Digital Publishing
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The Must-Read Publishing Stories You May Have Missed Nov 30, 2018

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50 ideas for making media pay (Part two), why Buzzfeed’s new pessimism is important, and more …

What is Buzzfeed thinking?

The interview Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti gave to the New York Times last week raised industry eyebrows around the world. He floated the idea of a mega-merger between several of the biggest digitally native news organisations, including Vice, Vox Media, Group Nine and Refinery.

Peretti has also changed his tune dramatically on the benefits of social media, coming to the same conclusion many of us worked out a while ago, that if Google and Facebook take all the revenue but don’t want to pay for the work behind the journalism, something needs fixing.

This week’s feature from Simon Owens picks apart the motivations behind Peretti’s mega-merger suggestion, exploring why its attempts to scale native advertising failed and how its approach to platform agnosticism has changed. What will happen now Buzzfeed has realised it is beholden to the same market forces that have caused publishers to sound the alarm over the Duopoly for years? Buckle up…

@WNIP

50 ideas for making media pay: a definitive guide (Part two)

This is the second in our series outlining ways publishers are looking to raise revenue. This article (ideas 13-29) explores advertising models, events and newsletters.

What’s new this week

Condé Nast merges US and international businesses under one umbrella
“To realize the full potential of Conde Nast – for our audiences and our business partners – the time is right for the US and International companies to truly function as one company.”
BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti’s increasing pessimism and why it matters
For much of BuzzFeed’s existence, Peretti thought he was operating above the industry trends that have worried so many of his publishing colleagues.
What do publishers do when only 16% of consumers are willing to pay?
During the pre-internet days, news publishers had a captive audience. While some of them still do, most others are facing fast dwindling numbers.
How Smithsonian magazine leverages live events across platforms
For a magazine brand that is published by the world’s largest museum and research complex, Smithsonian magazine isn’t what one would expect.
Publishers may have reasons to celebrate as Amazon challenges the duopoly
About half of online shoppers start their customer searches on Amazon, and, by 2021, half of the online sales are predicted to be with the business. 
A beginner’s guide to audio storytelling: what you need to know
Always be listening for your next story with a sense of genuine curiosity, because you could find it anywhere.
Three internet privacy acts every publisher should know
We’ve rounded up some information privacy laws and personal information-handling practices that you should keep in mind.
70% of UK publishers look at video content as top priority for 2019
Video content is among the more effective tactics for getting exposure to a brand, as well as generating revenue. 
The battle for ad revenues: Could a publishers’ combine take on the duopoly?
Digital media firms are struggling, many have missed their revenue targets, reduced their workforces and have been trying to generate revenue from e-commerce.
Half of readers prefer editions over newsflow, and 30% will pay for their format of choice
Edition readers look less for free content and are more loyal to one news brand. Newsflow readers check the news more frequently, read in shorter sessions, and access more sources.
NYT’s chief technology officer on how the newspaper harnesses technology to innovate
It has been a fascinating decade for The New York Times, a newspaper that has done perhaps more than any of its rivals to recalibrate online news media business models. 
Video, mobile and native formats set to grow by more than a quarter over 2019
Video, mobile and native formats are all set to make an impact in 2019 as revenues are expected to grow by more than a quarter over the next year.
8 key statistics from the Media Moments 2018 report
90% of Amazon searches end with a purchase, 44% of 18-27 year olds have deleted the Facebook app in the US, and more.
How readers find articles: Not just search and social
According to a study from Parse.ly, search engines and social media account for “just” 50 per cent of traffic to articles across their network.

Download WNIP’s new Media Moments 2018 report, which dives deeper into this year’s developments in publishing, and looks at what opportunities 2019 could usher in. The report is free and can be downloaded here.