Thursday 26th January: Report on reviving local news critical of biggest players

January 26, 2023

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MPs call for public interest local news fund and accuse major publishers of 'compromising quality'

MPs accused the biggest local publishers of "compromising the quality" of their journalism in a report on local journalism sustainability.

https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/regional-newspapers/local-journalism-sustainability-report/

Echoing our lead newsletter story yesterday, The UK Commons Culture Committee has said the right government support could "revive" the local news sector in Britain. One idea floated in the committee's new report on the sustainability of local journalism is to set up a “long-term public interest news fund with a remit to support innovation”.

It also recommended a review of the requirements for where statutory notices must be placed to make revenue is more accessible to new and digital players. In an email, Social Spider's David Floyd told me he was 'particularly pleased to see reform of statutory notices as one of the key bullet points'.

As well as suggesting ways to make things better, the MPs on the committee have also accused the UK’s biggest local news publishers of “compromising the quality” of their journalism. Concerns raised included page view targets, low salaries, the closing of offices, and a strategy to produce a large amount of content to maximise digital advertising revenues. It's like they've been reading our mail.

"ChatGPT? We're going to experiment": An interview with TMB's President and CEO, Bonnie Kintzer | What’s New in Publishing | Digital Publishing News

“It’s not a time to be depressed, opportunities abound for publishers – just meet your audiences where they are.” In a wide-ranging interview with TMB’s President and CEO, Bonnie Kintzer, we discussed the media giant’s foray into FAST TV, as well as her thoughts on TikTok, video, and affiliate marketing. And, yes, TMB is experimenting …

https://whatsnewinpublishing.com/chatgpt-were-going-to-experiment-an-interview-with-tmbs-president-and-ceo-bonnie-kintzer/

The conversation around the developing role of AI in media feels a bit like that conversation between Werner Herzog and Slavoj Žižekat - infinite! But every now and then, there's a little light alongside the heat. In this wide ranging WNIP interview, TMB’s President and CEO Bonnie Kintzer ends with the AI advice to 'experiment and learn'. Spot on.

In 2023, marketers’ understanding of minority groups is more important than ever

For The Drum's Predictions Deep Dive, Martin Rothwell of agency GottaBe! looks at how new data will deepen marketers' understanding of minority ethnic groups and supercharge campaigns.

https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2023/01/24/2023-marketers-understanding-minority-groups-more-important-ever

I'm working on a piece considering the business case for diversity and inclusion. This article in The Drum looks at how data will deepen marketer's understanding of minority groups. It cites a report that by 2061, minority ethnic groups will represent a third of the UK population with annual disposable income of £575 billion. For anyone in the media that hasn't quite got the moral and ethical argument for diversity and inclusion, that's a pretty conclusive economic case right there.

Guardian US announces Margaret Sullivan as new weekly columnist

Beginning this week, Margaret Sullivan, one of America’s leading journalists and media commentators, will join the Guardian US

https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/2023/jan/25/guardian-us-announces-margaret-sullivan-as-new-weekly-columnist

Maggie Sullivan, one of America’s leading journalists and media commentators, has joined the Guardian US to write a weekly column on media, politics and culture. Demonstrating that she has no intention of avoiding the thorniest issues of the day, her first column outlines what she would do if she was CEO of Twitter. The first thing on her agenda would be to "start putting out the multiple dumpster fires blazing in Twitter HQ." Good to have you back Maggie.

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Dexerto CEO Josh Nino on standing out among gaming publishers

Josh Nino tells us about how esports-focused publication Dexerto went about carving a foothold in a competitive market.

https://voices.media/dexerto-ceo-josh-nino-on-standing-out-in-the-crowded-market-of-gaming-publishers/

On this week’s episode, Dexerto CEO Josh Nino tells us about how the esports-focused publication went about carving a foothold in a competitive market that is often unfriendly to newcomers. He also talks about where a publication like Dexerto looks to grow revenue and audience – and whether those opportunities are universal for all digital publications – and what he thinks is the future of sports and esports-related communities online.