Copy
View this email in your browser

IF YOU READ ONE THING

Get to know Amanda Mull

Have you ever wished you could pick the brain of an Atlantic writer? Now, you might have your chance. (Well, sort of.) This week, The Atlantic kicked off its new series “Behind the Byline,” featuring interviews with Atlantic staffers on who they are and how they approach their work. 

The first interview of the series features Amanda Mull, an Atlantic staff writer on the Health desk and author of the “Material World” column. The Atlantic’s Nesima Aberra spoke with her about everything from how the pandemic has changed her approach to writing (spoiler: it’s gotten harder) to how she describes her beat (“how people experience life”) to her thoughts on Generation C. We particularly loved this quote discussing her favorite article for the column:

“My favorite story for the column is probably the article on ‘premium mediocrity,' about an overarching aesthetic and economic through line, and how a lot of young people spend money and build lives now. I thought that was really interesting and gets at a really large concept that a lot of people experience, but not a lot of people have the language to talk about. And those are my favorite sorts of problems—things that people immediately understand when you try to describe them, that they just have not tried to put words to. So if I can find something like that, I’m always excited.”

POWERSTAT

Once thought of as a platform for Gen Z, TikTok’s demographics are changing as more users flock to the short-video phenomenon. While Gen Z still accounts for the majority of the platform’s user base, Millennials are quickly catching up, with nearly 6 million users aged 25-34 joining TikTok so far in 2020. 

Source: Adweek

TRENDWATCH

Early signs show that new subscribers are sticking around

Although a number of publishers have seen bumps in paying subscribers over the last few months, the curve in subscription growth has begun to flatten, causing many to turn their focus to retention. Early signs seem to be positive, though: “New subscribers are not churning at the same rate as other subscribers,” according to a recent article from Digiday. Some publishers seeing these signs of stronger retention rates include Bloomberg Media, The New York Times, and the Guardian.

Michael Silberman, senior vice president of strategy at subscription platform Piano, says that “even flat churn is impressive” and serves as an example of “the value readers place on quality journalism during the pandemic and their willingness to pay for it.” According to Piano, 73 percent of new monthly subscriptions were paid-for trials and 11 percent of new subscriptions were for free trials in April. Still, some publishers fear that their readers coming for coronavirus content are merely flyby traffic and that these short-term increases in subscriptions will not balance the losses in ad revenue. According to data from Zuora, a subscription platform, “Offering customers the option to suspend subscriptions can help businesses save one out of every six churning customers.”

NEWS YOU CAN USE

An update from your favorite style guide

Last week, The Associated Press released the 55th edition of its Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. The new print manual builds upon guidance added to the AP Stylebook Online last month—such as how to use gender neutral language—with expanded, revised, or new entries on sexual assault, climate change, the “+” symbol, and coronaviruses. 

The online product also offers an Ask the Editor feature with “extensive archives, a pronunciation guide with phonetic spellings and audio pronouncers, and Topical Guides about news events.” Afraid you’ll miss jotting down in the margins? Fear not, the online version even allows users to add their own entries, make notes, and enable notifications for updates or new listings. Feeling too lazy to sit down with a style guide these days? You can even find some of the most interesting revisions and additions under the #APStyleChat hashtag, directly from the editor, Paula Froke.

PERSPECTIVES

The emotional appeal of Cameo

TikTok isn’t the only digital video-focused platform seeing a bump in the last few months. Introducing Cameo, a service that allows you to buy and send personalized videos from celebrities. In his latest column for The New York Times, Ben Smith explores the rise of Cameo and other personality-driven services, the growing “passion economy,” and the implications of both for the media and entertainment industries. “Cameo is, on its face, a service that allows housebound idiots to blow money on silly shout-outs. Seen another way, however, it’s a new model media company, sitting at the intersection of a set of powerful trends that are accelerating in the present crisis.” Others have recently shared their thoughts and experiences with the video service:

  • “One of the things I find most heartening in these unequal times, though, is the creation of some new space for a middle class of journalists and entertainers — the idea that you can make a living, if not a killing, by working hard for a limited audience. Even people who play a modest role in a cultural phenomenon can get some of the take, which was what happened with the Netflix documentary ‘Tiger King.’” — Ben Smith, media columnist at The New York Times (The New York Times)
  • “Since shelter-in-place measures took hold of much of the United States in March, Cameo has come to occupy an entirely different cultural space. It’s morphed into a form of communication for people who can’t physically be with loved ones during holidays or special occasions. For the actors, musicians, and artists of the gig economy who are now without work, signing up for Cameo brings in a new source of cash flow. And those cooped up at home for weeks—or months—could find a video from a beloved celebrity as a nice consolation for having to postpone a wedding, graduation, or any other big celebration.” — Maxine Wally, senior digital editor at W Magazine (W Magazine)
  • “Since I purchased that one Cameo that one time, I’m on the mailing list, which regularly lists all the new celebs (‘celebs’) added to the roster. In recent weeks, I’ve taken a captive interest in the new additions, and I can’t quite explain why. I don’t have any occasion upcoming to send a Cameo to anyone. Nor do I have any money with which to buy one. What I do have, though, is time and an abiding need for human connection.” — Kendra Stanton Lee, freelance writer based in Boston (Slate)
  • “As the media industry thinks of models of expansion, talent is an opportunity to build on top of an existing foundation to explore business models that focus on the creator, the relationship of a creator and brand, and the undervalued importance of creator operations.” — Jarrod Dicker, vice president of commercial technology and development at The Washington Post (Medium)

This Week In Our Office

We appreciated this video of penguins taking in some art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art this week. We especially enjoyed the commentary provided by Julián Zugazagoitia, executive director and CEO of the museum: “They seemed to react much better to Caravaggio than Monet,” he shared.

Atlantic 57
The Five Seven

Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe here.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
Copyright © 2020 Long Dash, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update subscription preferences  or  unsubscribe from this list.   

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp