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Blurring the thin line between journalism and advocacy — www.newcomer.co

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz - formerly described by Benedict Evans as "a media company that monetizes through VC" is now more of a media company than ever. The Information reported yesterday that the VC firm is launching a new tech-oriented media publication, with the implication that it wants to have direct control over its relationship with the media. It is also going to be unabashedly forward in its advocacy on behalf of its investments.

That's nothing new, of course. There are many media publications that exist primarily to foist the views of people who have a vested interest in certain markets. More media companies like that launch every day, and the thin line between journalism and advocacy is gently stepped over by many in the industry every day.

It brings to mind a discussion the other day between Jeff Jarvis and others in the industry, as the reaction to this piece from Lionel Barber that argues (confusingly) for an impossible objectivity in journalism - even as that leads to inadvertent advocacy on behalf of the status quo.

Vogue to release new Kamala Harris cover after original sparks backlash — www.theguardian.com

Any appointment of a key political figure is noteworthy - and the announcement of Kamala Harris as the first female VP of the United States more than most. So we can understand why people would have strong opinions about the Vogue cover that features Harris - though we're a little surprised the magazine has decided to change it.

Reach provides 'irrefutable' evidence that advertising next to negative stories safe for brands — www.pressgazette.co.uk

Keyword blocking is a real drag on publishers' advertising ambitions. The fear that people will perceive a brand negatively if its creative runs alongside negative news stories appears to be largely overblown, if this "irrefutable" evidence from Reach is to be believed.

Pugpig's Jonny Kaldor discusses the state of the digital publishing market — voices.media

In this new Conversations episode, Peter Houston is joined by Pugpig founder and CEO Jonny Kaldor to discuss what’s been happening in the world of digital publishing, and what to expect from 2021.

This week's podcast:

Think Publishing CEO Ian McAuliffe on perfect staff and clients — voices.media

Ian McAuliffe, founder and CEO of Think Publishing, talks about the evolving landscape of contract publishing. He tells us about the ideal employee or a contract publisher, the ideal client and how the pandemic has accelerated digital adoption amongst traditionally conservative clients, but still not killed off print.