Wednesday 2nd December: Patch's newsletter platform facilitating local news

December 02, 2020

Good morning! Today's Media Roundup is brought to you by Peter.

We're launching our annual Media Moments 2020 report today, looking at how 2020 has changed the media landscape and asking a panel of publishing experts how they'll be facing next year's challenges.

It would be great to see you at 16.00 GMT / 11.00 EST. Register here!

We've talked a fair bit about solo journalists launching their own newsletter businesses. Now Patch, the hyperlocal digital news company, has built a new software platform that lets local news reporters publish their own newsletters and websites.

According to Axios, as well as a few local newsrooms, "Patch Labs" software is currently being used by individual journalists covering small communities. The software lets reporters sell ads and subscriptions directly and keep most of the revenue, with Patch keeping just 3% to 10%.

Reporters and newsrooms can use the platform for free, but Patch approves them and requires them to agree to a journalistic code of ethics. With local news under intense cost pressure, this type of shared publishing tech might just be the lifeline underserved communities desperately need to get back to reliable local reporting.

Hearst had to stop offering discounted magazine subscriptions early in the pandemic as new subscriber numbers jumped dramatically. Press Gazette is reporting that the company went from a modest 5% subs growth to being 233% up, forcing the business to ditch the 'three issues for £1 style trials' that it normally uses as a loss leader in reader acquisition.

Another day another social network doing a deal with mainstream media outlets to head off an impending government crackdown on its business model. This time it's Facebook offering British publishers cash to put their content in the platform's soon to launch news tab. The Guardian is reporting most UK newspapers have signed up (as you would).

The latest mutation of the misinformation Hellscape blends real-world print to bypass online fact checkers with social media reach to recruit distributors. A 5,000-strong private Facebook group is handing out copies of conspiracy-theory ridden paper The Light all across the UK. One of the few times I wished print was dead.

This week's podcast:

This week, we talk to Prima's Editor Jo Checkley about what factors led to the decision to increase the frequency of the magazine, how their content has encouraged a community feel among their readers, and what lessons they'll be taking from producing magazines in lockdown.

We've already exceeded the total number of entries we had last year! But we know it's a really busy time of year, so we're giving you the rest of the week to get your entries in. Submissions will now close on Friday 4th December at 11.59pm GMT.