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Where we’re spending our screen time, in three charts
This piece in Vox tries to avoid seeing current digital habits in the US through the lens of the pandemic. Instead, Peter Kafka and Rani Molla make the point that, whether digital screen time went up during the pandemic and has stayed up since, it’s more relevant how much time the US population devotes to their screens and where they spend that time.
“We’re still glued to our digital devices, only more so”, they write, showing how screen attention is shared across platforms in three charts. In a trend-defining moment, cable TV has lost its viewing lead to streaming services for the first time. And in podcast land, listening is up 50% since 2019.
But the most interesting chart in this triptych is the social media chart showing the sharp decline of Facebook among teens from 2014-15 through 2022. Way behind YouTube, TikTok and even Snapchat, The Social Network is on a steep and slippery slope, down from a 70% share in teen usage to just over 30% in seven or eight years. No wonder those Mark in the metaverse graphics look so sad.
The reality of podcast economics
This is the fascinating story of how Allyson Marino bootstrapped and sold her own podcast company, Lipstick & Vinyl, a network built around strong female voices. It all ends well, but the rollecoaster ride she went on should be a warning to anyone that thinks podcasting will make them rich overnight.
Live sports may be the ticket to growing streaming audiences
Chris, writing for DCN, says live sports have been the jewel in broadcast companies’ crowns for decades. The allure of a live and hugely engaged audience has long proved to be an effective draw for advertisers. But the rise of social media and streaming platforms has changed the game and, combined with the growing cost of sports content, the space is ripe for disruption.
Washington Post CEO mulls staff reduction
Post rival The New York Times is quoting unnamed sources saying the publication has fewer than the 3 million paying digital subscribers it boasted of internally near the end of 2020. With digital ad revenue down by 15% in the first half of 2022, Fred Ryan, the Post’s chief executive and publisher, has floated the idea of cutting 100 positions.
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