a range of news providers instead of being tied down with a commitment to a specific subscription.

What this tells me: Consumers want and need access to a diverse range of content. And that diverse content, by its very definition, will live on several — or many — different publishers’ sites. Consumers want to choose for themselves what, where and when they want to consume, but subscriptions don’t support that.

#3: Unattractive Payment Models

The research also shows that, as a payment model, subscriptions were incompatible with the news habits of young adults, for a number of reasons:

• Some respondents expressed a general sense of subscription fatigue
• Many respondents explained that they did not use their subscription enough to justify paying for it
• As a whole, respondents were less loyal to one individual news provider (see my article on Subscription Nomads)

Is it really surprising, therefore, that those surveyed wanted novel — and more attractive — payment models that were better suited to their media consumption habits? As I’ve said before, subscriptions are all about the publisher. Consumers, on the other hand, just want to enjoy as much content as they can, preferably on their own terms (which for 98% decidedly does NOT include subscribing).

What this tells me: News stories are trending micro pieces of information (“micro-moments”) which trigger the impulse to read … because it feels like everyone else is reading them. But humans only have an attention span of seven seconds in which you can convert them or take some action. Consumers are never going to subscribe in those seven seconds just to read that article.

The news isn’t all bad for publishers, however. The research study also found that, just because they didn’t want to pay for a subscription it didn’t mean that non-subscribers are “avoiding” the news. Although they are put off by paywalls, consumers are still both willing and interested in consuming.

The internet needs a user-centric model that allows users to choose how they will consume content and — equally important — how they will pay for it. Which is, of course, why we created Supertab. Whenever consumers find great content anywhere on the web, with one click they commit to a purchase and put it on their Tab. And while this gives users what they want, it is also additive to existing Ads and Subscription models.

We’re putting the power back into consumers’ hands — the Journalism Studies report clearly shows they want it.

Cosmin Ene (@cosmoene)
Founder/CEO, Supertab

Threads, owned and operated by Meta Platforms, was officially released earlier this month. Soon after, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the app had reached 70 million signups which he said was, “Way beyond our expectations”. Less than a week later, Threads crossed the 100 million mark and by achieving the milestone in just 5 days, overtook the record ChatGPT set when it reached 100 million signups in 2 months. 

Threads is already being described as the “Twitter Killer” as Twitter users look for alternatives due to the latest controversy surrounding the bird app. However, Threads displays some key differences.

The Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri added, “The goal isn’t to replace Twitter. The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter.” 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

First off, Threads disregards Twitter’s chronological timeline by following a similar feed algorithm to Facebook and Instagram. Thread posts are also not limited to the accounts the user follows – this means anything can pop up on your feed reminding us that Threads is still a very new app and ultimately vulnerable to the spreading of poor content. This is one aspect that needs to be worked on. 

On the other hand, Threads rivals Twitter by allowing users to post up to 500 characters (with the ability to add images, links, and videos) and read as many Threads as they want, unlike Twitter where tweets are limited to 280 characters and the latest change where users can only read a specific number of tweets a day – an unpopular update amongst Twitter users. 

But the biggest decision by Meta is that Threads will not promote any hard news or political content. Adam Mosseri declared that, “Any incremental engagement or revenue they might drive is not worth the scrutiny, negativity (let’s be honest), or integrity risks that come along with them.” This statement counteracts Twitter’s CEO Elon Musk’s encouragement of political discussions on the bird app, which has created a more chaotic and aggressive platform. 

However, Threads lacks common social media features like hashtags, stories and direct messaging and is heavily relying on Meta’s existing clout to encourage engagement. The question is will it be enough for people to keep coming back and ultimately burn Twitter?

A personal Gen Z perspective

Speaking as an 18-year-old Gen Z native, the fact we have grown up with the internet and digital devices has resulted in a unique relationship towards new technologies. We have a higher level of appreciation for the online world as it plays a pivotal role in our daily lives especially how we communicate with others and express ourselves to the wider world. 

So, when a new social networking app launches, it’s a natural reaction for us to want to stay “up to date”. Gen Z are early adopters, willing to be the rats in the experiments to see what this new app is all about. Threads being the companion app to Instagram has also meant we had easy access to it by using our Instagram accounts to sign up. 

Mark Zuckerberg was smart with creating hype around the app when it first launched. All of Gen Z know about the ongoing competition between him and Twitter CEO Elon Musk. We enjoy watching their ridiculous public feuding. Seeing these grown men with all the money in the world act like children makes us almost feel more mature and grown-up than these billionaire babies. Zuckerberg tweeting on the rival app for the first time in 10 years with the classic Spiderman meme to make fun of Twitter added to our entertainment – and curiosity. And by making signing up so easy, everyone was able to join the feud and stir the pot. 

However, joining Threads was one thing – using it was another. Despite Gen Z being wizzes with technology, I don’t think anyone knew how to properly use the app when it first launched. All we knew was that it was “like Twitter”. But apparently better. I still imagine most people don’t know how to make the most of it. 

As a result of this, Threads has become a massive playground for Gen Z. The app is full of erratic comments, funny images, and Elon Musk memes. And we enjoy it because no one takes the posts seriously. The lack of toxicity on the app right now has allowed people more freedom to share whatever random thought comes to their mind without being attacked or cancelled which has sadly become a huge part of our culture. 

I believe the liberty and excitement around Threads comes largely from Meta’s decision to not promote political verticals and hard news on the app. Although Gen Z is very in touch with today’s issues like politics, racism and the environment, Threads acts as a break from all that chaos.

As a generation that has been thrown into the real world so quickly, it can be overwhelming to process all that turmoil alongside the challenge of growing up. The constant bombardment of opinions, news and expectations on Gen Z has had a huge impact on us, mainly our mental health. Threads, being the simplest and most unserious app ever, allows Gen Z to escape that chaos for a bit and just post, reply, quote, and repost – and it’s all relatable and amusing.  

However, the Gen Z attention span is shorter than any generation before us, which makes keeping ongoing engagement difficult. The simplicity of the app right now can only keep us entertained for so long. The lack of hashtags makes it hard to find specific communities and no direct messaging doesn’t allow us to share specific posts with close friends. 

Mark Zuckerberg needs to develop the app quickly if he wants to keep Gen Z from running back to Twitter.

Conclusion

As Gen Z continues to be the primary audience for social networking apps and digital content, Threads needs to find a way to keep us involved in the app. It needs to consider our needs and preferences whilst keeping the comedic feel of the app, making sure toxic content doesn’t start to dominate our feeds. 

Our chance to be a part of history and heighten the tension between the competing billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, simply by signing up to Threads and ignoring Twitter, also makes it more entrancing and keeps us on Threads. 

Publishers need to be very intentional now with their next decision: should they take on Threads? In my opinion, if they want to reach out to Gen Z, they should already be on the app. By adapting to Threads early with Gen Z, like Gen Z, they will quickly learn more about how we interact, take on new technologies and make the most of them despite the lack of direction. And as new updates are released and the app develops, publishers who have taken the risk to join Threads early will be miles ahead with both involvement and knowledge of what to post and how to draw our attention. 

Of course, Threads is less than two weeks’ old, and we still don’t know where this could go. But either way we will still have Twitter and we still have the opportunity of sparking the most monumental cage fight in history. 

Threads is a 6/10. For now…

Hannah Walters

Hannah is an 18-year-old Gen Z specialist, with her area of expertise lying in understanding Gen Z and how they intake media in this heavily digital age. She has just graduated college and is taking a year out, looking for opportunities to write reports from a real and authentic perspective, to help publishers get an insight on how to tackle the challenge of keeping up to date with this fast-paced generation. She can be contacted at hanjwalters@gmail.com.

Attended by more than 400 delegates from 43 countries, the FIPP World Media Congress in the Portuguese town of Cascais kicked off with a look at the innovation that’s happening in the face of severe disruption.

Congress 2023 brought together people from a cross-section of media and technology sectors, who explored key industry topics with the foremost global experts.

Ana Rocha de Paiva, Senior Programme Manager for News and Media at Google, shared some lessons from the JournalismAI project. 

Here are a few key insights from the session:

1. “AI can contribute to more efficiency in the newsrooms”

We reached 116 news professionals from a total of 71 organizations across 32 countries. And we published this 110-page report. The journalists that responded to the survey believe that AI can in fact contribute to more efficiency in the newsrooms.

We’ve heard from 68% of our respondents that they believe AI can contribute to more efficiency in the newsrooms. 

Ana Rocha de Paiva, Senior Programme Manager for News and Media at Google

Most of these projects came from very small hyper-local newsrooms. They really wanted to explore AI, and for example in the Middle East and the Mexican ones who are starting to talk now, basically what they’re saying is they were passionate about AI. They really believed that could make a difference in the way they were reporting and finding stories, and producing more content. 

But they didn’t understand it. They didn’t know how to do it and how to go about it. And so they went through the trainings from the JournalismAI project and basically gained that additional understanding of how to use the technology, and they started producing stories much more effectively.

Something that I think is very interesting is they believe the role of the journalists became even more important as they explored these tools further, because nothing replaces the human touch, and the human editorial, and the human experience. 

Ana Rocha de Paiva, Senior Programme Manager for News and Media at Google

2. Most newsrooms lack an AI strategy

63% of our responders told us they don’t really have an AI strategy, and that’s mostly because they lack the resources to do it: the technological resources, the financial resources. But then we probe a little further and we asked more questions, what resources exactly are you lacking? 

And more than 40% of our respondents told us that they lack the understanding and the ability to know exactly how to work with the technology, or they lack the ability to hire people that understand the technology and can do something with it.

We obviously identified a huge gap between large and smaller organizations when it comes to the resources invested in AI, to understanding of the technology, and obviously the financial resources. And so throughout everything we’ve been putting out through this project, we’ve had this in mind and we’ve tried to, as much as possible, contribute to bridge that gap.

Ana Rocha de Paiva, Senior Programme Manager for News and Media at Google

3. Newsrooms want to experiment actively with AI

The third big insight we drew from that was the eagerness to collaborate with both, with each other within newsrooms or with tech platforms. And so we supported the creation of collaborative experiments with 24 newsrooms. And the ultimate goal of these experiments was to actually produce something concrete, a prototype that could be easily replicable and useful for many more newsrooms and easier to scale. 

There are many examples of great projects that these teams worked on, and some of them focused on more editorial challenges like identifying and mitigating newsroom biases. Some of them focused on more concrete business issues like minimizing churn and optimizing conversion funnels. 

One of the really cool ones was this one, from the Guardian, where they basically taught the machine to understand what a quote is.

Journalists around the world are under enormous pressure, but they’ve also got incredible new technologies that enable them to do their work in a way that I couldn’t even imagine 15 years ago.

You can watch the entire session here:

For this week’s blog post we interviewed Gabriela Campbell, co-founder of an all-Spanish news media company, Ac2ality. We dive into the work of Ac2ality to gain some insights into the company and understand Gabriela’s perspectives on the future of news.

News publications within the social media sphere 

Before diving into Ac2ality itself, let’s take a look into the social media landscape of news publications. Reuters reported that ‘over 80% of leading publishers in Spain, France and the UK operate active accounts on TikTok’. Furthermore, ‘20% of 18-24 year olds use TikTok to learn about current events’. It is clear that efforts are being made to use social media platforms as a primary means of news distribution. The younger generation increasingly relies on social media for staying informed about global events. 

Le Parisien, both a regional and a national newspaper, has also been making strides on TikTok. With goals to be recognised as more than just a print newspaper, the French publisher started from 0 followers in 2022, and now has amassed more than 660,000 followers and 17 million likes. 

How one of the biggest news accounts on TikTok was born 

Both the co-founders Gabriela Campbell and Daniela McArena were living in London when Brexit happened. They both wanted to be informed of what is happening, but they had to read many articles only to just begin understanding. Essentially, they wanted a simple and easy way to understand and consume news without getting lost in a rabbit hole of information. 

Thus, the idea of creating accessible news summaries was born. At first they started on Instagram with a format called ‘5 things about today’ (5 headlines from the news); then they migrated to TikTok after realising the potential it has for high organic growth (2020). 

The social network reaches 44% of 18–24s across markets and 20% for news.

Reuters Insitute

And they were correct as Ac2ality became an overnight success. Gabriela recalls ending the day with 700 followers and waking up to 40,000. This is also due to the fact that there were barely any Spanish news accounts on TikTok. So it turns out many others were experiencing the same issue, and Ac2ality managed to find a simple yet entertaining way to educate the masses on pressing matters. 

There were no Spanish [news] accounts so I think that’s why we got a lot of attention very quickly. To the point where I went to sleep with 700 followers and woke up to 40,000.

Gabriela Campbell

How does the ac2ality bring value to its audience? 

To answer this question, it is simply transforming news into short, video summaries on social media, mainly on TikTok. The audiences can easily learn about news without having to go through multiple sources. What Ac2ality does is take the piece of news they are covering, and turn them into bitesize, easy-to-digest 1 min video summaries. 

And because the target audience are between the ages of 18–24 (with a notable audience size of 13–14-year-olds), it is a testament to the young generation’s desire for keeping up with the news. And since these age groups spend most of their time online, particularly social media, Ac2ality brings value by providing news to exactly where their audiences are, and as objectively as possible.  

What is the process of curating the content? 

• World-impacting occurrences such as Brexit, the war in Ukraine, etc, are crucial to be summarised and posted on their platform;
• Taking multiple newspapers with different ideologies and select the recurring topics that are prevalent in all of them;
• Then finally, viral news. These aren’t particularly important nor useful, but are amusing and light, usually involving funny memes. 

How is Ac2ality impacting the future of news? 

There is a saying in Spain, to ‘adapt or die’. Not taking it in the literal gloomy sense, this is the mindset Ac2ality embodies. They believe Ac2ality helps to give the young generation a platform and a voice. Knowing this, Ac2ality are equipped with a prime position to have a significant impact on the future of the news industry. 

What the future of Ac2ality might look like 

Gabriela states that Ac2ality will continue to stay active on social media to reach the younger generation. They aim to maintain their growing presence on TikTok; however, due to competition, slower growth, and policy concerns, they plan to expand to Twitch and YouTube.

Twitch is the future television.

Daniela McArena

What the future of TikTok might look like 

TikTok’s recently released ‘Pulse Premiere’, their premium ad product that strategically places brand ads after content from publishers and partners. The feature covers a wide range of categories such as lifestyle, sports, entertainment, education, and more.

They hope this feature helps to address ad placement concerns amid user-generated content, avoiding revenue disruptions historically seen on platforms like YouTube.

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Incorporating direct input from representative members of Gen Z, this section aims to provide a firsthand perspective on their expectations and opinions regarding AI in news media. Their insights will add a level of depth and authenticity to the overall exploration of the topic.

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

In our digital age, AI’s pervasive impact continues to shape our everyday interactions. Leading the charge in this technologically-driven epoch are the members of Generation Z, the true digital natives. To unravel the nuances of their consumption of information, specifically news content, and their interplay with AI, we undertook a comprehensive exploration of their experiences.

Two representatives of this generation have shared their invaluable insights with us.

The Migration to Digital News Platforms

A standout aspect in both interviews was the shift from traditional news outlets towards social media formats. Milena explained,

Most of the news content I read is from news pages I follow on Instagram, which provide me with daily updates on what is happening in the world.

Tasha, with her interests in fashion, relies on online magazines such as Vogue, Dazed, and Cosmopolitan, as well as social media platforms TikTok and Instagram.

Interestingly, while both emphasised the convenience and accessibility of online sources, they also acknowledged the allure of traditional forms. Tasha remarked:

I still enjoy flicking through pages from time to time. But for ease and convenience, content on social media is my go-to.

This demonstrated the coexistence of digital and traditional media, despite the marked preference for the former.

The Double-Edged Sword of Personalised News Experience

The potential of personalised news experiences generated a positive response from both participants.

Yes, definitely, I would download an app which provides news and stories that are tailored to me.

Milena said, signifying the value placed on personalisation. Tasha shared similar sentiments, citing the appeal of content that directly aligns with her interests and study focus.

However, this was not without recognition of the potential ethical implications. Milena highlighted

The creators of the app may realise that in a certain age group, a particular area of interest is widely present, which could mean that they’re creating unnecessary articles to cater to that one view or even creating articles that are far-fetched [not accurate] to get views.

Tasha noted that this could “lead to unreliable information.” These insights reflected an acute awareness of the possible bias and distortions introduced by over-personalisation.

An Inspirational yet Daunting AI Landscape

Both Milena and Tasha appeared to hold an optimistic view of AI’s potential, tempered with a keen awareness of its implications. Milena reflected,

I find the whole idea of AI technology quite inspiring, and definitely think it would prove useful in the future. However, there are some scary elements, such as the impact it could have on jobs and certain professions.

Tasha, on the other hand, did not explicitly comment on AI but demonstrated an informed approach to verifying the reliability of digital information.

When I feel like I need to check the reliability of something, I will copy the sentence into Google and find an article that is as close as possible.

she explained, pointing to an inherent understanding of digital information’s credibility. This instinctual fact-checking appears to be a characteristic trait of this generation, reflecting their digital fluency.

Ensuring authenticity in a personalised news environment

When considering the accuracy of tailored news, both participants acknowledged the potential for bias and misinformation.

I think if you are searching for specific articles for or against a topic, then naturally, I do think that the article will pick a side and sway that way – which can lead to unreliable information.

Tasha noted, indicating an awareness of possible bias in the news production process.

Despite this, both exhibited trust in established, reputable news outlets. Tasha shared,

I manage to avoid this by making sure that I stick to publishers I know, like Vogue and Dazed, as they are well-known and credible, although I prefer their presence on social media and follow up with selective pieces on their websites.

Conclusion

Our exploration into the experiences of Gen Z with AI technologies reveals a layered narrative. It portrays a generation navigating the rapid evolution of digital platforms with curiosity, flexibility, and an instinctive critical lens.

As we chart the path of our AI-driven future, understanding these evolving expectations and experiences becomes crucial in shaping the narratives and technologies of tomorrow.

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

With key insights into how AI is influencing Gen Z’s media habits – from content personalisation to combating information overload – the report demonstrates clearly how AI is becoming an essential tool in creating a more resonant media experience for Gen Z. 

Click here to access the report

In an age where readers receive real-time notifications every time news breaks, how long can we expect a given article to hold an audience’s attention, and does it differ depending on what the story’s about or the time of day that it’s published?

To find out, our Data Science team looked into the amount of time it takes an article in our network to accumulate the majority of its pageviews. For additional context on the factors that influence an article’s lifespan, we also investigated how the primary traffic source, the topic of the article, and even the time of publication affects readership. Here’s what the data shows.

A new meaning for the 24-hour news cycle

Drawing from our research on how the 80/20 Rule applies to pageviews and engagement, we are defining an article’s lifespan as the time it takes to reach 80% of its pageviews over the course of the first week after publication. 

When we look at the more than 27 million articles published across the Chartbeat network from June 2022 through February 2023, we see that most articles reach 80% of their pageviews within 24 hours of publication, and almost all have run their course by the 48-hour mark. While this doesn’t mean that articles won’t continue to attract traffic in the following days, it does illustrate how pivotal the first 24 hours are in terms of post-publication optimization.

How do referral sources affect lifespan?

In addition to examining the data on a network-wide scale, we wanted to see if there was a noticeable difference in lifespan by traffic source. For instance, does an article driven by Social traffic last longer than an article driven by Search? 

Our research shows that articles driven by Internal traffic reach 80% of their pageviews quickest at around 20 hours. These are the kinds of articles that are featured prominently on a homepage, and we know from past research these tend to be easily digestible formats like breaking news updates or live blogs rather than long-form reporting. Articles driven by External sources behave similarly with a median completion time of 21 hours.

On the other end of the lifespan spectrum, Social-driven articles reach 80% of pageviews in 26 hours and Search-driven articles take the longest with a median completion time of 36 hours. This shows that while breaking news updates are often consumed quickly by readers that are already on site, articles that optimize for search engine performance or become part of the conversation on social media experience a prolonged lifespan.

Decoding the graphics

The first graphic in this article is called a histogram. The second, above, is a kernel density plot which you can think of as a normalized or smoothed histogram. Whereas histograms count the number of occurrences and plot them accordingly, a kernel density plot takes a histogram and normalizes the area underneath the curve to 1. This allows us to show the probability for each value as well as the range where, in this case, 80% of pageviews are most likely to fall.

What kinds of topics live longer than others?

Just as referral sources influence the lifespan of an article, the subject matter also plays a part. When we examine lifespan by topic, we’re not surprised to see that articles focused on breaking news and current events – weather, disaster, and sports, for example – have shorter lifespans than deeper reads in science, technology, lifestyle and leisure. Reports on weather and disaster, for example, receive 80% of their pageviews in less than a day while articles related to lifestyle and science have a median completion time of 34 and 36 hours.

How does publication time affect lifespan?

Our research shows that lifespan doesn’t vary much with time of publication. With one exception, articles reached 80% of their pageviews between 21-24 hours later. Articles published at 4 A.M., however, had a median lifespan of just 17 hours.

When we look at days of the week, articles published on Sunday require the least time to reach 80% of their pageviews at 22 hours and articles published on Friday take the most amount of time to reach their lifespan at 29 hours. 

What about device and loyalty?

Lifespan is minimally affected by the device a reader uses to access an article. Articles read on Desktop and Mobile both reach 80% of pageviews at 24 hours, and Tablet is nearly the same at 23 hours, reconfirming our overall findings that the first day is the most consequential for analyzing the behavior of an article’s audience.

When we look at lifespan by reader loyalty, loyal readers have a median time of completion of 17 hours, while returning readers clock in at 26 hours and new readers at 30 hours. As we saw earlier with Internal traffic, loyal readers are on site more frequently and thus more likely to read an article soon after it is published.

The essential lifespan takeaway

While some factors like topic and referral source noticeably impact the lifespan of an article, others, such as device type, have less influence. No matter where an article gets it traffic or what device it’s read on, our most important finding from this research is that if the average article gets 80% of its pageviews in the first 24 hours, publishers can’t afford to wait until tomorrow to measure and optimize their content. Waiting until the next day to look at real-time metrics and make adjustments means their efforts will impact 20% of readers at best, and that’s a stat we don’t need Data Science’s help understanding.

A few other takeaways from the research:

• Articles driven by Search have the longest lifespan while articles driven by Internal traffic have the shortest.
• Breaking news runs its course before lifestyle and science. While there may be some advantages to incorporating more articles on longer-lasting topics, it’s important to maintain the right editorial mix and not go all in on one strategy to chase readers.
• Articles have an offsite lifespan as well. With events like elections, we’ve found that pageviews from Search climb and peak on election night and then fall swiftly while Social traffic remains high in the days following the event. Tubular Labs has also seen a similar long tail in their social video research, reminding us that there are opportunities to engage readers even after they leave your site.

Jack Neary,
Chartbeat

Originally published on the Chartbeat Blog and republished with permission.

Di5rupt, the organizer of the annual FIPP Congress, is proud to release its latest Mx3 Leadership report: 

Key media-shaping trends from FIPP World Media Congress 2023

With presentations from many of the world’s leading publishers and platforms, including TMB, Bonnier, Substack, Google, Axel Springer, Condé Nast, and others—as well as leading commentators including Morning Brew’s Jacob Donnelly—the event covered many of the latest innovations, trends and opportunities facing media companies.

:: Click here to access the report ::

Topics covered in-depth include AI, Niche Media, Emerging Monetisation Options, DEI, Sustainability, and Engaging Gen Z.

As a bonus to readers who couldn’t attend the event, the report also includes links to six full Congress presentations (via the Congress On-Demand Video Hub):

• Ana Rocha, Senior News Programme Manager, EMEA, Google: Lessons from the Journalism AI Project
  
• Jacob Donnelly, Publisher, Morning Brew and Founder, A Media Operator: Nimble Power: How creators drive industry conversations
  
• Yulia Boyle, Senior VP for International Media Partnerships, National Geographic: Global Outlook: The state of play for FIPP and magazine media
  
• Shirish Kulkarni, Consultant, Journalism Innovation & Inclusion, Monnow Media: The power of diversity & inclusion: Discover how D&I drives innovation in media
  
• John Barnes, Chief Digital Officer, William Reed: Green impact: Optimising your digital operations for sustainability and making a positive impact
  
• Pierre Caulliez & Martynas Vanagas, Co-Founders, Yoof Agency: Your storytelling playbook for Gen A and Z

:: Click here to access the report ::

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

Engaging the Gen Z Audience: Insights from Will Media

As we’ve seen throughout this report, the future of news delivery looks set to run alongside developments in AI technology, with the two entities becoming increasingly inextricable as we move toward a point where each of our individual online spaces is as unique, tailored, and personalised as our own homes.

Together with AI advancements, this future looks promising – particularly with the emergence of exciting new tools, such as personalised chatbots, which will revolutionise the way we get our news. These chatbots can deliver tailored news content to users based on their interests and preferences, enhancing the overall news delivery experience and driving engagement – all of which is surely good news in an age where misinformation poses a real threat to society.

By leveraging AI, news organisations can analyse vast amounts of data, detect patterns, and curate personalised news feeds, allowing individuals to stay informed in a more efficient and immediate way. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more sophisticated news delivery methods that cater to individual needs with increasingly specialised, nuanced applications.

What if?

Personalised Chatbots, such as SnapChat’s new ‘My AI’ application, will function as a news delivery companion: something like a very 21st-century paperboy/girl that delivers news stories to you on a daily basis – only, in this modern iteration, the stories are deliberately tailored to you.

‘My AI’, a product of social media platform Snapchat’s integration of ChatGPT, is not only capable of generating conversations but also offers an innovative way to consume news and promises to deliver important information in the readily digestible format preferred by Gen-Zers.

Harnessing the power of ChatGPT, My Al can curate and deliver news updates to users within the Snapchat platform. While this feature has the potential to enable users to stay more informed and engaged with current events, its current state still has limitations in terms of response capabilities.

The concept of sitting down to your morning coffee and, rather than the thud of a thick newspaper landing on your doorstep, it’s an irresistible ‘ping’ that lets you know your specially curated rundown of today’s events and current affairs is already here, ‘My AI’ is a natural next step.

The integration of My AI with Snapchat’s chatbot interface enables users to have interactive conversations with the AI ‘persona’ in order to glean additional insights, receive recommendations, and subsequently get the most out of your news service.

You can ask it specific questions and so begin to understand the personal relevance of a story to you, as well as ask for information on how new developments in one story might affect others or impact things on a wider scale.

An example

For example, you might ask your news companion how the Russia/Ukraine conflict will affect global gas prices (information which, a year ago, would have been invaluable to economies across Europe).

Now is the perfect time to prepare

In its current state, the technology has not yet reached the level that we are envisioning. Making today the perfect opportunity to begin preparations for where the technology is heading.

Our example is shown below on Snapchat’s My AI.

As Wojciech Ehrenfeld, Head of IT Services for Ring Publishing Poland, says in the 2023 WAN-IFRA Report:

For newsrooms, there are two pillars: the first is well known, that content is the king. And the second pillar is delivery – delivery is the queen right now; she calls the shots. AI is helping to deliver the content to the right audience thanks to personalisation technologies and to technical topics – personalisation is almost impossible by humans.

Wojciech Ehrenfeld, Head of IT Services for Ring Publishing Poland, slide 14/21 of WAN-INFRA Report

Moreover, the integration of AI technology in news delivery allows for efficient content curation and filtering. My AI can analyse vast amounts of news articles and prioritize the most relevant and reliable information for users, which can help combat the issue of information overload and ensure that users are exposed to accurate and trustworthy news sources.

According to Snap’s CEO Evan Spiegel in an article in The Verge:

The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day.

Evan Spiegel

and so this,

Implementation treats generative AI more like a persona.

Snapchat releases ‘My AI’ chatbot powered by ChatGPT – The Verge

We can, therefore, envisage a future wherein individuals and news content collide in previously unimaginable ways.

Offering convenience, personalisation, and efficient content curation at users’ fingertips, tools such as My AI and the slew that are sure to follow its lead herald the beginning of an exciting new era in news delivery. Though, as with anything relating to AI technologies, care must be taken to avoid some rather insidious pitfalls.

This is an excerpt from our free-to-download report, AI implications on Gen Z Audience Development

With key insights into how AI is influencing Gen Z’s media habits – from content personalisation to combating information overload – the report demonstrates clearly how AI is becoming an essential tool in creating a more resonant media experience for Gen Z. 

Click here to access the report

Twitter’s move on July 1, 2023, to limit the number of tweets users can see in a day was the latest in a series of decisions that has spurred millions of users to sign up with alternative microblogging platforms since Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year.

In addition to a surge in numbers on Mastodon, the acquisition and subsequent changes boosted small existing platforms like Hive Social and has spawned brand new upstarts like Spoutible and Spill.

Most recently the microblogging platform backed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Bluesky, saw a surge of sign-ups in the days following Twitter’s rate limit, and Meta launched its microblogging platform Threads on July 5. Threads claimed 30 million users on its first day. Even very different forms of social media such as TikTok are benefiting from what many see as Twitter’s imminent demise.

As an information scientist who studies online communities, this feels like something I’ve seen before. Social media platforms tend not to last forever. Depending on your age and online habits, there’s probably some platform that you miss, even if it still exists in some form. Think of MySpace, LiveJournal, Google+ and Vine.

When social media platforms fall, sometimes the online communities that made their homes there fade away, and sometimes they pack their bags and relocate to a new home. The turmoil at Twitter is causing many of the company’s users to consider leaving the platform. Research on previous social media platform migrations shows what might lie ahead for Twitter users who fly the coop.

Several years ago, I led a research project with Brianna Dym, now at University of Maine, where we mapped the platform migrations of nearly 2,000 people over a period of almost two decades. The community we examined was transformative fandom, fans of literary and popular culture series and franchises who create art using those characters and settings.

We chose it because it is a large community that has thrived in a number of different online spaces. Some of the same people writing Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction on Usenet in the 1990s were writing Harry Potter fan fiction on LiveJournal in the 2000s and Star Wars fan fiction on Tumblr in the 2010s.

By asking participants about their experiences moving across these platforms – why they left, why they joined and the challenges they faced in doing so – we gained insights into factors that might drive the success and failure of platforms, as well as what negative consequences are likely to occur for a community when it relocates.

‘You go first’

Regardless of how many people ultimately decide to leave Twitter, and even how many people do so around the same time, creating a community on another platform is an uphill battle. These migrations are in large part driven by network effects, meaning that the value of a new platform depends on who else is there.

In the critical early stages of migration, people have to coordinate with each other to encourage contribution on the new platform, which is really hard to do. It essentially becomes, as one of our participants described it, a “game of chicken” where no one wants to leave until their friends leave, and no one wants to be first for fear of being left alone in a new place.

For this reason, the “death” of a platform – whether from a controversy, disliked change or competition – tends to be a slow, gradual process. One participant described Usenet’s decline as “like watching a shopping mall slowly go out of business.”

It’ll never be the same

The current push from some corners to leave Twitter reminded me a bit of Tumblr’s adult content ban in 2018, which reminded me of LiveJournal’s policy changes and new ownership in 2007. People who left LiveJournal in favor of other platforms like Tumblr described feeling unwelcome there. And though Musk did not walk into Twitter headquarters at the end of October and turn a virtual content moderation lever into the “off” position, there was an uptick in hate speech on the platform, as some users felt emboldened to violate the platform’s content policies under an assumption that major policy changes were on the way.

What makes Twitter Twitter isn’t the technology, it’s the particular configuration of interactions that takes place there. And there is essentially zero chance that Twitter, as it exists now, could be reconstituted on another platform. Any migration is likely to face many of the challenges previous platform migrations have faced: content loss, fragmented communities, broken social networks and shifted community norms.

But Twitter isn’t one community, it’s a collection of many communities, each with its own norms and motivations. Some communities might be able to migrate more successfully than others. So maybe K-Pop Twitter could coordinate a move to Tumblr. I’ve seen much of Academic Twitter coordinating a move to Mastodon. Other communities might already simultaneously exist on Discord servers and subreddits, and can just let participation on Twitter fade away as fewer people pay attention to it. But as our study implies, migrations always have a cost, and even for smaller communities, some people will get lost along the way.

The ties that bind

Our research also pointed to design recommendations for supporting migration and how one platform might take advantage of attrition from another platform. Cross-posting features can be important because many people hedge their bets. They might be unwilling to completely cut ties all at once, but they might dip their toes into a new platform by sharing the same content on both.

Ways to import networks from another platform also help to maintain communities. For example, there are multiple ways to find people you follow on Twitter on Mastodon. Even simple welcome messages, guides for newcomers and easy ways to find other migrants could make a difference in helping resettlement attempts stick.

In this sense, Threads has an advantage over other Twitter alternatives because users sign up via their Instagram accounts. This means Threads’ social graph – who follows who – is bootstrapped by links among Instagram accounts. Users may not be able to easily bring over their communities from Twitter, but they can instantly pull follows and followers from Instagram.

And through all of this, it’s important to remember that this is such a hard problem by design. Platforms have no incentive to help users leave. As longtime technology journalist Cory Doctorow recently wrote, this is “a hostage situation.” Social media lures people in with their friends, and then the threat of losing those social networks keeps people on the platforms.

But even if there is a price to pay for leaving a platform, communities can be incredibly resilient. Like the LiveJournal users in our study who found each other again on Tumblr, your fate is not tied to Twitter’s.

Casey Fiesler
Associate Professor of Information Science, University of Colorado Boulder

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.