The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices

As part of a special four-part podcast series, supported by the Google News Initiative, we’ve been talking to publishers and experts across Europe who are working to find resilient business models. We spoke to them about the state of the local news market in their regions, how they’ve evolved company culture and practice, and what tools and trends they’re working with to prepare for the next decade. To build a sustainable – and successful – publishing business requires staff to be on board with changes, as well as a collaborative environment with good communication. For local news organisations, external relationships with audiences also need work. In this third episode, we speak to some local news organisations about getting company culture to the best possible place. Experts featured in this episode: Doug Smith – Lead architect, Table Stakes Cheryl Livingstone, Special Projects Editor, DC Thomson Emily Hewett, Head of Audience Development, DC Thomson Craig Walker, Editor, Press and Journal and Evening Express, DC Thomson David Floyd, Managing Director, Social Spider Jayne Savva, Group Features Editor (news), DC Thomson Nicola Negrin, Editor in Chief, Il Giornale Di Vicenza, Gruppo Editoriale Athesis Pierre France, Co-Founder, Rue89 Strasbourg Jonathan Heawood, Executive Director, Public Interest News Foundation Prof. Dr. Wiebke Möhring, Professor of Journalism, TU Dortmund Institute for Journalism Benedicte Autret, Head of News Partnerships, UK/IE/Northern Europe, Google This series is supported by the Google News Initiative. They work with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources, and build a diverse and innovative local news system. Find out more about their programmes, tools and resources at newsinitiative.withgoogle.com

In this podcast, experts discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by local news organizations in finding sustainable revenue streams. Case studies of successful publications switching to subscription models are explored. The debate on implementing paywalls and the success of digital subscriptions is highlighted. The integration of print and digital teams is discussed, along with the importance of engaging features in local media. Building trust and engaging with the local community is emphasized. The podcast also touches upon the support provided by the Google News Initiative in finding sustainable business models.

As part of a special four-part podcast series, supported by the Google News Initiative, we’ve been talking to publishers and experts across Europe who are working to find resilient business models. We spoke to them about the state of the local news market in their regions, how they’ve evolved company culture and practice, and what tools and trends they’re working with to prepare for the next decade. In this first episode, we look at some of the historical context around the state of local news, shifts in the UK and European markets, and what ‘good’ local news might look like. We also do a deep dive into some of the issues facing the UK local news market, as well as the continuing value of local news to communities. Experts featured in this episode: Doug Smith – Lead architect, Table Stakes Pierre France, Co-Founder, Rue89 Strasbourg Craig Walker, Editor, Press and Journal and Evening Express, DC Thomson Jonathan Heawood, Executive Director, Public Interest News Foundation David Floyd, Managing Director, Social Spider Prof. Dr. Wiebke Möhring, Professor of Journalism, TU Dortmund Institute for Journalism Benedicte Autret, Head of News Partnerships, UK/IE/Northern Europe, Google This series is supported by the Google News Initiative. They work with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources, and build a diverse and innovative local news system. Find out more about their programmes, tools and resources at newsinitiative.withgoogle.com

The podcast delves into the integration of AI in newsrooms, discussing its impact on journalists and the industry. Speakers emphasize the need for experimentation with AI while keeping business goals in mind. Insights are shared on navigating post-opportunity steps and leveraging AI for business goals. The importance of building a collaborative environment for AI teams and addressing challenges in AI integration for publishers is also highlighted.

Experts discuss the use of AI in publishing, including preparations for internal and external changes to media businesses. They explore the impact of AI on productivity, hyper personalization, and business models in journalism. The chapter also highlights the limitations of generative AI as a predictive tool and the opportunities AI presents to speed up and refine outputs in the newsroom. Publishers are advised on successfully integrating AI tools into their workflows and the importance of collaboration. The potential and limitations of AI in journalism are discussed, including its impact on jobs in the newsroom and the future of AI in media.

On this week's episode of the podcast Elaine dela Cruz, co-founder of DE&I consultancy firm Project 23, tells us about what is creating positive change for diversity and inclusion in the industry. We're also joined by guest co-host Joanna Cummings, Editorial Director of The Grub Street Journal and author of the DE&I chapter of this year's Media Moments report. Elaine takes us through why she co-founded the organisation, how the DE&I landscape has changed over the past five years, and why 'resilience' is such a dangerous word. We also discuss how the best media companies are measuring the success of their DE&I efforts. A round-up of publishers' DE&I initiatives and developments will be part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.

On this week’s podcast (which is also this week’s edition of The Addition) we hear from author, journalist and broadcaster Charlotte Henry. She creates and runs The Addition newsletter and podcast; an award-winning publication looking at the crossover between media and technology. Charlotte has written the Broadcast chapter of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report, so it was only right and proper that we got her on to discuss all the broadcast trends of the past year. It’s been a big old year for TV — both good and bad — so it was great to get an expert in to chat it all over. We discuss the role of exclusive content, the doldrums of advertising sales across linear broadcasts, the need to differentiate a streaming service from its competitors, and the longer term impact of the Hollywood actors' strike. We also explore how streaming platforms like Disney+ and Netflix are faring a year after introducing ad-supported tiers.

This week, to help us dissect the year in trust, we're joined by Dr Amy Ross Arguedas, a Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Between 2020 and September 2023, she worked on the Trust in News Project, and she’s currently a part of the team working on the Reuters Institute's annual Digital News Report. Amy tells us about the work of the Trust in News Project, and how to go about measuring trust in a way which is useful. She explains how trust is affected by political divisions and whether the impact of publisher mistakes is long-lasting, as well as the opportunities for more traditional sources to engage younger people. We also explore the potential impacts of AI on trust; how transparent should publishers be with their use of it, as well as the risks and opportunities AI presents for the fight against misinformation. Trust, disinformation and how publishers have responded this year will be one of the chapters we explore as part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.

Themes from the Newsrewired conference include challenges in journalism, appealing to readers and generating revenue, building strong relationships with communities, diversifying revenue, adapting to emerging tech and platforms. Media Voices podcast offers insights from speakers and discusses their B2B publishing brand.

This week we hear from Jillian MacMath, Audience Editor at WalesOnline. She was chosen by the judges as the winner of the first ever Hero of the Year at the Publisher Newsletter Awards, so what better person to come and discuss everything newsletters with us. Jillian talks about the opportunities she saw to get more strategic about the newsletter portfolio when she joined WalesOnline, what metrics should matter to anyone with a newsletter, and what dedicated newsletters like football and food look like with a local focus. She also tells the story of their pop-up Covid newsletter, explains how to get other members of the newsroom invested in newsletters, and how they're using key names to build more personal relationships via the inbox. Newsletters and publishers innovating in the inbox this year will be one of the chapters we explore as part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.