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Wednesday, July 31, 2019
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The L.A. Times’ disappointing digital numbers show the game’s not just about drawing in subscribers — it’s about keeping themWe will all benefit if the Los Angeles Times becomes a West Coast counterweight to those dailies in New York and D.C. But it’ll take a bigger investment in reader retention to get there. By Joshua Benton. |
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What kind of climate change coverage do you read in the news? It depends on whether you live in a rich country or a poor oneNews organizations in wealthy countries are more likely to frame climate change as a domestic political issue, while those in poorer countries report more on natural disasters and international relations. By Laura Hazard Owen. |
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How journalists in Ukraine have turned Telegram into a preferred source of news“If you post something on a Facebook, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone will see your message. With Telegram, you can really reach the entire audience of the channel.” By Tanya Gordiienko. |
What We’re Reading
Macworld / Jason Snell
Apple stayed mum about Apple News Plus on its quarterly earnings call →
“Apple didn't produce any data about how its newest service, Apple News+, is faring so far, which isn't surprising but also suggests that they couldn't figure out any number to disclose that would make them look good.”
The Verge / Makena Kelly
A senator’s bill would ban a whole lot of stuff the senator doesn’t like about social media →
This not-at-all-nanny-state initiative also “automatically limits the amount of time that a user may spend on [social] platforms across all devices to 30 minutes a day unless the user elects to adjust or remove the time limit.” And if you do change the limit, it’ll reset to 30 minutes on the first of every month!
The Washington Post / Reis Thebault
Saudi Arabia is hosting a “Media Forum” to improve its reputation after assassinating Jamal Khashoggi →
Also launching the “Saudi Media Award.” “[Reporters Without Borders], a global press freedom group, releases a yearly index that ranks countries and regions based on how much freedom journalists there have. This year, Saudi Arabia slid to 172 of 180 countries, worse than notoriously strict or dangerous nations such as Iran and Somalia.”
Rewire.News / Jodi Jacobson
Rewire.News, a nonprofit focused on reproductive and sexual health, lays off all its remaining reporters →
“There is a stark reality in all nonprofit work: No matter how valuable or how important an issue or a body of work may be, no matter how excellent a project, paying for it requires someone to give you money. We can't pay for what foundations won't fund and this includes some of the reporting we do.”
Washington Post / Erik Wemple
Everything is going great with the former Gawker Media sites and their new owner →
“According to company sources, Deadspin in recent weeks has been working on a story about how Spanfeller has operated since taking charge. In the words of one staffer, the thrust is to show that the CEO has put a ‘bunch of white dudes in charge’ and has a poor grasp of the media business…The company's top officials, say the sources, responded to the Deadspin internal story by killing it, or at least seeking to do so. ‘That's not entirely inaccurate but it's nuanced,’ Spanfeller told the Erik Wemple Blog on Tuesday.”
9to5Google / Abner Li
The version of Google Chrome that makes getting around paywalls easier is now rolling out →
“Many publications today rely on subscriptions and stop you from viewing articles in Private Mode as a way around free article limits. Chrome 76 for Android addresses one way websites detect if you're using Incognito Mode to get paywalls. The release fixes how Chrome implements the FileSystem API so that ‘detect private mode’ scripts can no longer take advantage of that indicator.”
New York Post / Alexandra Steigrad
The Gawker relaunch is off, at least for now, and the staff’s all be laid off →
“For now, we are focusing company resources and efforts on our most recent acquisitions, Mic, The Outline, Nylon and Inverse.”