Digital Publishing
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The Must-Read Publishing Stories You May Have Missed Feb 8th 2019

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Why a reader revenue strategy would have been perfect for The Pool, how publishers can get on board with podcasts, and more…

Why The Pool’s readership would have paid up

Our feature this week takes a look at the demise of The Pool; a title that had everything a digital media outlet could possibly want with a clearly-defined mission, a brilliant site and a dedicated audience. So what went wrong?

It’s one example of an outlet where reader revenue would have had a decent chance of working, but only if the loyal readership had been given a proper opportunity to contribute.

This month also sees the launch of 2020 Publishing; a full day conference in London focused on helping publishers develop new revenue lines and products. Held at Olympia on Wed 27th Feb, WNIP as a media partner has five tickets to give away worth £170 each.

Come along and meet us there!

@WNIP

If we want publications like The Pool to survive, we have to be prepared to pay

…But we also have to have the opportunity. The Pool had everything a digital media outlet could possibly want: a clearly-defined mission, a brilliant site and a dedicated audience. So why wasn’t reader revenue at the top of their list?

What’s new this week

2020Publishing Conference, London: Full details and ticket competition
Taking place at Olympia, the new event is aimed at publishers looking to develop new revenue lines and products for their business.
10 essential media stats from January 2019
Publisher’s subscription focus, Amazon’s digital ad growth, eSports expansion, Facebook’s $350m for local news and a record-breaking GDPR fine for Google.
Reinvigorating “news deserts”: Data journalism tools for newsrooms
Two companies working in the space of data journalism have built solutions to help understaffed local newsrooms scale up the production of data-driven local stories. 
“Bullet proof” retention strategy: 3 million+ students now subscribe to New York Times
The New York Times announced that over 3 million public school students in the U.S. now receive free access to nytimes.com, thanks to more than 30,000 contributions.
Is it time for every publisher to “pivot to podcasts”?
Podcasting probably won’t save your company, but the medium can help augment your offerings. And by getting in now, you’ll be launching your show in what most experts agree is still the early growth curve for the industry. 
Researchers identify the best newsroom strategies for gaining new subscribers
Subscriptions, donations and memberships are crucial for many newsrooms’ business models. But often it’s difficult to identify which exact strategies work best.
Glamour redesigns website to focus on 85% of its audience
The new website prioritizes the mobile audience and marks an important milestone in the publication’s digital evolution. 
“Magazines are alive and well”: Publishers refresh their strategies for the print format
Several publishers who are successful in the print media are focusing on niche audiences who are willing to pay more for a higher grade product. 
Is BuzzFeed’s news division a viable business?
There continues to be confusion about the role BuzzFeed’s news division plays within the larger parent company, and the site’s critics love to use this to cast aspersions on its reporting.
Regulation, revenue diversification, and values top of mind at DCN Next: Summit
The event’s speakers represented a breadth of media organizations from legacy print and television organizations to digital pure-plays, upstarts, agencies, and industry watchers.
How collaboration benefits magazine media
Collaboration in the magazine and news media industries has hit a high point this year, internally and externally, across regions and borders.
Washington Post airs emotional Super Bowl ad celebrating journalism; Tom Hanks narrates
The ad, which highlights the critical work of journalists, features stirring photographs of memorable news events, including the moon landing, the Oklahoma City bombing, and more.
Advertising opportunities for publishers, as CPGs come under threat
CPGs are notorious TV spenders, but they also spend considerably on print and online. So how can publishers compete for those dollars?