This monthly newsletter is focused on sharing cutting edge stories, trends, topics, and social media posts with unique perspectives and new ideas that have the potential to translate to opportunities for news and magazine publishers. Stories and posts we share might cover topics as wide-ranging as Web3, podcasts, startups and technology, online advertising, and more. Click the links below to access current and past editions. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you’re seeing out there that you see as up and coming for the news industry. Drop me a line at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org.

Rebecca Frank, VP, Research & Insights, News/Media Alliance

To receive ‘Expanding the View’ in your email inbox each month, click here to subscribe.

Current Issue:

June 2023 – This month, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about one particular essay about the “creator economy.” To those of us working in “old media,” the idea of a single person, armed with a brain, a laptop, and the ability to distribute to the whole internet has long been positioned as “the future.” But in this insightful piece, Renée DiResta examines how the conditions of our current era – technological and reader attention-based – have led so many individual creators to become what DiResta calls “propagandists.” The piece is worth reading for anyone who believes in the value of fact-based news, and also the business model that supports it. Keep reading.

Past Issues:

May 2023 

April 2023

March 2023

February 2023

January 2023

November 2022

October 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

June 2022

May 2022

April 2022

Back to top

The post Expanding the View appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Below is a quick-reference list of News/Media Alliance member products and programs, what they do and how to access them. Download a PDF of the Alliance Member Product and Program Overview one-pager here.

Newsmediaalliance.org and Alliance Social Media Channels

The Alliance website is a comprehensive repository of industry trends, data, and research that highlights news media strengths and positioning. Members have exclusive access to advertising support materials; reports and case studies on innovative strategies and success stories; thought leader webinars and other member-only events.

We also communicate timely industry news and updates, as well as information about new products and upcoming events and webinars, daily via our social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Public Policy

The News/Media Alliance diligently advocates on the pressing issues affecting today’s news media organizations, including monetization by the tech platforms, technology policy and advancements, postal rates, journalist protection and free press issues, and other important issues that matter most to you. As the media landscape becomes increasingly digital, it is critical that publishers find ways to monetize digital content and be fairly compensated for use of their digital content, including in search engines and for advertising sold against that content. The Alliance strongly supports legislation that would allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with the platforms for this purpose.

JCPA Resource Center: Your place for resources and the latest information on our efforts to pass the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act (JCPA) (H.R. 1735 and S. 673), a bipartisan bill that would allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with the tech platforms for fair compensation for use of their content. Resources found here include fact sheets, talking points, grassroots campaigns, our Change.org petition, our Google copyright White Paper, press releases and statements, lists of key supporters, news articles and editorials, survey research, print and digital ads, videos, and more. Visit www.JCPABill.com.

Policy Updates: A rolling update of the latest news and developments on the issues listed above that the Alliance is tracking and is engaged in activities on behalf of our members. Bookmark this page and check back regularly.

Platform News You Can Use: The News/Media Alliance sends regular updates to members on the latest developments with the major tech platforms on their work with news publishers and initiatives undertaken to highlight local news and quality journalism. You’ll find news on all the platforms and their new and ongoing projects in the Platform News You Can Use newsletter. Access the issue archive and subscribe here.

Postal Resources and Events: Through a partnership with the National Newspaper Association Foundation (NNAF), News/Media Alliance members enjoy free access to an online portal containing exclusive postal-related resources, events and materials. Materials found on the site include regular articles and updates on relevant postal issues and related regulatory affairs; postal education and training via the Max Heath Postal Institute TM; a Postal Hotline that provides consulting services; free registration to postal webinars and events; and more. Click here to access postal updates and to set up a login to the postal portal.

Podcast Series

News Take: Candid Conversations with Industry Leaders – News Take is a series of podcast interviews with news and magazine professionals. Established leaders in the news media industry join News/Media Alliance Vice President, Research & Insights Rebecca Frank to offer their perspectives and insights on how news organizations are applying the latest industry trends.

Newsletters

Weekly Email Alerts: Get an alert when we publish new content! Simply sign up for the topic(s) that most interest you, such as Public Policy, Digital and the Blog, and we’ll send you an email alert when we publish new content on that topic. Sign up here.

Newsletters and Issue Alerts: We keep members informed on the latest news and innovative insights from and for the industry through our e-newsletters and alerts. Click below to opt in to receive updates on the topics that interest you.

Expanding the View: In this monthly newsletter, the Alliance shares stories about innovations and ideas from the last month that offer potential opportunities for publishers. Things like Web3, digital business models, and other tech topics with implications for the news industry will be covered. Click here to access the latest issue and subscribe to receive Expanding the View in your inbox.

Webinars and Events

Webinars: The Alliance offers regular educational webinars featuring in-house and external industry experts sharing tips and success stories for generating revenue, growing audience, and navigating relevant policy issues. Past webinars are archived and available to members on our website.

Mega-Conference: The News/Media Alliance is pleased to once again support the News Industry
Mega-Conference, an event where news publishers can come together to hear and share new trends and ideas, strategies and tactics for sustaining our industry and local journalism. To learn more about
Mega-Conference, click here.

Speaking Engagements: News/Media Alliance leadership frequently speak at well-respected and widely attended third-party industry and key vertical conferences. Upcoming events featuring our executives are listed here.

Member Tools & Programs

careerXchange gains you access to the industry’s top talent. Post news media industry job openings, search the listings and peruse resumes of potential candidates. Unlike the commercial job boards, our site is owned by the News/Media Alliance and was developed with industry employers in mind. Visit http://careerxchange.newsmediaalliance.org/ – member login required.

Hertz Member Discount: News/Media Alliance members can save up to 20% when they use the discount code CDP# 6308 for their Hertz car rental reservation. Members can also enjoy a first year, fee-waived membership to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards®.

Please contact membership@newsmediaalliance.org if you have any questions about Alliance member programs.

Back to top

The post News/Media Alliance Member Product and Program Overview appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

News publishers and magazines have become highly experimental and deeply innovative businesses. We have larger audiences than ever — but also need to create new products and distribution systems to drive a better future. This newsletter is designed to highlight interesting ideas and provoke some thinking. Send suggestions to david@newsmediaalliance.org.

To receive ‘Expanding the View’ in your email inbox each month, click here to subscribe.

What I’ve been reading this month:

For Creators, Community is the New Follower Count (The Washington Post)
Community apps for audiences of influencers and other creators may be the future of engagement with content.

Lewis Black Sues Pandora for $10 Million Over Copyright Infringement (The Verge)
As Spotify continues to grow, comedians continue to sue for copyright infringement.

Why Republicans Stopped Talking to the Press (New York Magazine)
“Sitting down with the mainstream press has come to be seen by Republican primary voters as consorting with the enemy, and approval by the enemy is the political kiss of death.” – As we move deeper into 2022 election season, a shift in Republican strategy.

Opinion: I Stopped Reading the News. Is the Problem Me — or the Product? (The Washington Post) – A take on news avoidance, from deep within the news industry.

10 Key Takeaways for News Subscription Managers from the 2022 Digital News Report (What’s New in Publishing) – An overview of some innovative findings from the 2022 Reuters Institute report.

Meet the Lobbyist Next Door (WIRED)
Is your favorite influencer actually a lobbyist?

How Software Is Stifling Competition and Slowing Innovation (The New York Times)
“There is an advantage to software that economists haven’t really reckoned with yet. Software isn’t accelerating creative destruction today. Software is suppressing it.”

Leaked Videos Show Disney Is the Biggest Ad Tech Giant You’ve Never Heard Of (VICE)
Might the future of ads and media look a lot like the past?

Web3/Blockchain:

As more and more groundbreaking discussions about Web3 and blockchain are taking place every day, I’m dedicating a section of this newsletter to the topic and will highlight the most interesting ones each month.

Hype is a Weaponized Form of Optimism (Nieman Lab)
A contrarian take on emerging technologies.

Developer Turns ‘Future of Gaming’ Talk into a Surprise Attack on Convention’s NFT and Blockchain Sponsors (PC Gamer)
How one developer fought back against the domination of the gaming industry by crypto.

Podcasts:

The Mid-Century Media Theorists Who Saw What Was Coming  (The Ezra Klein Show)

Notable in the Twitter-verse:

Check out these accounts for more on these and other emerging topics:

Gregg Fernandes: @GreggFernandes
Steve Lohr: @SteveLohr
Amanda Ripley: @amandaripley
Ben Wofford: @BenWoffordDC
Taylor Lorenz: @TaylorLorenz

Expanding the View home

Back to top

The post Expanding the View – July 2022 appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

News publishers and magazines have become highly experimental and deeply innovative businesses. We have larger audiences than ever — but also need to create new products and distribution systems to drive a better future. This newsletter is designed to highlight interesting ideas and provoke some thinking. Send suggestions to david@newsmediaalliance.org.

To receive ‘Expanding the View’ in your email inbox each month, click here to subscribe.

What I’ve been reading this month:

The Biggest Change in Media Since Cable Is Happening Right Now (Politico)
Following the demise of CNN+, many predicted an end to streaming digital news platforms. But Politico’s Jack Shafer sees another story. 

An Inflection Point Year for TV Viewing as Cord-Cutters Dominate (CivicScience)
Research firm CivicScience breaks down the trends related to cable “cord cutting” and digital streaming, and makes some predictions for the future.

Google Agrees to Pay for Beefed-Up Wikipedia Service (Courthouse News Service)
While Google is involved in international negotiations regarding paying for news, it has recently agreed to pay the Wikimedia Foundation for access to Wikipedia articles.

Journalism Has Suddenly Taken Off on TikTok: What Publishers Need to Know (Press Gazette)
With the rise of TikTok as a social media platform and cultural juggernaut, some news brands are breaking through to global audiences of the app’s younger users.

Popular Science Owner Recurrent Ventures Raises $300 Million in Blackstone-Led Round (The Wall Street Journal)
A bet on media.

Facebook’s Current State of Decomposition (Garbage Day)
Deep diving into the most recent Facebook Widely Viewed Content report and what it can tell us about the current state of the company and its prospects.

Web3/Blockchain:

I’ve been thinking a lot about crypto and Web3 – and there have been a lot of diverse opinions this month:

The Pivot to Web3 Is Going to Get People Hurt (VICE)
Looking into who stands to benefit from the Web3 “revolution.”

Cautionary Tales from Cryptoland (Harvard Business Review)
Part of HBR’s extensive series on Web3, blockchain and crypto, looking at some of the riskier elements.

Paradise at the Crypto Arcade: Inside the Web3 Revolution (WIRED )
A journalist went to a crypto conference to understand the mindset and found himself starting his own DAO.

In Defense of Crypto(currency) (A Few Thoughts on Cryptographic Engineering)
A cryptographer’s deep dive into the fundamentals that underlie cryptocurrency, while acknowledging many of the field’s flaws.

Notable in the Twitter-verse:

Check out these accounts for more on these and other emerging topics:

Cecilia Kang: @ceciliakang
Catherine Perloff: @catherineperlo1
Feli Carrique: @felicarrique
News Product Alliance: @newsproduct
Today in News Tech: @TodayinNewsTech

From @acfou:

1 in 5 CTV ads shown when TV is off

"Some 17% of ads shown on televisions connected through a streaming device—including streaming boxes, dongles, sticks and gaming consoles—are playing while the TV is off." https://t.co/Kq6xOX9N3S

— Dr. Augustine Fou (@acfou) June 13, 2022

From @ScottBrodbeck:

I’ve been doing this local news thing for 12+ years at this point and for the first time I think I know how it’s going to shake out

— Scott Brodbeck (@scottbrodbeck) June 1, 2022

Expanding the View home

Back to top

The post Expanding the View – June 2022 appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

This is my monthly reading list of stories about emerging business trends that I thought were interesting and are designed to make you think. I hope you enjoy – and if you see any up-and-coming trends for the news industry that you’d like to share, drop me a line at david@newsmediaalliance.org.

To receive ‘Expanding the View’ in your email inbox each month, click here to subscribe.

What I’ve been reading this month:

How the Pandemic Made Algorithms Go Haywire (Slate)
Algorithms have entered every market, industry and sector. This story looks at what happened when healthcare got involved.

Forget Personalisation, It’s Impossible and It Doesn’t Work (MarketingWeek)
For years, personalized marketing has been seen as the holy grail of the field. Should it be?

What Problem Blockchains Actually Solve (The Solution Space)
If recent news about cryptocurrency has you scrambling to find more about the fundamentals, this is a great place to start.

Publishers’ Secondary Market Strategy: What Happens When the Monetary Appeal of NFTs Isn’t Enough?  (Digiday)
For anyone considering using NFTs to raise money, the key question is “then what?”

The 4 Hurdles Micropayment Platforms Can’t Overcome (Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter)
Micropayments have been promised as a solution to the news industry’s woes for years. Why haven’t the promises panned out?

Notable in the Twitter-verse:

Check out these accounts for more on these and other emerging topics:

Alex Kantrowitz: @Kantrowitz
Keach Hagey: @keachhagey
Will Oremus: @WillOremus
Tech Policy Press: @techpolicypress
Julien Genestoux: @julien51

From @AKGrenier:

@netflix DON'T MESS THIS UP!

You have one of the most unique opportunities to execute monetization on a global content platform ever.

DON'T TAKE A GENERIC ADS APPROACH!!!

My brain on how to think about ads from a customer and product first approach on Netflix. …

— Adam Grenier (@AKGrenier) April 21, 2022

From @JorgeStolfi:

Every computer scientist should be able to see that cryptocurrencies are totally disfunctional payment systems, and that "blockchain technology" (including "smart constracts") is a technological fraud. Would they please say that out loud?

— Jorge Stolfi (@JorgeStolfi) May 5, 2022

From @michaelbeach:

Local video advertising will be a $55B market in 2022.

Three big questions.

— Michael Beach (@michaelbeach) May 2, 2022

Expanding the View home

Back to top

The post Expanding the View – May 2022 appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

I’m here with a new monthly reading list of stories about emerging business trends that I thought were interesting and are designed to make you think. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you’re seeing out there that you see as up and coming for the news industry. Drop me a line at david@newsmediaalliance.org.

To receive ‘Expanding the View’ in your email inbox each month, click here to subscribe.

What I’ve been reading this month:

Six Months In, El Salvador’s Bitcoin Gamble is Crumbling (Rest of World)
A deep dive on how the country’s bold crypto experiment is faring.

Web3 and the Trap of ‘For Good’(Stanford Social Innovation Review)
Confused by the big claims around Web3? Here’s a deep dive into how proponents may be wrong that Web3 will change the world.

What Google Search Isn’t Showing You (The New Yorker)
After years as the dominant search engine, is Google still the best tool out there?

Fake News about our Fake News Study Spread Faster than its Truth… Just as We Predicted. (Sinan Aral)
A study about Fake News got the Fake News treatment. You won’t believe what happened next!

Into the Military Metaverse: An Empty Buzzword or a Virtual Resource for the Pentagon? (Breaking Defense)
As industries everywhere consider their dive into the metaverse, a look at how the Department of Defense is thinking about this transition.

President Obama Delivers Speech on Disinformation’s Threat to Democracy (Barack Obama)
President Barack Obama’s Stanford speech on disinformation dives deep into how evolving social and traditional media have led us to this moment.

Chris Dixon Thinks Web3 is the Future of the Internet – Is it? (The Verge)
A long interview with famed tech investor Chris Dixon on the future of web3, crypto, and the state of VC.

Notable in the Twitter-verse:

Check out these accounts for more on these and other emerging topics:

Alan Graham: @agraham999
Aram Zucker-Scharff: @Chronotope
web3 is going just great: @web3isgreat
Big Technology: @BigTechnology
Robin Berjon: @robinberjon

From @jasonkilar:

An observation about digital media, especially video: if a company has to pay for the production of content presented on its service, ad revenue alone is very rarely – if ever – enough to result in a sustainable business long term.

— Jason Kilar (@jasonkilar) April 21, 2022

Expanding the View home

Back to top

The post Expanding the View – April 2022 appeared first on News/Media Alliance.