Friday 5th July: The Independent’s CEO eyes publisher partnerships beyond BuzzFeed

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CEO Christian Broughton says he has received interest in collaborations from other ‘embattled news brands’ since The Independent took over Buzzfeed’s UK business in March. In an interview with The Media Leader he reported having had “more than half a dozen” serious conversations with “major” global publishers considering a similar partnership.

He believes the attraction is that The Independent is one of a very small number of digital-only publishers that is profitable and growing - he says its on track to grow revenue by double digits this year. Add to that the news that The Buzzfeed partnership appears to be working and it’s easy to see why Broughton is so popular with digital brands that need a hand.

The collaboration model is interesting, retaining the power of individual brands, but pooling data and resources to maximise sales and audience reach. I wonder though how well it would work if The Independent started working with any more of those half-dozen global publishers. Fit and focus seem to have been a big deal in making this collaboration a success.

Here’s why publisher AI deals will never be enough. News Corp global chief executive Robert Thomson has indicated that the company is considering legal action against at least one generative artificial intelligence firm. That’s weeks after sealing a deal with OpenAI. There are so many AI companies and the goalposts are being moved so fast no one has a clue what the deals they are doing will mean in six months week’s time.

Brian Morrissey is having a look at retail media in his newsletter. He highlights growth in the space and the threat of shifting advertising budgets. But he also highlights the opportunity for publishers: “The opportunity for publishers is to partner with these retail media networks for access to publisher inventory. Contextual data might not be as valued as commerce data, but it matters. As do brands.”

Businessweek editor Brad Stone, who was appointed in January, tells Press Gazette that the title’s move to monthly print frequency is not a retreat for the brand. He explained: “We all know how difficult it is to sit there and read a 4,000 or 5,000-word investigation online. You know, we’re living in a chaotic and confusing world where we need more of that kind of storytelling and not less. So I do think there’s a place for print.”

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