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Monday, November 13, 2017
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Newsonomics: The New York Times’ Mark Thompson on regulating Facebook, global ambition, and when to stop the presses (forever)“I think over the next five years, it's possible the competitive landscape will actually get in some ways more attractive for The New York Times, because I'm afraid I see a lot of casualties over the next few years because of the economics of the industry.” By Ken Doctor. |
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With video and audio, The Skimm pushes further into the daily routines of its 6 million readersFrom a single morning email, it’s grown into a multi-product brand that its fans can interact with throughout the day. “We’ve always said email was a marketing tool for us. The product expansions are always about making it easier to live a smarter life.” By Christine Schmidt. |
What We’re Reading
Axios / Sara Fischer
ESPN launches SportsCenter on Snapchat →
“Once the centerpiece of ESPN’s cable dominance, SportsCenter has evolved to meet new TV viewership demands, moving from less highlight-driven coverage to more debate and analysis about players’ lives and sports culture. Those changes are a part of a broader network push to reach younger audiences on digital platforms, as its linear TV audience continues to decline.”
ProPublica / ProPublica
Charles Ornstein is named senior editor of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network →
ProPublica’s local reporting network has received 239 applications received from 45 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. It plans to announce winners in December.
Racked / Eliza Brooke and Sarah Lawrence
Racked received $95,000 worth of free stuff in six months →
Including: “65 sticky hands, 6 crystals, 18 water bottles, 18 candles, six pillowcases (and one pillow), 13 pet products, 17 kitchen items, one 23andMe genetic test, one whistle, one ‘Click and Grow Smart Garden’ with a moisture meter, one potted plant, one air plant, one pack of condoms, one drawing of our beauty editor as a mermaid, one Hollywood star plaque honoring our beauty editor, one mailbox, one pineapple-shaped lamp, one fidget spinner, one sage and lighter set, one Osokins Plays Chopin record, one pack of CVS premium bandages, one swim cap, one Withings wireless blood pressure monitor, and one bong, which has not been used… yet.”
Quartz / Abdi Latif Dahir
Somaliland is blocking social media to keep its election free of “fake news” →
The move includes “Facebook, Twitter,WhatsApp, Snapchat, Viber, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn, Duo, Google Plus, among others”
Poynter / Andrea Watson
A Chicago DNAinfo reporter laments lost opportunities to tell neighborhood stories →
“Every single reporter at DNAinfo was a daily voice for the people. We told stories that oftentimes would get overlooked. The community relied on us as much as we relied on them. This, in some ways, was a partnership. Strong local reporting is something we're seeing less and less of, but my team in Chicago woke up every single day on a mission to produce great neighborhood stories. We were respected for that type of dedication.”
The Guardian / Sam Levin
‘Way too little, way too late’: Facebook’s fact checkers say effort is failing →
“Several fact checkers who work for independent news organizations and partner with Facebook told the Guardian that they feared their relationships with the technology corporation, some of which are paid, have created a conflict of interest, making it harder for the news outlets to scrutinize and criticize Facebook's role in spreading misinformation.”
Digiday / Lucinda Southern
The Telegraph finds success with Apple News →
“One publisher said the revenue return for the volume of traffic it generates on Apple News is disappointing, and the level of referrals from Apple News to the publisher's site, where it can more effectively monetize traffic, is less than 0.2 percent. This has led publishers like the Guardian to scale back their partnerships with the platform.”
Digiday / Yuyu Chen
Casper’s shutdown of Van Winkle’s shows the limits of ‘brand journalism’ →
“Like Casper, many brands have started their own online or print publications as part of their content marketing strategies: Airbnb has one called Airbnbmag (and before that had one called Pineapple), while Dollar Shave Club has built Mel as an independent publication focused on men's lifestyle issues. Casper's switch from Van Winkle's to Woolly begs the question: How far can a brand take its media property?”
Editor and Publisher / Sharon Knolle
In search of a healthy future, alt weeklies experiment with stories and revenue strategies →
“But when it comes down to it, I think most people crave a connection with the media they consume, and will return again and again to sources they can identify with, that they can trust, and come from a place of authenticity. That's why I'm optimistic about the future of alt weeklies."
FIPP / Piet van Niekerk
How subscriptions became a driver of profit at The Economist →
The Economist has raised prices repeatedly for its print and digital subscriptions, but counts more than 100,000 today than in 2014.