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The Washington Post beefs up contextual targeting in the post-cookie era — www.adweek.com

With everything else going on, it's easy to forget that the end of third party cookies is looming. The Washington Post has been leading the way on technical solutions to this, firstly with its Zeus Insights platform, and now Washington Post Signal.

Signal monitors hundreds of consumption data cues, like identifying where readers come from, or what topic or entry point they first engaged with - a clear 'signal' of intent.

Technicalities aside, contextual targeting is something that is growing in strength as a replacement for third party cookies. In a nutshell, it targets ads based on what you're reading, rather than who it thinks you are. So if you're reading an article about biking routes, you're more likely to be interested in bike ads.

Revolutionary, right?! Of course, this is something publishers have known for a long time, which is why advertising against publisher content should command decent pricing. If advertisers swing back to contextual, publishers are very well placed to rise to the top again.

Navigating COVID-19 and ad tech: 7 tactics for publishers — whatsnewinpublishing.com

Another fantastic piece from Damian Radcliffe from his Publisher's Guide to Covid-19 report. This time, he gives an overview of the key ad tech issues that publishers have had to contend with over the past few months, and seven potential solutions to them.

Twitter, Facebook throttle Trump posts alleging election theft — www.theverge.com

Who knows what will have happened in the hours between me drafting this newsletter and you receiving it, but if you've missed all the fun, this piece rounds up some of the actions the platforms have taken against claims of vote rigging and fraud. However, for every action the platforms take, the media amplify what was originally said. That's a big discussion for another time...

Talking about mental health with your employees — without overstepping — hbr.org

As lockdown II begins in the UK and uncertainty reigns elsewhere, more of us will be suffering with our mental health. This guide from HBR sets out how to approach these conversations with employees and colleagues, including how to really listen. Virtual hugs from us here at MV to anyone struggling.

Throwback Thursday:

Digital editor of In The Moment magazine Sarah Orme on the emerging market of mindfulness — voices.media

Today's throwback is to Sarah Orme, former digital editor of Immediate Media’s In The Moment magazine. She explains how the magazine has grown with the rising interest in mindfulness, its position as a women’s lifestyle title, print production values, and an expanding podcast portfolio.

Lessons from award-winning publisher podcasts: The Week Unwrapped’s Arion McNicoll — voices.media

The latest in our mini series is live. Peter talks to The Week's former editor Arion McNicholl about what he's learned from The Week Unwrapped. Start with a worthwhile listener experience, then work on revenue and, if you bring real editorial rigour to your sponsored episodes, you might miss out on some sponsors, but you won’t insult your listeners.