Publishing News: The 'B Sides'
Each month, a number of stories end up on the WNIP cutting room floor. They’re not bad stories per se, on the contrary, but they just didn’t make the final cut. I hope there are one or two gems that can inspire…..
Here goes.
What we learned from 2 months of hosting webinars
TL;DR: Many of you know James Hewes, ex President & CEO of FIPP, who has reposted this gem. Takeaways: treat webinars like a talk show, resist large panels, encourage audience participation, use slides sparingly, choose the right platform (Zoom preferred), script and prepare well, and invest in good lighting and sound. James’s top tip? Webinars are a show, not a lecture.
How an AI-written book shows why the tech 'terrifies' creatives
TL;DR: We don’t cover books, but let’s make an exception: BookByAnyone, an Israeli company, can create a paperback copy of your own 240-page long best-seller for just £26. It’s already sold 150,000 personalised AI books, and there is no barrier to creating one in anyone's name. The product is intended as a "personalised gag gift" yet the word ‘gag’ can have so many connotations…
REPORT: Navigating sustained newsroom transformation
WAN-IFRA is a veritable production line of industry reports. This opus, penned by Brian Veseling and Teemu Henriksson, showcases how publishers can sustain and reignite digital transformation. Part of Table Stakes Europe (WAN-IFRA & Google NI), it highlights publishers engaging niche audiences through focused audience-first approaches.
How AI is reshaping copyright law and what it means for the news industry
TL:DR: Reuters Institute highlights growing lawsuits, regulatory gaps, and the looming fight over fair use vs. infringement. No precedent has been set and, worse, it will take years for the numerous lawsuits to bring any clarity to the legal rules governing copyright & AI. By then it’ll be far too late.
Gen Z media habits show cynicism for democracy
TL;DR: Channel 4’s Alex Mahon urges news providers to adapt rapidly to reach Gen Z, citing new research that analysed the news consumption habits of 3,000 young people. Gen Z value friends, influencers and traditional media equally, not hierarchically. Worryingly, Gen Z are losing faith in democracy.
Advertising isn’t a major growth driver for top news publishers
TL;DR: When even the ad industry’s own insiders acknowledge that subscriptions are outpacing ad revenue, it’s time for publishers to rethink their cluttered ad strategies. For the New York Times, Q4 ad revenue was a third of subscription revenue, and digital ads grew at almost half the rate of subs.
U.S. Govt sent $millions to Politico, NYT and BBC
Yesterday (Feb 4th) saw the abrupt closure of a money spigot that saw $multi-millions funneled to select media outlets. Press Secretary Karolin Leavitt took a particular swipe at Politico for receiving $8M to “subsidise its subscriptions”, including a whopping $500k spent on 37 Politico Pro subs from the US Disaster & Emergency Fund.
