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Condé Nast Entertainment wanted a major podcast network, but the producers say they got burned instead — www.theverge.com

A number of people have expressed surprise that Condé's podcasting ambitions (in the US) have hit a roadblock, given the success of their video and social media teams.

But an open letter from 11 former Condé Nast Entertainment contract producers sheds some light on how easily a bright future in audio can be crippled by mismanagement.

"We believe that Condé Nast could have a bright future in audio," they write. "However, we don’t foresee success for this or any audio initiative that doesn’t respect its producers, editors, engineers, or the creative work they’re making...To anyone considering hiring people to make audio, you have the power to be part of a transformation."

It's rare we get a glimpse of how or why things like this fail. Drama aside, there are some really important lessons highlighted in these pieces that companies investing in audio - or indeed any new initiative - would do well to learn.

USA TODAY has big plans for immersive storytelling — digitalcontentnext.org

One by me for Digital Content Next. Lots of publishers tried out VR and AR initially, but few have developed this into anything long term. But as audiences get more familiar with mobile AR technology, USA TODAY are reaping the rewards of having a team dedicated to emerging formats.

Opportunities for publishers in 2021: a moment to reflect and reset on long-held strategies and beliefs — voices.media

The swerves publishers take in 2021 are likely to be much sharper than we can predict. But despite the many challenges on the horizon, there’s reason for hope. Chris Sutcliffe rounds up what 2020 brought publishing, and what could be around the corner.

76% of publishers have “accelerated their plans for digital transition”: Here's how — whatsnewinpublishing.com

WNIP pulls out the key learnings from the latest Reuters report into how publishers have responded to Covid-19 and what that means for this year. Promising new revenue streams include eCommerce, with spending to reach $7t in the next 4 years, and podcasts, which will reach $3.3b by 2025.

This week's podcast:

Axios’ Media Reporter Sara Fischer on crafting informative newsletters and media coverage — voices.media

Sara tells us about her process for writing a thoughtful, informative newsletter, whether Axios’ ‘smart brevity’ model can work for local news, and what lessons she’s taken from covering media companies that she applies to her own work.

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