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Thursday, July 18, 2019
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Local news projects rush to fill The Vindicator’s void, with the McClatchy-Google network putting down roots“We’re ultimately trying to do this as small and nimble as possible so that we can be seeing what's working and throw out what’s not — and quickly being able to shift in a way that’s a little bit harder when you’re working with a 150-year-old newspaper.” By Christine Schmidt. |
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Hey comment mods, you doin’ okay? A new study shows moderating uncivil comments reduces the moderator’s trust in news“The toll of moderating uncivil comments may be much stronger for moderators putting in several hours or a full day.” By Christine Schmidt. |
What We’re Reading
The Times / Matthew Moore
The BBC could become a subscription service, its director-general says →
“The compulsory licence fee system is guaranteed until 2027, after which the broadcaster will have to negotiate a new funding arrangement with the government…’You could decide the BBC is a subscription service,’ Lord Hall of Birkenhead told MPs. ‘It would be very, very different to the sort of BBC you have now, because you would be giving subscribers what they want, not the breadth of the population.’ He added: ‘I would argue that's the wrong model for supporting the BBC.'”
Medium / Global Editors Network
An interview with RSF on its new standards-for-trustworthy-news initiative →
“…we are not ranking, rating or judging an individual article. The reason is that we fear such a mechanism, even if well-intentioned, could be easily misused and turned into a tool for censorship. Therefore, the [Journalism Trust Initiative] standard only looks at the environment in which journalism is being produced, the benchmarks of quality and safeguards of independence at the process level.”
Medium / Matt Hinchliffe
The new tech principles for FT.com →
“Slow down to speed up. Write code you can fix at 3 a.m. Get to the root of the problem. Make small changes often. Keep things secure. Favor existing solutions. Use data effectively. Treat unblocking others as your priority. Assume good faith.”
Variety / Todd Spangler
Netflix insists it won’t move into selling advertising →
“We, like HBO, are advertising free. That remains a deep part of our brand proposition; when you read speculation that we are moving into selling advertising, be confident that this is false. We believe we will have a more valuable business in the long term by staying out of competing for ad revenue and instead entirely focusing on competing for viewer satisfaction.”
The Hill / David Morgan
Whose stories get told? Why media diversity matters →
“For example, a number of news organizations are still not attuned to the need to have journalists of color cover the 2020 campaign. Imagine being responsible for shaping coverage for the presidential campaign and not understanding how fundamental to the debate issues of racism, identity and justice are going to be — and not understanding that journalists who live these issues are uniquely prepared to cover them well.”
The New York Times
The New York Times and Meredith are teaming up to make those commemorative magazines you pass by the checkout at Walgreens →
“The inaugural ‘Summer of '69’ issue will coincide with The New York Times coverage of the 50-year anniversary of that summer. As part of the collaboration, there are plans for five subsequent issues devoted to other historical events, significant milestones and cultural subjects.”
Variety / Todd Spangler
Proof that consumers are always evaluating their digital subscriptions: Netflix lost customers in the U.S. last quarter →
“For the first time in eight years, Netflix lost subscribers in the U.S. — dropping a net 130,000 for the second quarter of 2019…The company said the Q2 subscriber results were the result of a weaker content slate in the quarter, which drove fewer paid net adds than anticipated.” (You’re always re-earning your digital subscribers.)
Editor & Publisher / Matt DeRienzo
Newspapers should reorient their print content to serve their aging audiences →
“Maybe the formula for print subscriber retention includes increasing newshole to provide more national wire content and late previous-day box scores (that we all pay for anyway) and increasing the size of type to be friendly to aging eyeballs. What other kinds of content will inform and delight an older print audience? History and nostalgia, longer features, puzzles. They have leisure time to spend on these things that a younger audience does not.”
CJR / Brian Merchant
Don’t quote me on this, but “on background” is a scourge in tech reporting →
“Every single conversation I have had with a big-five tech company representative this year has been on background. It has become the default method by which Silicon Valley disseminates information to reporters. This is a toxic arrangement. The tactic shields tech companies from accountability.”
The New York Times / Jennifer Miller
Have we hit Peak Podcast? →
"Anyone can start one and so anyone who thinks they can start one will do it. It’s like the business of me."
New York / Sarah Jones
Tensions rise at First Look Media as company shifts strategy →
“The loss of Topic magazine and the company's separation from the Nib led to fears among staff that First Look might branch away from its ideologically driven commitment to journalism toward a more commercial direction — fears stoked by rumors that the company had acquired, or planned to acquire, a smutty Netflix clone.”
The Daily Beast / Maxwell Tani
Gizmodo Media staff enraged at new CEO Jim Spanfeller’s “insane” direction →
“Two people with knowledge told The Daily Beast that in a private meeting, Spanfeller reviewed the coverage of Lexus with the editor-in-chief of Jalopnik, a car-focused website, to ensure that its stories did not discourage the luxury automaker from advertising with G/O sites. On a separate occasion, sources said, the new CEO suggested that reporters and editors at Kotaku — once a Gawker-owned gaming website — bring a sales representative to interviews with gaming executives.”
Press Gazette / Charlotte Tobitt
Sky News appoints its first dedicated climate change correspondent, Hannah Thomas-Peter →
“Media organizations like the Guardian, Times, Mirror and the BBC have environment correspondents, but no other UK title currently has a dedicated climate change journalist.”
MediaPost / Melynda Fuller
NowThis launches its first written product, a daily newsletter →
“The newsletter will be headed by NowThis senior correspondent Versha Sharma. KnowThis host Zinhle Essumuah will also contribute.”
Report For America
Report For America is looking for local newsrooms to host their reporters →
“Any type of news organization can apply. The application is simple. The key questions: What are the coverage gaps in your community? What specific beat(s) would you create for RFA corps members to fill that gap? Can you deliver your (and your community's) share of the reporter's salary? Quick and easy. If your newsroom is selected, Report for America pays about half of an entry-level salary. The rest is split between the news organization and local donors.”