The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices

In this discussion, Alex White, Group Managing Director at Immediate Media, shares her insights on fostering innovation within the publishing sector. She emphasizes the importance of an entrepreneurial spirit and the benefits of focusing on thematic verticals like gardening and history. The conversation explores how AI tools empower teams and enhance creativity, alongside strategies for evolving media in a digital age. Alex also highlights the community around the Made for Mums platform and the revival of print, showcasing how quality content drives engagement.

In this episode of The Publisher Podcast we hear from Sam Baker, Senior Producer of Deutsche Welle's award-winning podcast Don't Drink The Milk. She takes us through the appeal of documentary and narrative podcasts, how the team is experimenting with video and AI, and how overlapping interests allows DW to find new audiences for its audio. And, of course, we discuss where the title 'Don't Drink The Milk' originates from. It's a fascinating story - and one that succinctly explains the appeal of culture podcasts, and why audio is a wonderful medium for explaining history. This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  Memberful lets you offer membership perks and exclusive content to your loyal audience, giving you full control over who has access to your articles, newsletters, podcast episodes, private community chats, and more. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.

Marissa Zanetti-Crume, Bloomberg Media’s Global Head of Product, leads the charge in developing audience-first news products. She discusses the importance of integrating content, technology, and commercial strategies to enhance engagement. Marissa highlights Bloomberg’s extensive newsletter portfolio, designed for both revenue and reach. She also dives into the innovative use of live audio Q&A sessions, allowing journalists to connect more directly with their audience, reinforcing the significance of an audience-centric approach in media today.

This week on The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices, we're joined by Tav Klitgaard, Group CEO of Zetland Media. As well as news publication Zetland, the Danish company also has a book publishing business, an AI transcription startup, and has recently launched a Finnish publication called Uusi Juttu, which has attracted 15,000 paying members within the first two months. Tav discusses the importance of designing products to address user needs, and how that pays back in attracting paying younger audiences, as well as taking their subscriber-first business model to Finland. He also explains why audio has been such a pivotal part of making Zetland successful as a member-driven publisher, and what future he sees for video podcasts. This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  Memberful is human-first, not software first, so whether you’re launching, growing or switching platforms, the team at Memberful are committed to providing exceptional support at every stage of your journey. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.

In this week’s episode of The Publisher Podcast, Metro.co.uk’s Newsletter Editor Sophie Laughton takes us through… everything newsletter. From how the Metro’s redesign allowed the newsletter team to break silos, through how they’re solving discovery issues, to what newsletters offer that no other medium can, Laughton provides an A-Z on newsletters for publishers. This is both a newsletter strategy 101 and a rallying cry for what newsletters can offer to publishers. This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  You can easily set up and manage your membership program with Memberful’s intuitive features, from multiple membership tiers and payment options to cater to different audience segments, and maximise your revenue potential. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.

On this week’s episode of The Publisher Podcast we hear from Esther Newman, Senior Editor and Podcast Host at Women’s Running. Esther explains that a recent exercise to create a persona for the typical Women's Running reader led to the realisation that there were a range of audiences accessing the brand in a variety of ways. While running is the banner that attracts readers to the brand, a whole host of women’s interests are what drives the community. From a monthly print magazine through a weekly podcast, to a Patreon Discord and social channels, Women’s Running is ‘so many things’ to its diverse audience. This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  Memberful lets you offer membership perks and exclusive content to your loyal audience, giving you full control over who has access to your articles, newsletters, podcast episodes, private community chats, and more. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.

On this week's episode of The Publisher Podcast we hear from Dan Russell, Reach Plc's Engagement Director (for short). Reach Plc achieved its best ever month for traffic in January, based in no small part on a social strategy that is tailored to each platform - and doesn't rely on chasing huge hits. The teams across Reach's titles have also seen success in building communities on WhatsApp where, as Russell explains, the limited nature of messaging apps can be a benefit rather than a drawback. He discusses why publishers cannot take the rarefied space of messaging apps for granted, and how the engagement team disseminates universal lessons about community growth across the entire portfolio. This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  You can easily set up and manage your membership program with Memberful’s intuitive features, from multiple membership tiers and payment options to cater to different audience segments, and maximise your revenue potential. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.

This week on The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices, we're joined by Press Gazette's Chief Commercial Officer Richard Jamieson. He takes us for a behind-the-scenes look at how the industry publication makes money, and the huge changes he's overseen in its commercial strategy over the past few years. Richard outlines the opportunities he saw coming onto a well-respected B2B brand which previously had limited commercialisation but a really strong audience. He also discusses the results of some big changes to their daily newsletter over the past 18 months, the power of face-to-face events, and Press Gazette's newly-launched registration wall. This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  You can easily set up and manage your membership program with Memberful’s intuitive features, from multiple membership tiers and payment options to cater to different audience segments, and maximise your revenue potential. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.

Live content is a crucial tool for publishers for attracting and retaining readers, especially younger audiences used to finding real-time information from social media. Publishers have an opportunity to add vital context and expertise compared to alternative sources. This is the latest in our Media Briefs series of short, sharp sponsored episodes with senior executives from a vendor working with publishers to make their businesses better. In this episode we hear from Norkon CEO Eirik Næsje and VP of Sales Birger Søiland. Norkon delivers innovative solutions to help publishers meet their growth objectives, with a vision to be the global standard in media to attract, engage and retain readers. Eirik and Birger talk to Peter about the increasing importance of live content in 2025's media landscape, including as a tool to enable discovery and build habit. This episode is sponsored by Norkon. Trusted by publishers like Amedia, La Presse and The Minnesota Star Tribune, the SaaS solutions provider is transforming the digital media landscape with innovative live content solutions that help publishers meet their growth objectives. Visit Norkon.net to find out more.

This week on The Publisher Podcast we speak to Katie Vanneck Smith, CEO at Hearst UK. Katie's career spans The Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Telegraph, as well as co-founding Tortoise. In the two years since joining Hearst, the company has launched and revamped membership programmes for Elle, Good Housekeeping, Men's Health and Women's Health, and soon Prima and Runner's World. Katie talks about subscriptions versus memberships, the importance of publishing teams, the future of print, and what the point is of industry associations as she takes up her role as chair of the PPA. She also dives into the formulas that make memberships successful.  This season of The Publisher Podcast & Newsletter is sponsored by Memberful, a best-in-class membership solution for independent publishers and journalists who want to diversify their revenue stream and connect with their audience.  Memberful lets you offer membership perks and exclusive content to your loyal audience, giving you full control over who has access to your articles, newsletters, podcast episodes, private community chats, and more. Take control of your publishing business this new year with Memberful. Visit memberful.com/publisherpod and get started with a free trial.