• Researchers analyzed more than 300,000 local news stories on Facebook. Here’s what they found.

The distribution and consumption of news on social media is a central concern for the future of journalism as social media platforms have become a prominent component of the news ecosystem.

• How to effectively transition from print to digital: API report

Over the last decade or so, many newspapers have slowly reduced print publishing. Between 2004 and 2018, at least 104 US newspapers reduced publishing frequency enough to change…

• Niche “School” is In! Fall Revenue Idea Refresh

January 1st is a fresh start date for most folks. But for me, fall always signals that “new beginnings” feeling. I may not have a new Star Wars lunch box anymore… But my pencils are sharpened, and I’m ready to take notes on fresh business growth ideas!

• Critical Thinking: Several Newspapers Have Stopped Printing Editorial Cartoons Due to Criticism. Did Those Publications Respond Correctly?

Recently, the New York Times stopped printing editorial cartoons in its international edition due to a cartoon’s anti-Semitic imagery.

• Here’s what we know so far about the upcoming Facebook News tab

Facebook’s News Tab is supposed to launch this fall; the company will pay some news publishers to syndicate their headlines and article previews.

• The Guardian reaches 1 million YouTube subscribers after doubling longer-form videos

The Guardian has hit 1 million subscribers on its main YouTube channel, racking up 1 billion minutes in total watch time from publishing longer-form investigative journalism, documentaries and explainers, according to the publisher.

 

• As Readers Move More Toward Digital, How Are Newspapers Fulfilling Their Needs?

For so long newspapers have designed content with the print customer in mind, but times are changing. A recent Pew Research Center study based on 3,425 U.S. adults…

• Traditional Print vs Digital Content: Can One Editorial Team do Both?

We know the reader experience is VERY different between print and digital. But whether we want to admit it or not, there can also be big differences in the writing experience as well.

• Unprepared for unpublishing? Here’s how some newsrooms are rethinking what lasts forever

Eighty percent of news outlets surveyed had established unpublishing policies, but almost half of those policies were not in writing and only two percent were shared beyond the newsroom.

• Sports publishers use fantasy frenzy to drive subscriptions

Dramatic changes in the fantasy landscape, including the slowdown of daily fantasy and the rise of legalized gambling, have triggered an explosion of paid subscription products from both newcomers and incumbents.

• How ALM’s New Ad Tech Product Drives Campaign Success

As marketers turn to first-party data, B2B media company ALM is developing a suite of new advertising products to meet their needs and stand out among competitors.

• The Publisher Podcast Awards open for entries

The Publisher Podcast Awards, run by the team behind Media Voices, are now open for entries from publishers with podcasts.

• The best upcoming publishing events in the Americas

Fall is approaching, and as the publishing industry dusts itself off from the summer break and goes back to school, we’re heading into peak industry event season.

• Forget Behavioral Targeting – Ad Format Is the Real Problem

Publishers get roughly 4% more revenue for an ad impression that is cookie-enabled – or personalized – versus one that isn’t, according to a recent study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Minnesota, and University of California, Irvine.

• Top 20 Power Words to Use in Ad Sales

People say there is power in the words you use, so I did a little research into the most potent power words to suggest in my media sales training.

• This Just In: Magazines Are Not TV Networks

Recalling my 25 years covering the magazine industry’s tortured migration to digital, TV envy first became evident in the early 2000s.

• How publishers are cutting print days — and not losing (too many) subscribers

“The key is the consumer will let you know when they’re done with the print product. Don’t prematurely yank it from them.”

• How The Sun’s fantasy football newsletter increased retention to 68%

Dream Team, the fantasy football offshoot from U.K. tabloid The Sun, has had a retention problem. From one year to the next, the free-to-play game would have to reacquire two-thirds of its audience who signed up to play the previous year, which is typically around 1 million subscribers.

 

• “Numbers are growing every day”: Publishers continue to place their bets on video

‘Pivot-to-video’ ended up hurting quite a few publishers but many continue to bet on the format. They range from global publishers like Conde Nast to region-specific ones like the Argentinian company Editora Perfil.

• People avoid consuming news that bums them out. Here are five elements that help them see a solution

“It is important that journalists take the time to fully explain the issue and the response before exploring implementation, results, and insights.”

• How to Funnel In More Revenue from Your Events

Events are likely one of the biggest revenue drivers (and if they’re not, they should be!) Everyone knows, the more people you get to your event – the BIGGER the revenue it delivers.

• Advertiser Blacklisting and Its Silencing Effect on Journalism

Journalism is, at its heart, about asking questions. And since the dawn of reporting, when civic-minded locals in ancient Rome circulated news sheets about important daily events, one question has been elevated above all others: Does this serve the public interest?

• Microsoft to Shutter MSDN Magazine After November Issue

“We realized that it is time to retire MSDN Magazine and to carry on its work through web channels like docs.microsoft.com.”

• Digital Publishing: As General Manager of the Compass Experiment, Mandy Jenkins Will Explore New Sustainable Models for Local News

We’re living in challenging times for digital publishers. While the Facebook-Google duopoly continues to grab an ever-increasing share of digital advertising budgets, a growing segment of consumers are turning to adblockers to opt out of ads completely.

 

• 3 Publishers Share a Page From Their Experiential Marketing Playbooks

While magazines continue to scramble for new revenue streams, events are proving that they can tick off multiple boxes.

• Production: The Latest Trends Fuel the Shift Away From Print and Closer to An All-Digital World

A little over a year ago, I wrote an article here outlining the latest trends and advancements in our newspaper industry. At that time, I went into the assignment eyes wide open and full of enthusiasm,

• Events As A Revenue Source For Magazine Publishers

If you’re a magazine publisher chances are you are constantly coming up with creative ways to make additional revenue.

• Million Dollar Idea: Awards + Readers = Revenue!!

Every publisher wants to connect with their readers in a meaningful, impactful way. Tom Bengtson shares how his publication is doing just that AND making more revenue to boot.

• Who works best in a revenue development role? Here’s what these local news organizations have found

Folks, it happened: The key to sustainable local news has been discovered. And it involves making money.

• How publishers can turn Adblock users into paying subscribers

We’re living in challenging times for digital publishers. While the Facebook-Google duopoly continues to grab an ever-increasing share of digital advertising budgets, a growing segment of consumers are turning to adblockers to opt out of ads completely.

• Why Are Brand Marketers Investing in Magazines?

While print isn’t always the answer, retailers and consumer brands are finding new value in an old medium.

• Ad Sales: It’s Not Rocket Science!

What the heck do I mean? In ad sales, you have LOTS of continual pressure from the competition, your clients, your advertising director, and Publisher (Big P). Your days are filled with looming deadlines, renewal mandates, and irksome budget challenges.

• How Hearst’s product team helps build audience, revenues

“We don’t do anything without an audience opportunity and a revenue opportunity,” Robertson Barrett, President of Digital Media at Hearst Newspapers, told participants at WAN-IFRA’s recent Digital Media North America conference in New York City.

• The ‘Acceptable Ads’ guide for digital publishers

The Acceptable Ads program, launched by the developers of Adblock Plus: what is it and how can digital publishers benefit?

• 4 Ways to Restore Value in Publisher-Advertiser Relationships

The symbiotic relationship between advertisers and publishers dates back hundreds of years to the rise of print mass media, when branded advertisements emerged as a means of funding the handbills and newspapers that educated the general public, both in the U.S. and abroad.

• How publishers are building habit with short-run newsletters

The importance of newsletters in today’s media landscape comes as no surprise. French financial newspaper Les Echos found that readers who reached the website via email are more loyal than those who come via social media or search,

• How Publishers Are Using Data to Transform Their Marketing Operations

The rise of big data–and the ability to collect, analyze and use it–has transformed industries from finance and healthcare to retail and logistics, and publishing is no exception.

• How to Build Data Literacy in Your Media Organization

Media organizations are increasingly using analytics to drive editorial strategy, and most acknowledge the need for cross-departmental access to content performance and audience data.

• Newsonomics: The “daily” part of daily newspapers is on the way out — and sooner than you might think

Seven-day newspapers aren’t just talking about cutting out one or two days a week in print – they’re talking five or six. Is this the only way to accelerate the transition to digital or speeding their own decline?

• Million Dollar Idea: Niche Community Events!

Today we’re bringing back one of our all-time favorite Million Dollar Ideas from our Niche CEO Summits. (Niche Pro Tip – there’s another one coming up in November.)

• What American media can learn from Europe

While the US is home to Silicon Valley and a host of innovative startups, there’s one area that hasn’t caught up with Europe. American news media lacks strong, resilient technology to support the switch to subscriptions.

• Why a Mentor is as Important as Investor for Startup

Hundreds of young people are entering the startup ecosystem. It’s a flood of such companies and activity.  The whole country is coming up with new ideas for products and service.

• Email Reputations Matter

Everyone cares about their reputation to a certain degree. Emails have reputations too even though they aren’t people. Just check your spam folder. These emails have bad reputations for many reasons.

• 5 Strategies to Unlock More Digital Revenue

Every publisher knows that developing revenue from either the reader or advertiser side of the equation is critical for your growth as a niche publication.

• How a publisher used organic search to boost on-site recirculation by 300%

Staff reporter Hanna Horvath, of Policygenius, knew that her readers are typically people in their thirties and forties, going through major life changes like getting married, having kids, buying homes, and navigating the unfamiliar financial responsibilities that go with them.

• Facebook advertisers continue to shift ad spending to Instagram Stories

Feeds are still the dominant ad placement within Facebook. But ad buyers say they’re seeing more of a shift to Stories, in particular, Instagram Stories, over the last year.

• How Leaders Can Handle Change Management with Their Teams

Change does not want to happen. The status quo is tenacious. Change management is hard.
Heck, Newton’s first law is the Law of Inertia. Things will stay as they are, unless a force pushes or pulls on them.

• Why Active Interest Media Salvaged 14 Titles From the F+W Bankruptcy

Family Tree, which was also acquired by AIM during the auction, was resold to Yankee Publishing.

• Digital Publishing: To Stop Misinformation From Spreading, Journalists Shouldn’t Fall Down the Social Media Rabbit Hole

By this point, the phrase “fake news” has become as ubiquitous in newsrooms as “election night pizza.”

• 10 Easy Ways to Monetize Niche Magazine Content!

Looking for ways to monetize your content? Think outside the “repurpose box” with these top 10 ideas pulled from the Niche Stash o’ Awesome!

• “Faster bandwidth can unlock new ways to tell stories”: Publishers get ready for the 5G era

Opensignal, a mobile analytics company, recently released its analysis of 5G performance in eight countries. According to the report, “5G boosts the maximum real-world download speed by up to 2.7 times 4G users’ top speeds.”

• Rather than viral hits, Insider has shifted its video strategy to focus on shows

In 2017, Business Insider’s top executives used their pitch at the NewFronts to talk about its short-form video know-how, which could create lines around the block for everything from rainbow bagels to oversized blocks of gooey cheese.

• 8 Ways to Increase Digital Ad Revenue by 50% or More

I recently received a fantastic email from a single title B2B publication that I work with: “As of today, we are on track for $452,380 in digital revenue alone. This is a 66% increase over last year’s digital revenues of $271,798!”

• How Yankee Magazine Turned Loyalty Into Brand Equity

A Q&A with Kate Hathaway Weeks on the steps she took to turn the regional magazine into a national media company.

 

• Best Practices For Businesses Using Facebook

When it comes to supporting content, Facebook is the do-it-all platform. From pictures to videos to external links— you can count on Facebook. Before going through some techniques to make your Facebook page stand out, let’s go over some basic terminology of the platform that I’ll use in describing the best practices.

• 9 Ways to Avoid the Summer Media Sales Slump

It can be tempting to give in to the summer ad sales slump. It happens with a lot of companies because advertisers go dark as they’re out on vacation or busy with their kids.

• Readers seeking “more reputable” news sources: How news rating tools can help publishers

The past few years have seen the launch of several news rating services that measure the trustworthiness of news organizations. They have grown amidst increasing concerns over fake news negatively affecting trust levels in news media.

• Amazon Prime Day shows how important commerce revenue is getting for publishers

As Prime Day continues to expand — the shopping extravaganza will last 48 hours this year, up from 36 hours last year and 30 hours the year before that — publishers continue to devote more energy to it.

• Targeting Millennials Requires Good Content Marketing

Millennials are forcing marketers to rethink the way they promote products and services. Content marketing speaks to them the best.

• It’s Not Print That’s Broken, It’s Frequencies

While we celebrated our nation’s 243rd year of independence last week, many also mourned the death of a nearly 70-year-old American institution—Mad magazine.