Platforms Reader Revenue
2 mins read

Twitter to launch…micropayments: The Media Roundup

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Today’s roundup is brought to you by Esther 

Twitter will (apparently) let publishers charge per article starting in May

If you were wise enough to switch off from Twitter over the Bank Holiday weekend, you’ll now be feeling the shock/surprise/amusement we felt when Musk decided to reveal these plans on Saturday afternoon:

Rolling out next month, this platform will allow media publishers to charge users on a per article basis with one click,” he explained. “This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article. Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public.

I mean, where do you even start here? Would you as a publisher try out something that Musk could cancel on a whim? When platforms like WordPress are out the door over the API changes? Not to mention Twitter doesn’t (yet) keep payment cards on file. Take the May launch with a bucket of salt, but what is really interesting here is why this is suddenly a priority.

Building a future-proof newsroom: 5 strategies you neglect at your peril

How can newsrooms equip themselves to face the unknown? Here are five vital takeaways from more than a dozen global experts at the International Journalism Festival, helpfully compiled by Emma Löfgren. Prioritising audience needs is, unsurprisingly, top of the list.

Publishers see ad dollars flow to sustainability content after increasing climate coverage

Publishers that have grown their teams covering climate change and sustainability are starting to see those strategies pay off with an increase in ad dollars. Now, publishers like Time are expanding their climate coverage with new editorial franchises, special issues and dedicated hubs. Even more encouraging is that concerns about greenwashing are already front-of-mind, with many partners looking to genuinely support change.

The long and the short of it

One of the common use cases to come out of better generative AI tools is better summarising of articles. I’m sure many of you have plenty bookmarked, but don’t get round to reading half of them as deeply as you’d like. But as Troy Young speculates here, will this help us get smarter faster by cutting the filler, or are we at risk of missing nuance and changing what we deem worthy of our time?


This content originally appeared in The Media Roundup, a daily newsletter from Media Voices. Subscribe here: