Tackling hard, important topics
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Hello and a big welcome to our new subscribers from Euronews, Der Spiegel, dpg media, Le Monde, Turkuvaz Media Group, Diari de Sabadell, NBC Universal, Animal Politico, BOOMLive, University of Westminster, The Washington Post, and many others.
Covering difficult and important topics, particularly in expensive formats like narrative podcasts, isn’t exactly a recipe for commercial success.
That didn’t stop Slovak journalist Zuzana Kovacic Hanzelova from creating a podcast series focusing on the marginalized Roma community – and it becoming a national hit.
As The Fix’s David Tvrdon writes covering the story, the podcast’s first episode was listened to by 34,000 people – comparable to half the number The New York Times’s The Daily gets when we consider the number of people speaking Slovak.
How did the “Odsúdení na neúspech” (“Destined to fail”) manage to become so popular? The answer seems to come down to the combination of the creator’s journalistic expertise and connections, as well as the advantages of the podcasting medium.
Speaking of uncomfortable but important topics, last week The Fix also looked at the problem of sexual misconduct at European publishers.
A few weeks ago, we all watched the story of Julian Reichelt, German tabloid Bild’s chief editor who was fired after press reports about him having abused his authority to pursue relationships with female employees.
“But the problem of sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate workplace behaviors to outright harassment and assault, is more than a problem of one publication,” Sofiia Padalko writes – and European media haven’t got its #MeToo moment, unlike in the United States.
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This podcast became a hit despite tackling an uncomfortable topic. Learnings from its creator
David Tvrdon
No one believed a Slovak podcast covering Roma people, living on the fringes of society, could succeed. Yet it did.
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How to Think about Keyword Cannibalization on News Websites
Mikulas Prokop
Keyword cannibalization is not always a problem that needs to be fixed. In some cases, it’s an opportunity to reach a wider audience.
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More than Bild – the sexual misconduct problem at European publishers
Sofiia Padalko
Bild’s chief editor wasn’t the only senior manager fired last month – underscoring the scale of the media industry’s problem.
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The news content “around” advertising matters for how it is perceived. A study by the research unit of Interpublic Group found quality content delivers better value for advertisers. It is also worth adapting the ad style to the type of news – being more direct with hard news and focusing on story-telling when surrounded by cultural content. |
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News independence and branded content aren’t exclusive. There are different models, very close collaboration or distant collaboration, and both can be made to work on one platform: Journalism.co.uk looks at both.
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Non-English languages are badly moderated by Facebook’s AI. Prioritization of languages other than English is avoided. Rest of the World believes that only Big Tech has the resources to change this, but they don’t have the will.
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“The Real Story”, an investigative podcast by The Reporter, rose to fame in Taiwan with a young audience. GJIN compiles tips for podcasters based on the experiences of “The Real Story” and other innovators. |
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The New York Times Company announced last week that the paper added 455,000 digital subscribers in the third quarter of 2021, “again that keeps the publisher on pace to reach its stated goal of 10 million subscriptions by 2025.”
The New York Times leads the digital subscription field with over 7.6 million people paying for its online products. The company’s operating profits grew by 15 percent year-over-year, reaching $65 million. The news about NYT adding a bunch of new subscribers isn’t surprising, but there are three particularly noteworthy points in the company’s quarterly report.
First, the American “newspaper of record” is increasingly global. Last quarter, it hit a symbolic milestone of one million subscriptions outside the United States. This puts it on par with many large “local” players internationally.
Second, an important portion of the growth came from new digital offerings, some of them not directly connected to core news coverage. Particularly, the company moved Wirecutter, a parallel dedicated to product reviews, behind a paywall, as well as doubled down on newsletters for paid subscribers. Games and cooking are also constant sources of new paid subscribers.
Third, the company’s quarterly results indicate “a strong rebound in advertising revenue” as the pandemic recedes, as highlighted by The Wall Street Journal. Ad revenue grew 40% year-over-year as compared to 2020 (though they proved a bit lower than in the third quarter of pre-pandemic 2019). |
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The New York Times isn’t the only major publisher that’s increasing its newsletter offerings. The Atlantic last week added nine writers to contribute to the magazine’s new newsletter platform. The company’s goal is to attract more paying subscribers and hit the goal of becoming profitable next year. Consistent with recent trends, The Atlantic’s bosses told Axios they were looking for interesting personalities to write the newsletter rather than specific topics.
“Legacy publishers were caught flat-footed by the independent newsletter revolution that swept the [American] journalism industry during the pandemic,” Axios notes – but not all journalists newsletter authors managed to quickly build an audience on their own, making a partnership with a legacy institution a good opportunity.
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Over the past several weeks, Facebook might have hit the worst PR crisis in its history. The documents that the whistleblower Frances Haugen shared first with The Wall Street Journal and then with a wider consortium of journalists reveal serious flaws in the company's operations and its impact on the world.
These revelations, however, aren’t getting as much attention among the general public as they do in the media. An analysis conducted by Axios shows that “Facebook’s big problems get little mainstream attention”. Public interest in the company, as indicated by online search data, has declined over the past year.
The company’s biggest problems are most likely to come from its employees – Facebook becoming a less attractive place for highly skilled software engineers might become a huge pain for Mark Zuckerberg’s company. Regulatory pressure is also rising. Last week UK culture secretary Nadine Dorries warned that leaders of tech companies such as Meta (the new name of the Facebook owner) could face criminal charges for “harmful algorithms”. The remarks come as the government is preparing its online safety bill that could mark a milestone in social media regulation. |
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Opportunities and deadlines
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European News Media Forum: industrial transformation. The European Commission is organizing its second forum for European media professionals. The event will focus on innovations and challenges in the European media landscape and will take place in The Square (Brussels, Belgium) and online.
More info: https://bit.ly/3k8q0sO
When: November 29
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JournalismAI Festival. This online 5-day festival is devoted to the future of journalism and AI's role in it. The event will explore innovative solutions for journalism, use cases of AI, and conversations with high-profile experts. The Fix team will be speaking there on how is AI transforming emerging market newsrooms in LATAM and CEE.
More info: https://bit.ly/2YjgLOZ
When: November 29
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Anti-SLAPP Conference: Countering Legal Threats to Media Freedom. The Foreign Policy Centre and Justice for Journalists Foundation are organizing a two-day event to cover the impact of influential people on journalists, media freedom and wider society. The event will take place in a hybrid mode, both online and in-person in London.
More info: https://bit.ly/3mLs8bR
When: November 22
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Network Controller/ Digital Content Producer. The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is hiring. The network controller will develop the institute’s Climate Journalism Network programme. Meanwhile, a digital content producer will develop courses for the same initiative.
More Info: https://bit.ly/3BV6ztS
Deadline: November 29
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Adviser for IMS Documentary Film. IMS is looking to expand its documentary film work. The advisor will help find new partners, fundraise and support initiatives around the world. The position is full-time and based in Copenhagen. Applicants should have experience in the documentary film industry, demonstrable skills, and a wide network, among others.
More info: https://bit.ly/3CYas2h
Deadline: December 1
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Executive Producer. GB News is searching for an executive producer to help reshape digital and television news in the UK. Main responsibilities will include ensuring output on all platforms, overseeing the editorial planning process, and checking all content is accurate.
More info: https://bit.ly/31zZCBV
Deadline: Open until filled
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Chief executive and editor-in-chief. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is recruiting a chief executive and editor in chief (one role) to lead the next stage of the media’s development. The ideal candidate would have experience in an editorial leadership role, in building up small organizations and creating relationships with funders and partners.
More info: https://bit.ly/3wgBgsd
Deadline: December 10
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