Today in News Tech: Recent Episodes
Our-Hometown.com
Three eastern North Carolina newspapers, The New Bern Sun Journal, Jacksonville Daily News and Kinston Free Press, which are currently owned by Gannett, will be under new ownership beginning Dec. 1 after being acquired by Paxton Media Group based out of Paducah Kentucky.
Article link.
In a recent press release posted via Editor and Publisher, Times-Journal Inc. has acquired six papers in the Atlanta metro area from Southern Community Newspapers, Inc.
The publications acquired by Times-Journal are the Gwinnett Daily Post, Rockdale Citizen, Newton Citizen, Henry Herald, Clayton News and the Jackson Progress-Argus.
Article link.
The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a statement in September applauding a New York federal district court’s decision to reject Google’s motion to dismiss Texas’s lawsuit alleging that Google monopolized the digital advertising market.
Article link.
AIM Media Midwest announced the purchase of two local newspapers in Bryan and Napoleon Ohio from Bryan Publishing, a family owned business founded in 1949 and led by ChristopherCullis.
The purchase includes the daily newspaper The Bryan Times, serving Bryan and surrounding Williams County, the daily Northwest Signal, serving Napoleon and surrounding Henry County, and a variety of other specialty and periodic publications.
Article link.
America’s Newspapers representing 1,653 publications in all 50 states plus Canada and Guam, recently announced the election of Cameron Nutting Williams, regional publisher and chief revenue officer of Ogden Newspapers, as president during their Senior Leadership Conference in October.
Article link.
According to a recent post by Adams Publishing Group, an agreement was reached last Friday between John Sullivan, president of Yellowstone Newspapers and Mark Adams, President and CEO of APG, of Coon Rapids, Minnesota. The sale is expected to be finalized by November 1 according to a joint announcement.
localnewspapers #acquisitions #digitalnews #webpublishing
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a piece by Victoria Holmes for Editor & Publisher with three case studies on the use of text-to-audio, self-produced podcasts, and video content to increase audience engagement.
Two of the publishers featured in the article are customers of Our Hometown, and are using the company’s automated text-to-audio engine to generate audio versions of their articles and distribute them to popular podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Article link.
Today we are featuring and in-depth look at the history of the newsletter, and lessons relevant to the digital age from Ernie Smith at Tedium with highlights from the 1982 book Publishing Newsletters by Howard Penn Hudson.
newsletters #localnewspapers #history #digitaladvertising
Article link.
Today's roundup features a national spotlight on The Daily Catch, the resurgence of puzzles in newspapers, and a podcast on the state of print news from the News Media Alliance.
localnewspapers #ukraine #puzzles #printmedia
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting an exclusive from Sara Fischer at Axios announcing that Column, a software platform for public notices has raised $30M with the goal of expanding its services to improve public information systems and transactions beyond notices.
localnewspapers #publicnotices #cms #webpublishing
Article link.
The Solutions Journalism Network has launched inaugural hubs at four of the nation’s leading universities, ensuring that reporting focused on responses to problems is integrated into the teaching, research and service of leading journalism programs.
solutionsjournalism #journalismschools #localnewspapers #academicpartnerships
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a piece by Rick Edmonds at Poynter on how the purchase of Axios by Cox Enterprises will impact the former’s burgeoning newsletter franchise, Axios Local.
webpublishing #localjournalism #disruptiveinnovation #corporateacquisition
Article link.
Today, via Dominic Ponsford at PressGazette Daily, we are taking a look at BlueConic, a customer data platform advocating for a marketing strategy grounded in the single customer view using first-party data to power both customer engagement and audience monetization.
digitaladvertising #webpublishing #cms #audienceinsights #cdp
Article link.
Today’s roundup features coverage of Gannett’s Q2 financial report, CherryRoad Media’s continued expansion, Google’s delayed phase-out of support for third-party cookies, and an ownership model for local newspapers inspired by the Green Bay Packers.
localnewspapers #privacy #digitaladvertising #webpublishing
Article link.
Today we are taking a look at the technology underpinning the Naviga content engagement platform which includes solutions for production, audience management and advertising sales.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #digitaladvertising #webpublishing
Article link.
The Kansas Newspaper Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Kansas Press Association, is awarding grants for member publishers to assist in the establishment of websites for legal newspapers.
Our-Hometown president and CEO Matt Larson and Emily Bradbury, executive director of the KPA detail the grant process, and how newspapers who either do not have websites or websites that provide only limited functionality will leverage the OHT WordPress platform to establish and sustain a modern mobile-friendly website.
localnewspapers #digitalinitiative #pressassociation #publicnotices
Article link.
According to a recent announcement from the American Press Institute, four news organizations will participate in its inaugural Beyond Print cohort, which “will help guide publishers away from print-centric revenue models toward a sustainable digital future.”
localnewspapers #webpublishing #digitaladvertising #revenue
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a piece from Penny Riordan at the Local Media Association, on a group of Canadian news outlets’ participation in a 12-week Meta Accelerator program focused on reader revenue.
localnewspapers #newsletter #buttons #engagement
Article link.
Today’s roundup features an Our-Hometown interview with the directors of the Virginia Press Association, a story on Border Belt, a North Carolina nonprofit serving news to rural counties, Facebook’s move to cut its news funding, and finally a look at how large media companies are leveraging YouTube.
localnewspapers #webinar #nonprofits #socialmedia
Article link.
In the latest release of Medill’s State of Local News report, we hear from Phillip Reid, CEO of Reid Newspapers, on the trend of local news publishers reducing their number of print editions.
“How do you have a newspaper with no paper?”
localnewspapers #synergy #advertising #onlinenews
Article link.
News 6 WKMG and ClickOrlando.com launched a new podcast last month, Your Florida Daily, “aimed at giving listeners Florida’s top headlines and weather in minutes.”
The podcast is produced by Katrina Scales and uploads episodes Monday through Friday by 7 a.m. bringing together “some of the most important and interesting stories from across the Sunshine State, along with a daily random fact about Florida’s unique laws, history or creatures.”
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #podcasts #onlinenews
Article link.
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act passed the House Commerce committee and according to Wendy Davis at MediaPost, would effectively prohibit companies from serving ads to people based on their web browsing activity.
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #privacy #datasecurity
Article link.
According to a recent Meta press release, all new video posts to Instagram under 15 minutes will be shared as reels. Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today provides context on the announcement and Instagram’s push to be more like TikTok.
But what might this mean for news publishers?
localnewspapers #socialmedia #digitaljournalism
Article link.
Today we are taking a look at an article by Randy Picht at the Reynolds Journalism Institute on the growing usage of trust.txt, a simple text file that web scrapers can use to verify the integrity of news websites through their membership in a news industry association.
Journalist and entrepreneur Scott Yates established a non-profit organization, JournalList.net, to encourage and support the trust.txt framework.
Interview with Mike Blinder of Editor and Publisher.
localnewspapers #trust.txt #misinformation #pressassociations
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a recent piece on Poynter by Lucia Walinchus of Eye on Ohio, proposing a national news utility that would manage funds generated from taxes on big tech, and direct that revenue back to local news outlets.
localnewspapers #antitrust #digitaladvertising #socialmedia
Article link.
Today we are taking a look at how a gradual shift of many news outlets to all mail delivery versus traditional mail carriers affects both publishers and readers, featuring the Laramie Boomerang, Editor & Publisher, and Times Bulletin Media.
localnewspapers #printeditions #publishingindustry #usps
Article link.
Today we are highlighting coverage by Sarah Scire and Faisal Kalim on new data from the paywall tech company Piano, which shows about 33% of new subscribers cancel their digital subscriptions within a day.
localnewspapers #churn #revenue #subscriptions
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a portion of Medill’s ‘State of Local News 2022′, detailing the expansion of large regional newspaper chains that are filling the gap between local ownership and being part of a national corporate media group.
localnewspapers #corporateownership #regionalmedia #consolidation
Article link.
Today we are taking a look at Facebook’s Collabs feature, which allows two collaborators to be credited as co-publishers of a post, and receive distribution and reach to both of the collaborators’ audiences.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #autopost #collaboration
Article link.
According to Ray Schultz at Publishers Daily, the U.S. Copyright Office has declined to add an ancillary copyright for publishers to protect them from use of their content by online news aggregators.
antitrust #bigtech #regulation #localnewspapers
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a recent update from Our-Hometown on their WordPress platform, customized for news publishers: Block-style management of Widgets directly within the Customize tool!
cms #onlinenews #webpublishing #localnewspapers
Article link.
According to the Des Moines Register, two former executives of The Record-Herald and Indianola Tribune have bought the newspaper from Gannett with plans to continue publishing a weekly edition.
The husband and wife team of Amy Duncan and Mark Davitt are the founders of the online news site the Indianola Independent Advocate.
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #engagement #newsprint
Article link.
Today we are taking a look at how the Our-Hometown Audio Articles Playlists feature, which generates podcast episodes from website posts via RSS, can be extended through the use of Buzzsprout Ads.
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #engagement #podcasts
Article link.
Today we are pleased to highlight an update from Florida Media Group, on its acquisition by The Hoffmann Family of Companies, and how this move will enable the publisher to expand quickly throughout the United States in smaller communities where hometown newspapers have been lost — and to acquire struggling newspapers that may be unable to maintain their legacy format.
localnewspapers #publishingindustry #digitalmedia #onlinenews
Article link.
In this episode we are featuring coverage by the Electronic Frontier Foundation on the two main pieces of legislation aimed at regulating US big tech and its relationship with news publishing outlets.
localnewspapers #antitrust #digitaladvertising #revenue
Article link.
Today we highlight the LION-GNI Sustainability Audits and Funding program, which offers a comprehensive process for members to identify and respond constructively to roadblocks to sustainability within their organizations.
The program has added another 26 outlets and includes a thorough assessment of each participating news business, followed by recommendations, resources and up to $6,000 of funding to help them take the next steps and enhance organizational sustainability.
localnewspapers #audit #nonprofits #sustainability
Article link.
Today we highlight several recent updates from Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today on Instagram and parent Meta’s strategic shift in response to the growing impact of TikTok: the new Reels API as well as tips for making the most out of the medium.
localnewspapers #autopost #engagement #shortformvideo
Article link.
Today we take a look at the Data-Driven Reporting Project at the Medill School of Journalism, which has just announced its first group of 22 awardees.
The Project, in partnership with the Google News Initiative, will award more than $930,000 to new document- or data-driven projects.
localnewspapers #data #investigativejournalism #funding
Article link.
In a piece by Mary Reardon for Editor and Publisher, we hear from several publishers on supply chain difficulties and the rising cost of providing print editions to their readers.
- Otis Brumby, of Times-Journal in Georgia
- Wayne Pelland, Senior VP of Publishing Operations at Gannett
- Leonard Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #newsprint #supplychain
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a post from Olivia Joung on The Heights at Boston College, about the launch of the Newton Beacon, a new nonprofit local news website.
During a recent Facebook livestream, members of the Foundation board introduced the new site and made presentations on the need for a local paper, the status of the effort to launch it, and key tasks and milestones.
localnewspapers #nonprofits #communitydriven #digitalnews
Article link.
Today we are taking a look at a demo of PDF to HTML extraction, part of Our-Hometown’s customized WordPress platform for news publishers.
Highlights include content and ad extraction, analytics, quality control, and scheduled publish times.
localnewspapers #webpublishing #wordpress #pdf2html
Article link.
Big changes may be coming for those wishing for more than the current character limit for tweets. The social media platform has announced the closed testing of a new long-form feature, ‘Notes.’
The product is the outcome of Twitter’s acquisition of the newsletter service, Revue back in 2021, now rebranded as Twitter Write.
localnewspapers #localjournalism #revenue #socialmedia
Article link.
Today we take a look at how the McClatchy media group has introduced AI-driven ‘automated content’, to aid journalists in bridging gaps in their local coverage.
In a post from Press Gazette, we hear from Cynthia DuBose, vice president of audience growth and content, about the initial roll out and effectiveness as implemented on The Sacremento Bee.
localnewspapers #automation #artificialintelligence #webpublishing
Article link.
Today we are featuring a highlight from Our-Hometown customer, the Henrico Citizen in Virginia, on their new tiered membership program, the Citizen Collective, designed to encourage increased support from readers with expanded benefits and special events.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #memberships #revenue
Article link.
Welcome to Office Hours presented by Today in News Tech, and Our-Hometown, where we discuss posts and updates featured on the TNT vodcast.
In this episode the team takes a look at YouTube’s new Corrections feature, highlighting possible implications and opportunities for news publishers on the platform.
Check out the original video here!
localnewspapers #videoediting #engagement #timestamps #commentary
Article link.
According to the Verge, there are some major changes coming to Facebook’s Feed. The article by Alex Heath includes conversations with Tom Alison, Meta’s executive in charge of Facebook regarding the new strategy.
localnewspapers #backlinks #socialmedia #newsfeed
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a feature update from YouTube’s Creator Insider, on the launch of Corrections, allowing for timestamped correction cards to be added to a video similar to chapters.
localnewspapers #videoediting #engagement
Article link.
Today we look at a new survey of nearly 12,000 U.S.-based journalists from Pew Research on how they view the news industry. In particular the section on newsroom diversity shows a mixed picture reflecting respondents’ demographics.
localnewspapers #diversity #inclusivity #survey
Article link.
Today we highlight an article by Damian Radcliffe for Digital Content Next, detailing his interview with Anita Zielina, founder of the Executive Program in News Innovation at City University of New York.
localnewspapers #journalismschools #leadership #management
Article link.
Two days of panels at the National Summit on Journalism in Rural America, by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky asks: How do rural communities sustain local journalism that supports local democracy?
In particular we want to highlight a presentation from Liz and Steve Parker of the New Jersey Hills Media Group on how they went nonprofit when facing declining ad revenue, but didn’t want to sell to any of the corporate publishing chains willing to buy.
localnewspapers #nonprofits #publishingindustry #collaboration
Article link.
In an internal presentation, Gannett lays out the case for a new set of guidelines regarding editorial and opinion content across its holdings of over 250 local news outlets.
According to Rick Edmonds at Poynter, “A series of reader surveys and a task force of editors have persuaded executives to recommend a new chain-wide pattern as part of Gannett’s push to make digital content its focus.”
localnewspapers #editorials #webpublishing #socialmedia
Article link.
Having recently highlighted collaboration between journalism schools and local news outlets, today we look at how Gabriel Kahn, a professor at USC has created a hyperlocal weekly newsletter relying entirely on publicly available data.
“How data journalism can reduce newsroom costs of producing hyperlocal content,” by Victoria Holmes for Editor & Publisher, details the Crosstown LA Neighborhood Newsletter serving 110 Los Angeles neighborhoods with brief stories and infographics about public health, housing issues, traffic, and crime, etc.
localnewspapers #journalismschools #newsletters #hyperlocal
Article link.
Two local newspapers under the Gannett publishing umbrella, this week posted within a day of each other that plans to reduce the number of print delivery days were on hold.
Editor & Publisher reposted an article by Kevin Graeler at the Columbia Daily Tribune who writes, “Under a national decision by Gannett . . . all changes to the number of print editions published per week are being paused while the company analyzes new data and takes into consideration valuable input from our subscribers.”
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #publishingindustry #printeditions
Article link.
Today we are highlighting an update from William Turvill at Press Gazette on Google’s latest efforts against Canada’s Online News Act.
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #legislation #searchengine
Article link.
According to PR Newswire, the Local Media Consortium, a strategic alliance of local media companies, announced the release of its second annual member economic impact report.
localnewspapers #webpublishing #bigtech #collectivebargaining
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a profile by Brigham Tomco at The Daily Universe, on the Provo Daily Herald and the challenges faced by the newsroom in recent years.
localnewspapers #webpublishing #downsizing #solutionsjournalism
Article link.
As new legislation takes effect, the Michigan Press Association has partnered with Detroit Legal News Publishing to provide a bridge between local publishers and state-mandated online posting of public and legal notices.
localnewspapers #pressassociations #publicnotices #webpublishing
Article link.
According to Zoe Samios at The Sydney Morning Herald, Minderoo, one of Australasia’s largest philanthropies, has signed a deal with Google, on behalf of 24 independent news publishers.
localnewspapers #regulation #duopoly #philanthropy
Article link.
This episode highlights a piece by Lara Salahi for The Conversation on collaborations between university journalism programs and news publishers, to provide real-world training for students and offset newsroom consolidation with additional coverage.
The article, “How college students can help save local news,” details the author’s own experience as a professor and researcher leading a collaboration between her “Beat Reporting” class and local newspapers.
localnewspapers #collaboration #journalismschool #newsdeserts
Article link.
The Pew Research Center has released an addendum to its State of the News Media newspapers fact sheet, narrowing the focus to the local level by eliminating the largest national outlets from the analysis.
localnewspapers #circulation #publishingindustry #revenue
Article link.
In this episode we look at the Delaware Journalism Collaborative, a new venture from the Local Journalism Initiative, formed with assistance from the Solutions Journalism Network, aimed at strengthening engagement and addressing community polarization.
localnewspapers #collaboration #nonprofits #solutionsjournalism
Article link.
Today we’re highlighting two customer stories on their initial experiences as part of the Virginia Press Association and Our Hometown’s Digital Initiative.
We hear from Steve Weddle, of the VPA, Lisa Watson McCarty, publisher at Scott County Virginia Star, and Billy Coleburn, publisher at Courier-Record.
localnewspapers #digitalinitiative #pressassociations #webpublishing
Article link.
Today we feature a quick highlight of Instagram’s branding refresh, including the famous gradient and ‘squircle’ shape in a new font.
The post, “Introducing Instagram’s Visual Refresh,” introduces the new look and its context regarding “immersive and inclusive experiences.”
localnewspapers #brandawareness #socialmedia #inclusivity
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a case study from Rick Edmonds at Poynter about how a switch to donations proved successful for a Hawaii startup.
The article, “Good things happened when Honolulu Civil Beat dropped its paywall and went to donations instead,” features views from both publisher and advocate on how this was accomplished.
localnewspapers #nonprofits #startups #subscriptions
Article link.
In this episode we continue our coverage of podcasting and the local news industry, highlighting a piece by John Sullivan at Nieman Lab, on how corporations have been buying outlets across the podcasting space.
The article, “How corporate takeovers are fundamentally changing podcasting,” outlines the acquisition trends, including who is buying what, and how this concentration of ownership affects how podcasting has traditionally been consumed.
localnewspapers #podcasts #corporateownership #venturecapital
Article link.
Today we revisit the BBC’s digital content strategy on social media, with a piece by Andrew Kersley at Press Gazette.
The article, “BBC digital director: ‘Social media platforms are often working against us’,” reports on a recent appearance by the BBC’s Naja Nielsen at the Society of Editors Conference in London.
localnewspapers #contentdelivery #socialmedia #webpublishing
Article link.
In observance of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we are highlighting a piece by Mariah Muller at the Content Marketing Institute and Redefine Marketing Group, with guidelines and tips to make content easily available to any consumer.
The post, “5 Ideas To Make Your Content Accessible to All,” provides background principles established by the W3C Working Group and several techniques to increase accessibility.
localnewspapers #GlobalAccessibility #inclusivity #webpublishing
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a post from Muck Rack, “The 2022 state of journalism on Twitter” by Andrew Mercier, looking deeper at social media use by news outlets and individual journalists.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #twitter #topjournalists
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting an update from William Turvill at Press Gazette on a recent post from Google Canada regarding the country’s Online News Act.
The article, “Google hits back at Canada’s Online News Act, claiming it would ‘break’ its search engine,” quotes Sabrina Geremia, VP and managing director at Google Canada.
localnewspapers #canada #bigtech #regulation
Article link.
oday we are covering the latest on legislation being introduced or proposed across the country to “protect consumers, promote competition, and defend the public interest.”
The article, “New Bill Would Create Agency To Oversee Tech Platforms,” by Wendy Davis, at MediaPost, provides a commentary on new legislation proposed in Colorado, especially concerns regarding First Amendment speech protection.
localnewspapers #webpublishing #antitrust #regulation
Article link.
Today we are featuring an update on Our Hometown’s Digital Initiative, announcing the Illinois Press Association as a new partner.
The article, “The Illinois Press Association has partnered with Our-Hometown, Inc. to launch a Digital Initiative in Illinois!” summarizes the program plus a featured discount for association members.
localnewspapers #digitalinitiative #pressassociations #webpublishing
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting an update from Google on their content licensing agreements with news publishers, in its ongoing response to the European Copyright Directive passed in 2019.
The post, “Google licenses content from news publishers under the EU Copyright Directive,” outlines an expansion of Google’s ‘Extended News Preview‘ program to pay fees for use of content beyond a limited image and snippet preview.
Includes #JCPA update from Editor & Publisher Magazine.
localnewspapers #eu #newsaggregation #regulation
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a follow-up by Rick Edmonds at Poynter on the merger between the News Media Alliance and the Association of Magazine Media, which has now been approved by both groups.
The article, “Magazines cast their lot with newspapers as trade association merger closes,” details what the parties hope to achieve through the union, in particular gaining bargaining power against large online platforms such as Facebook and Google.
localnewspapers #antitrust #collectivebargaining #pressassociations
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting the 2022 update from the Interactive Advertising Bureau‘s ongoing study of podcast trends commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2017.
In the latest release, “U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue Report: 2021 Results & 2022-2024 Growth Projections,” data show a three-fold increase in ad revenue for podcasting over the next few years.
localnewspapers #podcasts #digitaladvertising #revenue
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a piece by Andrew Kersley at Press Gazette about a new approach to newsletters at The Guardian.
The article, “Why The Guardian is betting big on newsletters and ignoring click-throughs,” speaks with the newsletter team about the reasoning behind, and implementation of, their plans.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #newsletters #personalization
Article link.
In this episode we highlight an update from the Public Notice Resource Center on various state legislatures’ attempts to modernize how public notices are made available.
The post, “Nebraska modernizes public notice law,” outlines the new requirements for how public notices are to be disseminated, outlined in LB-840, which was signed into law on April 18.
localnewspapers #pressassociations #publicnotices #statelaws
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting coverage by Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today, on Twitter’s public testing of a new feature, “Circles.”
The article, “Twitter Launches Public Test of ‘Circles’ for Private Chats via Tweet,” outlines how the feature might work and interact with other parts of the platform.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #digitaltownsquare
Article link.
In this episode, we are following up on our coverage of Rhode Island’s public notice legislation, and how its language represents a common thread, through many of the similar bills being considered across the country.
The article by Kate Nagle and the GoLocalProv team, “Legislation to End Mandated Charge for Legal Notices and Creation of Free State Site Gets Hearing,” quotes officials from government, lobbying firms, and civic organizations.
localnewspapers #publicnotices #publishingindustry #statelaw
Article link.
Today we are continuing our coverage public notice bills in state legislatures around the U.S. and the consequences for local newspapers.
localnewspapers #publicnotices #publishingindustry #statepolitics
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a piece by Sara Guaglione at Digiday, on how larger publications are leveraging reader data, to customize individual sections of their homepage.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #personalization #analytics
Article link.
Last month the Florida legislature passed HB-7049 authorizing the government to post all or most public notices on government websites in lieu of newspapers. It is now awaiting a widely expected signature from the governor and would take effect on January 1, 2023.
According to the Public Notice Resource Center in conversation with Florida Press Association Executive Director Jim Fogler, there is room for optimism regarding the continuing role of local newspapers in the public notice forum.
localnewspapers #publicnotices #floridalaw #newspublishers
Article link.
Today we are looking at how Instagram’s upcoming pinned post feature can help news publishers increase reader engagement.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #contentmarketing #engagement
Article link.
While Twitter's board unanimously recommended Elon Musk's buyout offer for the social media platform, shareholders will still have their say, as will U.S. government regulators. But what night this mean for news publishers?
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #digitaltownsquare #socialmedia
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a feature demo from Our-Hometown on their Related Stories block, which provides a great way to keep readers engaged and increase your website’s pageviews.
localnewspapers #engagement #machinelearning #naturallanguageprocessing
Learn more!
Article link.
Today we are highlighting two updates from Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today, on a new edit option from Twitter, and an increased focus on shorts by YouTube.
The article, “Twitter’s Coming Edit Option Looks Set to Have a Full, Publicly Viewable ‘Edit History’ Element,” looks at the implementation and possible concerns regarding the feature.
Another post, “YouTube Adds New Shorts Shelf to ‘Trending’ Tab to Highlight the Top Shorts Clips,” looks at the platform’s push of its shorts feature to compete with TikTok.
localnewspapers #localjournalism #socialmedia
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a post by Shraddha Chakradhar at Nieman Lab, on a recent report in New Media & Society on how venture acquisitions are affecting local news outlets.
The article, “‘An immediate drop in content’: A new study shows what happens when big companies take over local news,” details changes in reporting and staffing after becoming corporately-owned.
localnewspapers #localjournalism #venturecapital #corporateownership
Article link.
Today we are highlighting the newly-released “Content Marketing Compass 2022” from Statista, which provides updates since the 2021 edition, and a trove of new data on content marketing trends.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #contentmarketing #engagement
Article link.
Today we are featuring a post by Michael Shapiro, for Editor and Publisher, about ways to set your publication apart, using exclusive offerings to marketing partners.
The article, “The power and value of exclusivity,” details several traditional communication channels, that can be leveraged through exclusive offerings.
digitaladvertising #exclusivity #localnewspapers #revenue
Article link.
Today we are highlighting coverage of an announcement from YouTube’s unofficial channel, Creator Insider, which outlines new search data based on keywords and channel performance.
The video, “Introducing: Search Insights! Find Out What Your Audience (And The Rest of YouTube) Is Searching For,” illustrates new research tabs in the creator studio, and how these insights can inform editorial and marketing decisions.
analytics #audienceinsights #searchresults #socialmedia
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting coverage by Rick Edmonds at Poynter, and Esther Thorpe from What’s New in Publishing, on recent subscription announcements from news outlets, Quartz and The Guardian.
The articles, “The subscriptions roundabout,” and “Quartz is dropping its paywall,” both describe recent financial and editorial challenges faced by the two companies.
localnewspapers #newsletters #paywalls #subscriptions
Article link.
In this episode we are featuring a post by Richard J. Tofel on his newsletter, Second Rough Draft, about the Local News Summit at the Lenfest Institute.
The article, “Time for Local Newspapers to Go All-Local?” looks at several ways publishers can counter the expansion of national coverage by corporate-owned outlets, with hyper-local coverage of their own.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #newsdesert #subscriptions
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a post from Echobox on several strategies for encouraging ongoing reader engagement with newsletters.
The article, “5 tips for creating newsletters that stick,” provides publishers with guidelines and statistics to aid in the creation of a successful newsletter strategy.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #newsletters #subscriptions
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau on digital advertising trends in 2021.
The report, “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2021,” demonstrates significant growth across all major channels, particularly digital video, digital audio, and social media.
localnewspapers #digitaladvertising #digitalvideo #digitalaudio #socialmedia
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a post by Twipe on What’s New in Publishing, about using newsletters on specialized topics to entice reader engagement.
The article, “Newsletters and the quest to fit into reader’s lives,” presents several examples of news outlets’ newfound success, providing readers with focused content delivered directly.
localnewspapers #audienceinsights #newsletters #personalization
Article link.
In this episode we are featuring a recent webinar from Our-Hometown and Online Media Campus, in which OHT CEO, Matt Larson presents tips on responsive websites and native app design.
For more information visit the post at Our-Hometown.
Article link.
Today the team looks at trends in mobile news apps, featuring data and analysis by Statista.
localnewspapers #mobileapp #digitaladvertising #cms
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/
In this episode we are highlighting a post by Sovrn at What’s New In Publishing, about the two most common advertising strategies for digital news outlets.
The article, “Publishers: What’s the difference between Direct and Programmatic ads?” provides a clear overview of these methods, and when to use each.
localnewspapers #advertising #audienceinsights #programmaticads
Article link.
In this episode we follow up on our previous coverage of a new study from the Pew Research Center, “Total Number of U.S. Statehouse Reporters Rises, but Fewer Are on the Beat Full Time.”
The final topic of the study, “Coverage of tribal governments: In many cases, a struggle for editorial independence,” focuses on reporter demographics, financing, and independent press initiatives.
localnewspapers #indigenouspeoples #nonprofits #2022survey
Article link.
In this episode we continue our coverage on the emergence of nonprofits in journalism, featuring a piece by Sarah Scire at Nieman Lab, on state capitol reporting across the U.S.
The article, “In state capitols, nonprofit newsrooms are filling gaps left by newspaper cuts,” highlights a new report from Pew Research on trends in statehouse news coverage.
localnewspapers #statepolitics #nonprofits #2022survey
Article link.
In this episode we are featuring a new demo from Our-Hometown, of the latest features provided by their mobile apps for news publishers.
Learn more during the “OHT & OMC Webinar: Serving the Growing Mobile Audience" on April 7, at 1PM EDT!
localnewspapers #mobileapp #ios #android
Article link.
Today we are featuring an update from the Virginia Press Association on their partnership with Our-Hometown.
The post, “The Virginia Press Association’s “Digital Initiative” with Our-Hometown,” outlines the history, goals, and benefits of the program.
localnewspapers #digitalinitiative #pressassociation #webpublishing
Learn more at the VPA website!
Article link.
In this episode we highlight a post from Google’s blog, The Keyword, outlining new fact-checking features announced for search results.
The article, “Check the facts with these Google features,” details tips for evaluating information from the search page, source citing, and the inclusion of fact-checking stories along side search results.
localnewspapers #localjournalism #factchecking #searchresults
Article link.
In this episode we are featuring the latest industry insights collated by Statista, on mobile app usage, revenue, and platform distribution.
Details include user engagement and retention, monetization methods, and segmentation between iOS and Android platforms.
localnewspapers #cms #mobileapp #appdevelopment
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a piece by Laura Hazard Owen at Nieman Lab, featuring a new report by Sarah Stonbely, and Hanna Siemaszko of the Center for Cooperative Media.
localnewspapers #accountability #civicorganizations #crossfieldcollaboration
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a piece by Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today.
The article, “Twitter’s Professional Accounts are Now Open to All Users,” covers the announcement, initial set up, and the features and benefits for businesses and creators.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #engagement #professionals
Article link.
In this episode we hear from Matt on a ‘different’ type of #Twitter traffic.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #traffic #localjouralism
Article link.
In this edition Christopher leads Matt and the team in a discussion of Muck Rack’s new survey, “The State of Journalism 2022.”
Featured topics include using social media for story discovery, holding public entities accountable, and how journalists are tracking the performance of their coverage.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #accountability #localjouralism
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a piece by Marcela Kunova for Journalism.co.uk, on how AI is being used to create searchable metadata from audio news, and its use on archives aiding in source attribution.
The article, “How AI can help publishers use archives to engage audience,” discusses how by searching for audio soundbites and analysing quotes and sources, machine learning has the potential to better serve diverse audiences and create new beats.”
localnewspapers #podcasts #audionews #machinelearning #AI
Article link.
Today we are highlighting a piece from Oberlo, “10 Powerful Podcast Statistics You Need to Know in 2021,” summarizing podcasting trends from around the industry.
In general, all these data point to continued growth in podcasting, larger audiences, and increasing advertising revenue.
localnewspapers #podcasts #audionews #advertising
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a new survey from Muck Rack, “The State of Journalism 2022,” conducted this past January, of more than 2,500 journalists from across the industry.
In particular, we are focusing on responses regarding how journalists employ social media, both as a source of finding news, as well as distributing news.
localnewspapers #socialmedia #journalism #2022survey
Article link.
In this episode Matt leads a discussion of an article by Charlotte Tobitt at Press Gazette: “Publishers reveal how podcast pennies are now turning into big money.”
We’ve assembled a roundup of example podcasts, demonstrating various approaches to narrow-focused, niche topics.
Article link.
In this episode the team discusses possibilities for local news outlets in the aftermath of #Gannett ownership and management. We highlight the article, “Local newspapers aren’t dying. They’re dead.” by Greg Reibman at the Charles River Regional Chamber.
localnewspapers #newsdeserts #webpublishing #venturecapital
Article link.
In this episode Teri leads the Our-Hometown team in a discussion of the latest updates from PNRC and the Florida Press Association on state legislation around the country concerning public notices.
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a piece by Shraddha Chakradhar at NiemanLab, featuring an interview with Amethyst J. Davis, founder of Harvey World Herald.
In the article, “A new publication springs up in a former news desert outside Chicago,” Davis describes getting the Herald launched as an online media-only outlet, and the growth process over the initial months after.
Article link.
In this episode we are highlighting a piece by Roger Montti at Search Engine Journal, reporting on a recent update to the WordPress platform.
The article, “WordPress Releases a New Performance Plugin,” discusses the team of core developers, the new plugin features, and why it is being released in this manner.
Article link.
In this episode we feature a segment from OHT Office Hours in which Matt presents a short demo on using Matamo to analyze source traffic for a publisher website.
Find more information on Our-Hometown’s WordPress platform customized for newspaper publishers.
Article link.
In this episode we feature a segment from OHT Office Hours in which Tyler provides a brief introduction and overview of the WordPress Block Editor.
Article link.
Find more information on Our-Hometown’s WordPress platform customized for newspaper publishers.
In this episode Teri leads a discussion on how public notices are being targeted by state legislatures, easing the requirement that notices appear in local newspapers.
Featuring coverage by Tony Silber, MediaPost, and the Poynter Institute.
Article link.
In this episode the team discusses a prediction from the Reuters Institute as reported by Nic Newman on hybrid newsrooms and using video in reporting.
For more coverage of the article, ““Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022,” click here.
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Fern McErlane over at journalism.co.uk, speaking with Chandni Sembhi on producing social media content.
The article, “How to use social media to find and promote your stories,” features tips on story presentation, demographic targeting, and measuring performance.
Article link.
In this episode we are featuring an interview by Sara Shahriari and Emily Roseman of INN, with Keri Mitchell of Dallas Free Press, about the outlet’s focus on text messaging for content distribution.
localnewspapers #sms #textmessaging #outreach #nonprofit
Article link.
In this episode the team discusses a prediction from the Reuters Institute as reported by Nic Newman on publishing categories of audio content based on time of day or reader activities.
For more coverage of the article, ““Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022,” click here.
Article link.
In this episode the team discusses audio predictions from the Reuters Institute as reported by Nic Newman. Trends include podcasts, platform choice and incorporation of video into content distribution.
For more coverage of the article, ““Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022,” click here.
Article link.
In this episode Vera leads Tyler through a demonstration on how to manage subscriber device login limits on Our-Hometown WordPress websites, and why this is important to news publishers.
localnewspapers #cms #cybersecurity #wordpress
Article link.
Learn more about subscriber device management at Our-Hometown.
In this episode Tyler demonstrates the new audio articles app from the Clarke County Democrat powered by Our-Hometown, and the team discusses other audio trends for news publishers.
localnewspapers #audionews#podcasts #cms
Article link.
In today’s episode we continue our multi-part look at a piece by Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute.
In part three we are looking at Reuters predictions for hybrid newsrooms, increased diversity, and social media.
localnewspapers #hybridnews #socialmedia #diversity
Article link.
In this final part of the Our-Hometown interview with Wolverton, Farrell, and Fitzsimmons, the panel discusses monetary damages sought and how a resolution to the case might reset the business model for news publishers.
Full coverage at Our-Hometown.
In this fourth installment of the Our-Hometown interview with Wolverton, Farrell, and Fitzsimmons, the panel discusses a vision for a business model that ensures advertising dollars make it down to local journalists and publishers.
localnewspapers #antitrust #google #facebook
Full coverage at Our-Hometown.
In this third installment of the Our-Hometown interview with the lead plaintiff and two of the lawyers behind an anti-trust lawsuit against Facebook and Google, the panel takes questions from viewers on how small publishers can get involved, plus projected time horizons for the progress of the case.
Full coverage at Our-Hometown.
Part two of our interview features Lee Wolverton, executive editor at HD Media Co., LLC, on the direct relationship between the rise in advertising revenue for Google and Facebook, and the decline in those same numbers for local newspapers.
localnewspapers #antitrust #google #facebook
Full coverage at Our-Hometown.
In this episode, we are featuring part one of the Our-Hometown industry interview with the lead plaintiff and two of the lawyers behind antitrust litigation against Facebook and Google. This part highlights a presentation on the history and context of the case by Paul Farrell of Farrell & Fuller LLC.
localnewspapers #antitrust #google #facebook
Article link
In today’s episode we continue our multi-part look at a piece by Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute.
In part two we are looking at Reuters predictions for audience strategies and publisher innovation.
Article link
In today’s episode we begin a multi-part look at a piece by Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute.
The article, “Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022,” details a new study conducted by the institute, interviewing nearly 250 editors and publishers from over 50 countries.
Article link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Faisal Kalim over at What’s New in Publishing about new publishing strategies developing around more accessible data analysis tools.
The article, “Tremendous benefits to news media companies”: How publishers are placing data at the center of their decisions,” discusses a report that examines the ways the influx of massive amounts of user data has impacted publishers. The article cites multiple publishers who discuss their attitudes towards data-driven newsrooms.
Article link
In this episode, Matt highlights the Sedalia Democrat‘s use of Our-Hometown’s Audio Article Playlist feature.
podcasts #text2speech #wordpress #localnewspapers
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Tony Silber, Editor of Publishers Daily, MediaPost, titled “Podcasts Emerge As Significant New Source Of News,” about the increasing share of the American news audience turning to podcasts for information.
The data come from a study by the Pew Research Center and also includes a demographic breakdown of listeners.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Sarah Scire over at NiemanLab, “Local news takes flight in South Dakota’s largest city,” looking at Pigeon 605, an innovative news site with a distinctive delivery strategy.
localnewspapers #personalization #contentdelivery #audienceinsights
Article link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Angela Fu, reporter for Poynter, “How news organizations are using timestamp disclaimers to reduce misinformation,” about how companies are attempting to reduce the viral spread of outdated news stories on social media.
misinformation #outdatednews #localnewspapers #socialmedia
Article link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Pat Borzi, Contributing Writer at MinnPost, about CherryRoad Media‘s purchase of several Minnesota newspapers.
The article, “Why a New Jersey technology firm bought a bunch of newspapers in Greater Minnesota. And what it wants to do with them.” excerpts an interview with Jeremy Gulban, CEO of CherryRoad.
Article link
Today the team follows up on a piece by Karlene Lukovitz over at MediaPost about recent revenue trends among Google Platforms.
The article, “Google Ad Revenue Surges 33%, Search Up 35%, YouTube 25%,” discusses the fourth-quarter earnings of Google’s many advertising platforms and compares them against forecasts. The report highlights who is buying ads and where they are being utilized successfully.
google #advertising #bigtech #revenue
Article link
Today the team discusses a piece by Mebane Rash, editor and Sergio Osnaya-Prieto, communications strategist from EducationNC, an “independent source of news, data, and analysis about education for the people of North Carolina.”
The article, “A holistic strategy for content distribution, audience growth, and engagement,” recounts many of the challenges and successes encountered during the early years of the venture.
education #localnewspapers #contentdistribution #audiencegrowth
Article link
Today the team discusses a piece by Tony Silber, staff writer over at MediaPost’s Publishing Insider.
The article, “The Contradictions In ‘Austin American-Statesman”s Two-Tiered Content Strategy,” looks at the publisher’s decision to move from a metered paywall to a two-tiered subscription model.
contentmanagement #wordpress #localnewspapers #paywalls
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/austin-american-statesman-paywall-contradictions/
Today the team is following up on a piece by Aisha Majid over at Press Gazette, reporting on a collaboration with BuiltWith analyzing the technology behind 2,000 of the world’s leading news websites.
The article, “Which CMS do publishers use? Tech stack of world’s top news websites analysed,” notes that more than four in ten sites use WordPress for at least part of their domain.
Article link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Karlene Lukovitz over at MediaPost about recent revenue trends among Google Platforms.
The article, “Google Ad Revenue Surges 33%, Search Up 35%, YouTube 25%,” discusses the fourth-quarter earnings of Google’s many advertising platforms and compares them against forecasts. The report highlights who is buying ads and where they are being utilized successfully.
Article link
In part two of our discussion oo Audience segmentation, the team looks at a piece by Andrea Atzori over at Search Engine Journal about how publishers can improve engagement with audience retargeting.
The article, “7 Ways To Segment Your Audience For Successful Retargeting,” provides several approaches to audience segmentation, through analytics, marketing campaigns and contextual insights.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Andrew Hutchinson over at Social Media Today, titled, “Instagram Adds New Features for Safer Internet Day, Including Improved Content Management Tools.”
Marking #SaferInternetDay on February 8, Instagram revealed several new features targeting safety, security and content management.
Article link
In this two-part edition, team discusses various strategies for creatively generating segments of an audience for targeting and retargeting news and advertising content.
Part One
According to the article from What’s New In Publishing, “How to capture and use audience segments to improve engagement,” publishers are growing subscriber revenue by targeting specific audience segments.
Article link
According to William Turvill at the Press Gazette, the Seattle Times has increased their digital subscriptions by 10% in the last year to reach 81,000 active subscribers.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Charlotte Tobitt over at Press Gazette about the BBC crossing 20 million followers on Instagram.
The article, “How BBC News topped 20 million Instagram followers – and why it has stayed away from TikTok,” examines the news outlet’s approach to the social platform, including the decision to not expend energy on rival TikTok.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Aisha Majid over at Press Gazette, reporting on a collaboration with BuiltWith analyzing the technology behind 2,000 of the world’s leading news websites.
The article, “Which CMS do publishers use? Tech stack of world’s top news websites analysed,” notes that more than four in ten sites use WordPress for at least part of their domain.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Shalet Serrao over at Journalism.co.uk about Pinterest’s potential for news publishers.
The article, “Why publishers should pay attention to Pinterest,” discusses several methods businesses might use to build social audiences and increase revenue possibilities.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Andrea Atzori over at Search Engine Journal about how publishers can improve engagement with audience retargeting.
The article, “7 Ways To Segment Your Audience For Successful Retargeting,” provides several approaches to audience segmentation, through analytics, marketing campaigns and contextual insights.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Peter Houston over at What’s New in Publishing, reporting on targeting strategies by The Atlantic, and a new study on audience segmentation by WAN-IFRA.
The article, “How to capture and use audience insights to improve engagement,” looks at how the collection and utilization of these data can increase revenue and engagement.
Article link
Today we’re discussing a piece by Anya Schiffrin over at the Poynter Institute about the international discussion around government subsidies for journalism.
The article, “Internationally too, journalists and others are debating government subsidies and how to deal with Big Tech,” covers several strategic interventions to offset the effects of Big Tech on smaller media outlets.
Article link
In this episode the team discusses a piece by Jürgen Galler, CEO and Founder — 1plusX, over at Digital Content Next about building trust through personalization.
The article, “Why prioritizing personalization can build trust between consumers and brands,” offers three main points.
- We know that third-party cookies and comprehensive third-party data collection will most likely become obsolete. As a result, the businesses that invest and implement first-party data strategies will stay ahead of the pack.
- Consumers now expect a seamless transition across every touchpoint they have with a company. Therefore, prioritising creation of an omnichannel experience will help increase overall ROI.
- A data infrastructure with intelligent AI and predictive capabilities can enable brands to enrich and enhance their first-party data.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Freddy Mayhew over at Press Gazette where he speaks with Gabe Karp, managing director of digital consultants 10up.
The article, “Shifting to a digital-first strategy and the steps to making it pay for publishers,” lays out several methods for achieving success with a digital-first strategy.
Article link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by What’s New in Publishing about the model train enthusiast magazine, Railway Modeler, and its newly-launched digital archives.
The article, “Railway Modeller highlights the revenue potential of digital back issues,” discusses the trends that have emerged around reader demand for archival news media. The seven-decade-old publication had not made digital back issues available until the summer of 2021 and has seen a dramatic increase in traffic after introducing the feature.
Article link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Esther Kezia Thorpe over at What’s New in Publishing that breaks down the trends among publications’ subscription models over the past year.
The article, “The year in subscriptions: A growth story,” discusses the ways subscriptions have been implemented throughout the industry and how readers are responding to them. While subscriptions are a fast-growing segment of the industry, many outlets are taking action to make sure the trend continues.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Subtext co-founder David Cohn, over at Journalism.co.uk in which he provides several lessons learned over a career in research and development.
The article, “Five lessons every media innovator needs to learn,” presents five insights into managing innovation, experimentation, and expectation when developing new ideas.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Kristopher Jones over at Search Engine Journal about Google’s testing of a new autocomplete feature on its search page.
The article, “What Google’s Enhanced Autocomplete Box Means For SEO,” discusses the presentation of additional results including “People also ask” and “People also search.”
Article link
In this special edition of Today in News Tech, Matt sits down with Catarina Carvalho, co-founder of Lisbon’s Mensagem, a new hyper-local digital newspaper, to discuss the startup’s business model and approach to neighborhood journalism.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Charlotte Tobitt over at Press Gazette about the BBC crossing 20 million followers on Instagram.
The article, "How BBC News topped 20 million Instagram followers - and why it has stayed away from TikTok," examines the news outlet's approach to the social platform, including the decision to not expend energy on rival TikTok.
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Don Seiffert over at the Boston Business Journal about Gannett’s move to end Saturday print editions at more than half its newspaper holdings.
The article, “Gannett to stop Saturday print editions at 136 newspapers nationwide,” reports that the nation’s largest newspaper chain is halting Saturday print editions on March 5, in favor of expanded access to online content.
Article link
Today the team follows up on a piece by Henry Powderly over at Search Engine Land discussing new local search features recently released by Google.
Now when you enter a search term, results may include more locally related content. This includes a new social media carousel of related tweets. The feature is an expansion of Google’s inclusion of localized content from COVID-19 searches.
Article link
In this episode the team follows up on a piece by What’s New in Publishing about The Local and its pivot to a more subscriber-focused content strategy.
The article, “‘The power of community’: How a small publisher hit 50,000 paying members through audience engagement,” discusses the ways The Local has improved their metrics by gearing their reporting towards gaining and retaining subscribers.
Article Link
In this episode we’re highlighting a piece by David Tvrdon over at The Fix about re-examining newsroom business models at the start of the new year.
The article, “Let’s start 2022 by questioning your newsroom’s business model,” has several suggestions for addressing media trends and adapting to a difficult news market.
Article Link
This special edition of Today in News Tech features Matt chatting with industry expert, Damian Radcliffe, about some of his stories that we’ve covered on previous episodes, as well as some insights into Damian’s survey, “50 ways to make media pay.”
Article Link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Peter Houston covering advertising trends for What’s New in Publishing as part of their Media Moments 2021 report.
The article, “Strong advertising recovery sees subscription-only publishers reconsider ‘all ads are bad’ mantra,” reports on the unprecedented recovery of ad spending after the market was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic for most of 2020.
Article Link
Today the team follows up on a piece by Seb Joseph over at Digiday about recent anxieties over cookie consent among digital advertisers.
The article, “‘The real issue here is around publisher trust’: Advertisers on alert as cookie consent concerns rise,” speaks with advertising industry representatives about the precautions they’re taking around cookie tracking. The implementation of the G.D.P.R. privacy law in Europe has led to increased scrutiny of how publishers are collecting data.
Video link
Today the team follows up on a piece by Aisha Majid over at Press Gazette. The article, “Who owns the US news? Market share analysis of print and online news markets” discusses their study of diversity in the U.S. news market.
For smaller local publishers the diversity numbers in the digital space are positive, but print continues to suffer, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by What’s New in Publishing about The Local and its pivot to a more subscriber-focused content strategy.
The article, “‘The power of community’: How a small publisher hit 50,000 paying members through audience engagement,” discusses the ways The Local has improved their metrics by gearing their reporting towards gaining and retaining subscribers.
Article Link
Today the team discusses a piece by Sara Fischer and Neal Rothschild over at Axios about news engagement trends in 2021. The article, “News engagement fell off a cliff in 2021,” reports that:
- Social media interactions with news articles fell 65%
- Cable news primetime viewership dropped 36%
- News app downloads fell 33%
- Unique visits to the top 5 news sites were down 8%
Article link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Ben Morse over at Current about a new initiative by the Institute for Nonprofit News, the Rural News Network, expanding coverage of economic issues in Indigenous communities and access to water in the West.
The article, “Stations contribute reporting, expand reach of new rural news network,” discusses how INN members, often news outlets specializing in rural and agricultural issues, will collaborate with public radio to redistribute RNN articles.
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Henry Powderly over at Search Engine Land. The article, “Google adds local news features to search, giving publishers more exposure,” discusses new search features recently released by Google.
Now when you enter a search term, results may include more locally related content. This includes a new social media carousel of related tweets.
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Seb Joseph over at Digiday about recent anxieties over cookie consent among digital advertisers.
The article, “‘The real issue here is around publisher trust’: Advertisers on alert as cookie consent concerns rise,” speaks with advertising industry representatives about the precautions they’re taking around cookie tracking.
Article Link
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Aisha Majid over at Press Gazette. The article, “Who owns the US news? Market share analysis of print and online news markets” discusses their analysis of diversity in the U.S. news market.
The analysis utilized visitor data from Similarweb along with data from the media index of the top seven big owners of daily publications from The Future of Media Project at Harvard University.
Article Link
Today, the team follows up with and extended chat on a piece by Christopher Brennan over at the World Association of News Publishers about the most effective ways for publishers to use Artificial Intelligence.
The article, “A.I. in the newsroom: why metadata should be the focal point,” discusses how newsrooms are using A.I. to better serve their readers.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/metadata-utilization-with-a-i/
Today the team follows up with an extended chat on a piece by Jez Walters at What’s New In Publishing about Mensagem, a new digital newspaper, with an interview with co-founder Catarina Carvalho.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/hyperlocal-journalism-at-lisbons-mensagem/
Today the team looks at a New York Times promotional email offering discounted rates on digital and print subscriptions and how Our-Hometown might employ similar techniques with their customers.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/new-york-times-promotional-subscription-review/
https://youtu.be/VPsG8JG0KtQ Today the team discusses updated coverage from Axios on antitrust lawsuits against Google and Facebook that have been filed by newspapers across the country from a dozen states over the past year. The goal of the litigation is “to recover past damages to newspapers” caused by Big Tech monopolies, says Clayton Fitzsimmons, one of the lawyers representing the newspapers. The other objective is to “establish a new system going forward in which newspapers aren’t just competitive again, but can thrive”, said Fitzimmons, referring to laws in Australia that force tech firms to pay newspapers for displaying their content. Thanks...
Article Link
https://youtu.be/qWPZx6jCzA0 Today, the team discusses a piece from Nielsen about recent trends in podcast audience growth. The article, “Lighter podcast listeners are fueling audience growth,” discusses the influx of “light listeners” to podcasting that’s happened in the past two years. As the podcast audience grows, it becomes important to pay attention to listener behaviors. As of the publication of this article, 40% of the US population listen to podcasts, making them a viable medium through which to reach new audiences. Because of this, Our Hometown developed Audio Articles Playlists to help publishers easily create audio content at whatever scale best...
Article Link
https://youtu.be/Cc1J3_m-BCc Today, the team discusses a piece by Damian Radcliffe over at Journalism.co.uk which features interviews with five industry representatives about the trends they’ve noticed in podcast usage. The article, “Five tips for publishers to make the most out of any audio format,” discusses the uptick in interest for both creating and consuming podcasts. The experts interviewed also discuss different use cases and formats for podcast content. Podcasting is a growing medium that attracts an entirely new audience publishers can add to their readership. Because of this, Our Hometown developed Audio Articles Playlists to make the process of creating quality...
Article Link
Today the team discusses how customers can use newsletter engagement and targeted follow-ups to generate actions from subscribers. The example shown involves adding a subscribe button to newsletters encouraging renewals and new digital subscriptions.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/our-hometown-newsletter-review/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Micaeli Rourke over at Digital Content Next about the ways that video has been dominating the podcast market.
The article, “Why video might be the key to podcasting success,” discusses what video brings to podcasting. Through an interview with media analyst Damian Radcliffe, the article looks at how an audio medium is being bolstered by video platforms.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/video-podcasts/
Today the team discusses an article from Press Gazette, “Why are content management systems the one piece of tech publishers try to build themselves?” about the pitfalls of maintaining a CMS in house.
https://youtu.be/qfgjGaw9B64
Today the team looks at how the Box Elder News Journal in Utah asked its Facebook followers to post photos of a recent snow storm and how the paper can use the images on its website to promote reader engagement.
https://youtu.be/bk2cMTNH7ic
https://youtu.be/bk2cMTNH7ic Today the team looks at how the Box Elder News Journal in Utah asked its Facebook followers to post photos of a recent snow storm and how the paper can use the images on its website to promote reader engagement.
Article Link
Today, the team discusses a piece by Mikulas Prokop over at The Fix about headline writing techniques that can help boost your Search Engine Optimization.
https://youtu.be/NwsFk19eIUE
This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Esther Kezia Thorpe over at What's New In Publishing about innovations happening in the audio media and podcasting industry. The article, "Audio subscriptions: A new reality for publishers," discusses the various ways podcast platforms are enabling and promoting paid subscription models. As more platforms prioritize paid audio, it opens up plenty of opportunities for publishers to monetize their content. "The list of publishers launching or expanding their podcast offerings continues to grow. But where the real excitement lies is...
Article Link
Today the team discusses updated coverage from Axios on antitrust lawsuits against Google and Facebook that have been filed by newspapers across the country from a dozen states over the past year.
https://youtu.be/VPsG8JG0KtQ
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Mikulas Prokop over at The Fix about headline writing techniques that can help boost your Search Engine Optimization.
The article, “How to Think about Keyword Cannibalization on News Websites,” discusses the idea of “keyword cannibalization” and how to use it. Oftentimes, publications write multiple articles that rank for the same keywords, thus undercutting each others’ SEO.
https://youtu.be/yIDBzdXEQC0
Today, the team discusses a piece from Nielsen about recent trends in podcast audience growth.
The article, “Lighter podcast listeners are fueling audience growth,” discusses the influx of “light listeners” to podcasting that’s happened in the past two years. As the podcast audience grows, it becomes important to pay attention to listener behaviors.
https://youtu.be/qWPZx6jCzA0
https://youtu.be/yIDBzdXEQC0 This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Mikulas Prokop over at The Fix about headline writing techniques that can help boost your Search Engine Optimization. The article, "How to Think about Keyword Cannibalization on News Websites," discusses the idea of "keyword cannibalization" and how to use it. Oftentimes, publications write multiple articles that rank for the same keywords, thus undercutting each others' SEO. "However, this is not always a problem that needs to be “fixed” or “tackled”, sometimes, on the contrary, it is very desirable."-...
Article Link
Today, the team discusses a piece by Damian Radcliffe over at Journalism.co.uk which features interviews with five industry representatives about the trends they’ve noticed in podcast usage.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/developing-audio-content/
https://youtu.be/Cc1J3_m-BCc
In this episode Tyler gives the team an overview of his testing of Facebook’s Pixel features, which allow tracking and analytics on the Today in News Tech website.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/
https://youtu.be/IFow3095rEg
According to Axios.com, Newspapers across the country have been filing antitrust lawsuits against Google and Facebook for the past year. They claim that the Big Tech firms have monopolized the digital ad marketplace.
The suit has become a national movement with over 200 newspapers participating across a dozen states.
The goal of the litigation is “to recover past damages to newspapers” caused by Big Tech monopolies, says Clayton Fitzsimmons, one of the lawyers representing the newspapers.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/over-200-papers-sue-google-and-facebook/
https://youtu.be/olDIlzRdyVg This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Damian Radcliffe over at Journalism.co.uk which features interviews with five industry representatives about the trends they've noticed in podcast usage. The article, "Five tips for publishers to make the most out of any audio format," discusses the uptick in interest for both creating and consuming podcasts. The experts interviewed also discuss different use cases and formats for podcast content. "If there is one thing that is certain about the future of audio, it is that the number of...
Article Link
https://youtu.be/-a7C8pTUiqE This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece from Nielsen about recent trends in podcast audience growth. The article, "Lighter podcast listeners are fueling audience growth," discusses the influx of "light listeners" to podcasting that's happened in the past two years. As the podcast audience grows, it becomes important to pay attention to listener behaviors. "...podcasting has blossomed into a burgeoning industry that provides brands with an opportunity to engage with a growing base of consumers that are very receptive to the engagement."- said Nielsen Here are a few...
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Todd Clarke over at Hootsuite about their approach to utilizing social media.
The article, “14 Social Media Best Practices You Should Follow in 2020,” discusses their recommendations for optimizing your brand’s social media presence. While the article gives a lot of broad advice, its principles should give you a solid starting point when creating and scheduling posts.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/social-media-best-practices/
https://youtu.be/LJaOXiqpv1I According to Axios.com, Newspapers across the country have been filing antitrust lawsuits against Google and Facebook for the past year. They claim that the Big Tech firms have monopolized the digital ad marketplace. The suit has become a national movement with over 200 newspapers participating across a dozen states. The goal of the litigation is "to recover past damages to newspapers" caused by Big Tech monopolies, says Clayton Fitzsimmons, one of the lawyers representing the newspapers. The other objective is to "establish a new system going forward in which newspapers aren't just competitive again, but can thrive", said Fitzimmons,...
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Mark Jacob over at the Northwestern Local News Institute about the measures papers are taking to help retain subscribers that are less engaged.
The article, “Medill’s New Index Puts Spotlight on Rescuing At Risk Subscribers,” discusses strategies to identify and keep “at risk” subscribers. At-risk subscribers are customers that are currently paying for your service but visiting the site two or fewer times a month, meaning they’re likely to unsubscribe.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/keeping-at-risk-subscribers/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Dushyant Khare over at The Fix about their attempts at introducing a new fundraising model.
The article, “Not just social media platforms – publishers deserve better tipping solutions,” discusses the recent influx of “light news readers” and the ways publications have been attempting to monetize them. Spawning from The Fix’s partnership with Fewcents, the article talks about how useful integrated tipping systems have become for websites.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/alternatives-to-donate-button/
In this episode the team looks at an article by Reuters on Google’s latest deal with a publishing agency, the Agence France-Presse, to begin paying for it’s news content as part of a five-year partnership.
News organizations, which have been losing ad revenue to online aggregators such as Google and Facebook, have complained for years about the tech companies using stories in search results or other features without payment.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-signs-5-year-deal-pay-news-afp-2021-11-17/
In this episode the team looks at an article by Subscription Insider on the Q3 earnings report from The New York Times reporting 8.38M paid subscribers, including 7.6M digital only subscriptions.
Our previous coverage can be found here: https://our-hometown.com/new-york-times-q2-results-show-promise-for-digital-subscriptions/
https://youtu.be/971eDvdCa_4 This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Mark Jacob over at the Northwestern Local News Institute about the measures papers are taking to help retain subscribers that are less engaged. The article, "Medill’s New Index Puts Spotlight on Rescuing At Risk Subscribers," discusses strategies to identify and keep "at risk" subscribers. At-risk subscribers are customers that are currently paying for your service but visiting the site two or fewer times a month, meaning they're likely to unsubscribe. "20% of digital-only subscribers did not visit the...
Article Link
In this episode the team looks at how to find insights into when your Facebook users’ interact with the site and how that can inform when you post news content.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/
https://youtu.be/PvJZAIj8Th0 This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Dushyant Khare over at The Fix about their attempts at introducing a new fundraising model. The article, "Not just social media platforms – publishers deserve better tipping solutions," discusses the recent influx of "light news readers" and the ways publications have been attempting to monetize them. Spawning from The Fix's partnership with Fewcents, the article talks about how useful integrated tipping systems have become for websites. "Tipping provides a way for readers to show they value a piece...
Article Link
https://youtu.be/HUZCw8NjVmA This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Todd Clarke over at Hootsuite about their approach to utilizing social media. The article, "14 Social Media Best Practices You Should Follow in 2020," discusses their recommendations for optimizing your brand's social media presence. While the article gives a lot of broad advice, its principles should give you a solid starting point when creating and scheduling posts. "Use these tools to see what’s working and what’s not, so you can see and adjust to get more of the former."-...
Article Link
In this episode the team follows up on an earlier look at The Boston Globe’s strategy of promotional subscription pricing by William Turvill at Press Gazette.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/promotional-subscription-prices/
Inspired by an article from Buffer, the team discusses how to measure the best times to publish your news content to Facebook.
To learn more about Our-Hometown’s solution for automatic scheduling of social media posts check out https://our-hometown.com/autopost/.
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by William Turvill over at Press Gazette about The Boston Globe’s strategy of promotional subscription pricing.
The article, “‘We need to charge to survive’: Why the Boston Globe’s ‘dollar a day’ digital subscription policy is paying off,” discusses a strategy the Boston Globe has been trying throughout 2020 and 2021 to increase their number of new subscribers. The new subscription model involved lowering introductory prices and hoping enough people would stick around afterwards to increase revenue overall.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/promotional-subscription-prices/
Mather Economics has released two benchmark reports on subscribers and digital audiences: The subscriber report includes over 50 metrics on digital and hybrid subscribers from over 300 newspapers in North America. The digital audience report includes metrics for digital subscription sales funnels, subscriber engagement and content consumption from over 100 publisher websites.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/mathers-benchmark-reports-shed-light-on-recent-media-trends-insights/
In this episode the team discusses the recent updates from America’s Newspapers on the Local Journalism Sustainability Act and changes in the latest version of the Build Back Better Act.
https://newspapers.org/ljsa/
https://youtu.be/PqzcKzxhbVA This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by William Turvill over at Press Gazette about The Boston Globe's strategy of promotional subscription pricing. The article, "‘We need to charge to survive’: Why the Boston Globe’s ‘dollar a day’ digital subscription policy is paying off," discusses a strategy the Boston Globe has been trying throughout 2020 and 2021 to increase their number of new subscribers. The new subscription model involved lowering introductory prices and hoping enough people would stick around afterwards to increase revenue overall. “Because we’re...
Article Link
In this episode the team looks at an article from back on an article discussing the costs and benefits of creating an app based on a publication’s size and audience. It’s important to know what your goals are before investing in a dedicated app. Original article from The Fix Media.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/when-newspapers-need-apps/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Elizabeth Djinis over at Poynter about the potential harms and benefits of allowing reader comments on news sites.
The article, “Don’t read the comments? For news sites, it might be worth the effort.,” discusses a study conducted by the University of Texas in Austin that tested the impact of removing comment sections from news websites. The study consisted of 24 papers either keeping their comments, locking them behind a paywall, changing their moderations system, or removing them entirely.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/how-valuable-are-comments/
First Digit = 1 2 Enter Second Digit 1 2 Select Operation + - Result: 0 Clear
Article Link
In this episode the team looks at and article from Nieman Lab about Twitter’s new subscription product: Twitter Blue - what it offers and who it’s for.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/11/twitters-subscription-product-twitter-blue-launches-in-the-u-s/
https://youtu.be/Q3DBdiCaFYU POSTED TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021 4:00 PM MATT LINDSAY | MATHER ECONOMICS Mather Economics has released our two benchmark reports on subscribers and digital audiences for the third quarter: The subscriber report includes over 50 metrics on digital and hybrid subscribers from over 300 newspapers in North America.The digital audience report includes metrics for digital subscription sales funnels, subscriber engagement and content consumption from over 100 publisher websites. Website data is captured using our Listener™ first-party tracking pixel. Growth in digital subscription volumes and top prices were the most significant trend in the recent quarter. More than 58% of new subscription sales are digital-only...
Article Link
In this episode the team looks at and article from Nieman Lab about the New York Times’ standalone audio app, currently in beta testing and what types of content the new service provides.
In this episode the team looks at a vlog from Editor & Publisher in which Mike Blinder speaks with the National Newspapers Association’s (NNA) chair, Brett Wesner, and E&P contributing editor Gretchen Peck to talk about the urgency for advocacy for the Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA).
Original video: https://youtu.be/5eSSYO4kjj8
We will be starting the podcast momentarily. Please take a moment to locate the Chat box on the Zoom control panel. Submit any questions or comments you have throughout the interview. Today we have a very special guest joining us. Arvid Tchivzhel is the managing director of digital services at Mather Economics and is the author of the article, “Sustainable Digital Business Models for Newspapers - Research Shows the potential of digital reader revenue”. Please join me in welcoming Arvid to the podcast, as well as your host for today’s interview, Matt Larson.
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by David Tvrdon over at The Fix about the viability of mobile apps for small to mid-size publishers.
The article, “Does your news outlet need an app? Depends on your business model and resources,” discusses the costs and benefits of creating an app based on a publication’s size and audience. It’s important to know what your goals are before investing in a dedicated app.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/when-newspapers-need-apps/
In this episode the team looks at an article from the Android Developers Blog where it is revealed: “To help support the specific needs of developers offering subscriptions, starting on January 1, 2022, we're decreasing the service fee for all subscriptions on Google Play from 30% to 15%, starting from day one.” This matches changes Apple made to its App Store fees earlier this year.
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2021/10/evolving-business-model.html
In this episode the team looks at an article by William Gallagher over at Apple Insider about the recent addition of BBC Studios to the Apple Podcast subscription program.
The article, “Apple subscription podcasts adds BBC Studios, Slate,” discusses how this acquisition is a major boon for the recently launched premium subscription feature.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/apple-subscription-podcasts-bbc/
https://youtu.be/2KuecRPQe0o This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Elizabeth Djinis over at Poynter about the potential harms and benefits of allowing reader comments on news sites. The article, "Don’t read the comments? For news sites, it might be worth the effort.," discusses a study conducted by the University of Texas in Austin that tested the impact of removing comment sections from news websites. The study consisted of 24 papers either keeping their comments, locking them behind a paywall, changing their moderations system, or removing them entirely....
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Mimi An over at HubSpot about readers’ opinions and behaviors towards various forms of online advertisements.
The article, “Why People Block Ads (And What It Means for Marketers and Advertisers),” discusses the reasons people block ads. Many readers use ad blockers for very valid reasons based on recent trends in digital advertising.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/why-people-block-ads/
In this episode, the team takes a look at how host-read ads are used on the @SmartLess podcast and how they might be implemented by Our-Hometown.
https://our-hometown.com/audio-articles-podcast/
https://youtu.be/8XLlWmqgDxs This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by David Tvrdon over at The Fix about the viability of mobile apps for small to mid-size publishers. The article, "Does your news outlet need an app? Depends on your business model and resources," discusses the costs and benefits of creating an app based on a publication's size and audience. It's important to know what your goals are before investing in a dedicated app. "An app is considered your own property, even though you go through Apple and Google’s...
Article Link
In this episode the team looks at an article from Dean Ridings at America’s Newspapers discussing the return of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act into the Build Back Better Act (congressional budget reconciliation bill).
https://youtu.be/tDja1TFiwlc This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by William Gallagher over at Apple Insider about the recent addition of BBC Studios to the Apple Podcast subscription program. The article, "Apple subscription podcasts adds BBC Studios, Slate," discusses how this acquisition is a major boon for the recently launched premium subscription feature. "Audio storytelling is where the BBC first began almost a century ago, and we're proud to expand on that tradition with the launch of BBC Podcasts Premium."- said Louise la Grange of BBC Studios Here...
Article Link
In today’s episode the team takes a look at how audio articles are implemented on The Bend Bulletin and how the Our-Hometown audio articles playlist feature can enhance their customer experience.
Learn more about the case study here: https://our-hometown.com/aa-podcast-at-signalsaz-com/
https://youtu.be/KsIehfCVWD0 This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Mimi An over at HubSpot about readers' opinions and behaviors towards various forms of online advertisements. The article, "Why People Block Ads (And What It Means for Marketers and Advertisers)," discusses the reasons people block ads. Many readers use ad blockers for very valid reasons based on recent trends in digital advertising. "91% of respondents agree ads are more intrusive today compared to two to three years ago, and 87% agree there are more ads in general."- said...
Article Link
We recently did a video on the article "Revenue Models Based on Newspaper Subscribers", published by Mather Economics. The article discusses recent trends in digital news subscriptions and how those are impacting papers' busienss models. After connecting with Mather Economics via Instagram, we now have the pleasure to welcome Arvid Tchivzhel as a guest on the Today In News Tech podcast. We will be recording our interview with Arvid LIVE on Wednesday November 17th at 1pm EST. Registration here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1IhmyeUDT8WSnBpgEKeApA
Article Link
In this episode the team looks back at a Today in News Tech article from the previous week about subscriber saturation and potential revenue for newspapers. Original article from Mather Economics.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/subscriber-revenue-models/
In this episode the team looks back at a Today in News Tech article from the previous week discussing innovations being made in subscription acquisition for newspapers. Original article by Journalism.co.uk. We also look at a subscription newsletter from the New York Times.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/generating-revenue/
https://youtu.be/tYn5G5-n6cU This episode of Today in News Tech is made possible with Audio Articles by Our-Hometown.com. Today, we're highlighting a piece by Matt Lindsay and Arvid Tchivzhel over at Mather Economics about subscriber saturation and potential revenue for newspapers. The article, "Sustainable Digital Business Models for Newspapers," discusses recent trends in digital news subscriptions and how those are impacting papers' business models. While revenue expectations will differ depending on the size of your audience, there are some general takeaways that can benefit all newsrooms. "Newspapers are what economists call two-sided market firms. They attract an audience with original content, sell...
Article Link
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Matt Lindsay and Arvid Tchivzhel over at Mather Economics about subscriber saturation and potential revenue for newspapers.
The article, “Sustainable Digital Business Models for Newspapers,” discusses recent trends in digital news subscriptions and how those are impacting papers’ business models. While revenue expectations will differ depending on the size of your audience, there are some general takeaways that can benefit all newsrooms.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/subscriber-revenue-models/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Eliott Brennan over at Journalism.co.uk featuring stories from three presenters at their recent Newsrewired conference.
The article, “Three innovative ways to create audience revenue,” discusses innovations being made in subscription acquisition for newspapers.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/generating-revenue/
According to APNews.com, Facebook has struck a deal with a group of 300 French publishers to “pay for links to their news stories that are shared by people on the social network”.
The licensing agreement, known as “Neighbouring Rights”, is part of the “Facebook Journalism Project”. According to the announcement, the agreement means that “people on Facebook will be able to continue uploading and sharing news stories freely amongst their communities, whilst also ensuring that the copyright of our publishing partners is protected.”
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/facebook-makes-deal-with-french-publishers-to-pay-for-links-to-news-stories/
In this episode the team looks back at a Today in News Tech article from the previous week by Rachel Treisman over at NPR about one of the biggest threats that local news outlets are facing.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/vulture-hedge-funds/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Damian Radcliffe over at What’s New in Publishing about the ways various media organizations approach making innovations in their workflow and technology.
The article, “What do we mean by innovation? And why is implementing it so darned hard for news organizations?” discusses interviews conducted with 10 experts across the media landscape about their philosophies towards innovating within the industry.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/newspapers-define-innovation/
In this episode the team looks back at a Today in News Tech article from the previous week by
@NiemanLab on how A/B testing can improve your news headlines.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/a-b-testing/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by @rachel_treisman over at @NPR about one of the biggest threats that local news outlets are facing.
The article, “When this hedge-fund buys local newspapers, democracy suffers,” discusses an article from The Atlantic detailing a strategy being implemented by Alden Global Capital that is impacting newspapers across the country.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/vulture-hedge-funds/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Esther Kezia Thorpe over at What’s New in Publishing detailing insights gained from reaching the fifth anniversary of their podcast. The article, “What we’ve learned from publishing 200 podcast episodes,” discusses the lessons learned after making Media Voices’ podcast for five years.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/podcasting-advice/
According to AP News, Facebook has struck a deal with a group of 300 French publishers to “pay for links to their news stories that are shared by people on the social network”.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/.../facebook-makes-deal.../
In this episode the team looks back at a Today in News Tech article from the previous week on a Mather Economics study of how digital subscriptions will overtake print by 2027.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/digital-only-subscriptions-to-local-newspapers-will-overtake-print-subscriptions-by-2027/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Samuel Ketch over at journalism.co.uk that details how papers have been getting to know their readers more and how they can use that information to the newsroom’s advantage.
The article, “Build a community, not an audience: how to find out what your readers value and want to pay for,” discusses a variety of audience analysis strategies that can help you learn what type of content readers are willing to pay for.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/build-a-news-community/
In this episode the team looks back on a Today in News Tech article from the previous week on digital accessibility trends in the newsroom. The original story is from
@RJI.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/digital-accessibility-for-newsrooms/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Nick Hagar and Nick Diakopoulous over at Nieman Journalism Lab about the efforts newsrooms have taken to draw readers to their headlines.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/a-b-testing/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Jessica Vomeiro over at The Fix about the ways the paywall model has become more central to digital publishing.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/dynamic-paywalls/
According to a recent study by Mather Economics, the digital dominance may happen as early as 2024 and the firm recommends newspapers develop a strategy to raise prices on digital subscriptions to make up for print losses.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/digital-only-subscriptions-to-local-newspapers-will-overtake-print-subscriptions-by-2027/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Hannah Wise over at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute about the importance of accessibility in all forms of a newsroom’s digital presence.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/digital-accessibility-for-newsrooms/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Ray Schultz over at MediaPost about a recent study by Klaviyo that examined consumer’s attitudes towards text messages from brands and corporate entities.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/tnt-consumers-prefer-text/
Today's episode highlights and article from Engadget on YouTube’s new policy blocks ads on content that contradicts the “well-established scientific consensus” surrounding climate change.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/youtube-demonetizes-climate-change-denial-videos/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Maggie Doheny at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute which interviewed Marc Lavallee from the New York Times about the ways the publication has adopted Artificial Intelligence.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/ai-for-newsrooms/
In this episode the OHT team takes a look at how a local newspaper converts a large Facebook following into an audience for a their news website.
https://www.newsandreviewonline.com/
From NiemanLab.org, Sarah Scire reviews a report from the International News Media Association that says:
“Retaining light readers — ‘casual, infrequent, and picky consumers of news’ — are key to a viable subscription business”
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/attracting-converting-and-retaining-light-readers/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Carolina Vásquez over at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute that provides an introduction to Instagram Reels for newsrooms.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/utilizing-instagram-reels/
New York Times reports that Mark Zuckerberg approved promoting pro-Facebook stories in users’ news feeds.
The Times reported on “Project Amplify”, which involved running ads and pushing positive news stories about Facebook.
However, Facebook spokes person Joe Osborne pushed back on Twitter, claiming “there is zero change to the News Feed ranking."
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/zuckerburg-pushes-pro-facebook-stories-on-news-feed/
This episode highlights an article by Dr. Anne Schulz at the Reuters Institute covering an extremely detailed world-wide study on where people go for local news.
Today, we’re highlighting a piece by Adriana Lacy over at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute about the importance of keeping your paper’s branding consistent across various social platforms.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/social-media-style-guide/
Today, we’re highlighting a piece from What’s New in Publishing breaking down the latest US Media Consumption Report from Attest.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/media-consumption-report/
Facebook has closed licensing deals with Australian news outlets for its Facebook News platform. This move has excluded the free-to-air broadcaster SBS and many independent publications.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/facebook-australia-deals-close/
US news giant Cable News Network (CNN) has become the first major international media company to disable its Facebook pages in Australia.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/cnn-disables-facebook-in-australia/
This article from the New York Times describes how in 2016, Dylan Voller became famous overnight when images of him in a juvenile detention center were posted on the Facebook pages of major Australian News outlets.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/articles/australian-media-companies-held-liable-for-facebook-comments/
Check out all the stories covered in this video and lots of other industry news at https://www.todayinnewstech.com/
In today's episode Matt takes a look at research analyzing how the closure of local newspapers relates to corporate accountability.
https://www.todayinnewstech.com/
Today we’re highlighting a piece by Sara Guaglione over at Digiday about Axios Local and the ways large digital outlets are pushing into the local news markets.
In today's episode Matt looks at news consumption trends across social media in 2021.
https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/09/20/news-consumption-across-social-media-in-2021/
Brought to you by Our-Hometown, Inc.
https://our-hometown.com/
"Facebook Inc. knows, in acute detail, that its platforms are riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company fully understands". Watch the video below for a quick breakdown of two stories in this series relevant to news publishers. #localnews #newspublishing #newspapers
Read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039
In this episode featuring Matt Larson, Teri McLaren, Vera Lemonovich, and Tyler Wood, the production team reviews this week's Today in Tech News vlogs.
Link to video series:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV5Q_IN4AQyrBrgaGqA2T3Cg3XBwTLkbJ
Brought to you by Our-Hometown.
Today in News Tech | Episode 8 from Our-Hometown, Inc.
“Focused on being where readers are”: Pan-African Weekly “The Continent” publishes directly on WhatsApp and Signal. Matt Larson of Our-Hometown looks at an article about the fight against fake news in Africa.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/08/we-are-just-focused-on-being-where-readers-are-pan-african-weekly-the-continent-publishes-directly-and-only-on-whatsapp-and-signal/
"Daily news podcasts make up less than 1% of all those produced but account for more than 10% of the overall downloads in the US".
"Publishers see daily news podcasts as a crucial way to attract younger audiences and to engage them more deeply with their brands"
Read the full article here: https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/11/daily-news-podcasts-are-punching-well-above-their-weight-with-audiences/
Articles discussed in this podcast:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2021/sep/11/times-free-press-turns-ipads-its-digital-future/553984/?fbclid=IwAR0SLKre9brbaFESsDtNU7b0jAe-R2rZEtxstK5a8CR6b3I4ak_GXQGeH0I