

How Decentralization Benefits Publishers, with 404 Media’s Jason Koebler and ProPublica’s Ben Werdmuller
6 snips Oct 16, 2024
Jason Koebler, co-founder of 404 Media and a passionate journalist advocating for audience connections, joins Ben Werdmuller, Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica, to discuss the challenges facing modern publishers. They delve into the potential of decentralized social media to enhance discoverability. The duo explores how platforms like Mastodon can empower journalists against the backdrop of AI-generated content. They also assess innovative subscription models and the future of advertising as it shifts towards genuine connections.
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Discoverability Challenge
- Discoverability is the biggest challenge for online media, as audiences are fractured and algorithms control reach.
- Publishers are at the mercy of search engines and an internet increasingly filled with low-quality AI spam.
Content and Support
- Focus on writing meaningful content that resonates with your target audience.
- Ask your audience for support through subscriptions or other means.
Full-Text RSS Feed
- 404 Media offers a full-text RSS feed to paying subscribers using older technologies like RSS and email.
- They recreated a premium RSS feed model similar to podcasters, delivering full-text articles to subscribers.