The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices

This week we hear from Marcela Kunova, Editor at Journalism.co.uk. She’s recently launched a newsroom innovation mentorship programme which will pair experienced industry professionals with local and regional journalists in the UK, with the aim of nurturing innovation in audience engagement, AI, editorial strategy and more. We talked about what she’s hoping to achieve with the programme, how she translated Newsrewired to a virtual event, and why it’s so important to support freelancers. In the news roundup the team discuss a report on the broken link between reach and revenue, and ask if we can ever get past the 'publishers vs. Duopoly' industry mindset. We also discuss the closure of Knewz, how privacy is driving advertisers to Android, and genuinely horrifying behaviour from a BBC non-exec director. Chris lives under a busy flightpath now, apparently.

This week, we hear from Chris Duncan, CEO of UK Publishing at Bauer Media Group. He joined the company just a few weeks after last year's lockdown, so he talks about what it's been like leading Bauer through such a turbulent year, their wins and losses throughout the pandemic, and which trends he's seen accelerated in the business. He also discusses how Bauer's business priorities have changed post-Covid, and what it's like heading a magazine company after over a decade working at a news publisher. In the news roundup we discuss the data behind the end of the Trump Bump (and where we can gin up some controversy next), then ask if the BBC needs to be objective about climate change and ask if Microsoft is the unlikely saviour of micropayments. A joke sails over Esther's head.

This week, we hear from Jo Holdaway, Chief Data and Marketing Officer at Independent Digital News & Media - home of The Independent and The Evening Standard. She talks about what sort of data is important to publishers, especially when it comes to subscription strategies, why it's important to have a diverse team working with data, and how she's preparing the business for the sunsetting of third-party cookies. In the news round up, Peter and Esther are joined by guest host Adam Tinworth to dissect the findings of the latest Reuters Digital News Report 2021. We look at how people prefer to access news, which existing trends have been accelerated by the pandemic, and whether a brief bounceback in trust can be sustained.

This week we hear from Jasper Wang, VP of Revenue & Operations for Defector Media. Defector was formed after a mass staff exodus from former GO Media property Deadspin after an internal dispute about who knew its audience best. Defector is now an employee-owned and operated news site that has introduced measures specifically to ensure its staff have a say in the business, even as they write for its audience. Now, on the first anniversary of its founding, we hear about the site's ambitions, how it keeps its staff safe and happy, and what other media businesses can learn from an employee-owned outlet. In the news roundup Chris and Peter take a look at GB News' launch one week on, ask if there's a future for The Athletic now that talks with the New York Times have broken down, and suggest that perhaps privatising Channel 4 in the current climate isn't such a great idea. Special appearance from a bird directly outside Chris' window.

This week, we hear from Mohamed Nanabhay, Deputy CEO of the Media Development Investment Fund. He talks about his work in the early days of online publishing bringing 'new media' to Al Jazeera, how the MDIF decides which businesses to invest in, and why he thinks the pandemic has provided an opportunity for independent media to thrive. Their latest initiative, MDIF Ventures is accepting applications now for media companies located in countries where access to free and independent news and information is under threat. In the news roundup the team discuss whether Apple's changes to privacy will impact publishers who depend on newsletters, ask what led to The Sun being classed by Rupert Murdoch as a WORTHLESS ASSET, and ask if now is the time to slip half-human half-animal hybrids into the public.

In this week's episode we hear from Decanter's Editor in Chief Chris Maillard about the challenge of refreshing Future's newly-acquired wine brand - without alienating its incredibly loyal readership. In the news roundup we discuss whether local news has reached a turning point, ask if we'd pay for Twitter Blue, and laugh at Trump closing his blog due to low readership. Chris fills in for Peter in the outro, to mixed success.

For publishers with a well established content workflow, adding podcasts can seem like a daunting task. But, as this Conversations episode demonstrates, those publishers already have what is needed to create and distribute podcasts that add value to your audience and business alike. Media Voices co-founder Chris Sutcliffe talks to Eurosport’s Aude Baron and Podinstall's Sarah Toporoff to discuss: What are the biggest challenges for publishers trying to get into podcasting? How did Eurosport overcome these challenges? What is best practice for repurposing video as audio content, and what are the benefits of distributing podcasts directly from your own website? Visit https://www.podinstall.com for more information.

In this week's episode we hear from Robbie Kellman Baxter, an author and consultant with over twenty years of experience in subscription pricing, digital community, and freemium. Robbie started working with membership and subscription models like Netflix while they were still sending out DVDs, and has written The Membership Economy and The Forever Transaction exploring the membership models of the industry giants, and how organisations of any size can take a slice of the subscription pie for themselves. Robbie is currently working with FIPP on an online event exploring the world of direct-to-consumer revenue models for media businesses. In the news roundup we speak about a report that local publishers are set to lose tens of millions from the demise of the third-party cookie, ask if The Athletic's mooted sale to the NYT was always a cynical scale play, and examine what the likely features of Twitter Blue are. Esther sings Eiffel 65.

This week we hear from Bo Sacks, lecturer and media expert, about trends that have come and gone, why he thinks there’s strength in print as a niche product, and why we’re currently in the golden age of publishing. In the news roundup we discuss the vampiric Alden Global Capital acquiring Tribune Publishing (née Tronc), Snapchat's push into augmented reality, and Axel Springer's "sudden" and "inexplicable" partnership with Facebook. Watch Peter floss over at the Media Voices TikTok channel.

In this special episode, the Media Voices team take a look at which media companies and personalities have been the biggest winners and losers of the lockdown-era. From The Big Issue to almost every event company, we try to find the silver linings for publishers in what's been a mostly awful year.

This week Mental Floss editor in chief Erin McCarthy tells us about how its celebrating its 20th anniversary, how the magazine started in a university dorm room, its mission to help people feel smarter and how the team decides what to cover. In the news roundup the team discuss a good week for a business-savvy Twitter, a bad week for Facebook and Snapchat, and the worst few years of all time for Yahoo & AOL. Peter has emails older than Esther.

This week Twitch's Creative Strategy Lead Jack Woodcock tells us about the opportunities for publishers around livestreaming, what lessons we can learn from the success of individual streamers, and how the team at Twitch looks to the community when creating new features. In the news roundup the team discuss the rise of subscription products for podcasts, ask why local news isn't reaping the digital ad boom, and discuss Gannett paying some women nearly $30,000 less than their male peers. The team critique Steve Jobs' fashion choices.

In this week's episode we hear from co-founder Gina Tonic on The Fat Zine - an independent magazine by fat people for fat people plus those that care. We spoke about the F word, the influence of Pitch Perfect, being an activist vs being a publisher, Fat Liberation and how inside every thin person there’s a fat person dying to get out. In the news roundup we take a look at which publishers have come out of the pandemic in the best shape, ask why there have been so many journalism unions established over the past year, and look at how Reach is using Instagram. Esther questions Peter's tech credibility, regrets it.

This week, we hear from the Wall Street Journal’s Editor of Live Journalism and Special Content Kim Last. She talks about the role of live journalism at the publication, how they adapted when the pandemic hit, and what they are doing to bring events and networking to life virtually as their Future of Everything Festival approaches. In the news roundup we discuss Dollar Shave Club pulling its funding from Mel Magazine, ask if Substack Local can solve the issue of news deserts, and test Peter's knowledge of monthly newspaper subscription prices as Reuters goes behind a paywall. See you on Wednesday for the Publisher Podcast Awards '21!

This week Hannah Robathan, co-founder of Shado, tell us about the realities of publishing a print magazine and online platform that gives people the space to tell their own stories. We spoke about their frustration with the mainstream media, what activism means and what success looks like for Shado. In the news roundup, the BBC and Reach make big announcements about office closures, we ask if an Instagram for under 13s is as crazy as it sounds, and discuss the Telegraph tying its journalists' appraisals and potentially pay to their stories' performance. We desperately need a break - see you on April 12th!

On this week's episode The Big Issue CEO Paul Cheal tells us about the magazine’s fight to survive lockdown, the innovations that got it through and how those changes have spurred new ways of thinking about how the Big Issue will work in the future. In the news roundup the team recaps a week that reflects poorly on the UK media landscape and asks what can be done to improve its bigotry issue. We also look at Google's PPID solution, The Information's five new newsletters, and BuzzFeed gutting HuffPost. Peter sings a song to celebrate a major life achievement.

This week James Stables, founder and Co CEO of tech recommendation sites Wareable.com and The Ambient, discusses the meteoric rise of the business, unknown SEO problems, and the precarious nature of affiliate revenues. In the news roundup it's Peter vs. Esther in the battle of reader revenues. We discuss the Facebook Oversight Board's teething troubles, several new launches, and City AM's return to print. Chris wears out a new sound effect in the space of a single episode.

In this week's episode Hannah Taylor, editor and founder for The Delicate Rébellion, tells us about her print magazine showcasing the work of independent female creatives, the community that has grown out of the magazine and her new online shop. She tells us how crappy teachers led her eventually to start her own magazine to encourage women to follow their creative passions. In the news roundup the team discusses Twitter launching its subscription options for creators, the ongoing saga of Australia and the Duopoly, and why Al Jazeera is launching a platform for conservatives in the US called ‘Rightly’. The team disagrees about Peter's new sandwich idea at length.

This week Megan Lucero, director of the Bureau Local at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, provides us with a look at the present and future of local journalism. From the trials of finding resources to the project mentality behind some powerful stories, Lucero provides a hopeful and achievable look at how regional media is changing. In the news roundup, we discuss the fallout and hot takes from the Australia/Google/Facebook news and try to come with a workable solution to an intractable problem. Esther's back!

This week Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Director at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, tells us where newspapers are going wrong in their subscription marketing. We also discuss why there’s no easy solution to the need for internal change in newsrooms, why Nordic countries outperform when it comes to the membership mentality, and why we should look to Coca-Cola for advice. In the news roundup we take a tour through all the subscription-focused news of the past week, ask whether we should join Clubhouse, and examine the rise of bookazines. Chris and Peter sing kids' TV themes.

This week Zach Seward, CEO of Quartz, explains why he bought the business lifestyle brand from Uzabase. He tells us how it all started and how it’s going, about memberships and advertising, and the Quartz mission to make business better. In the news roundup Peter and Chris discuss the opportunities for The New European after its purchase by a consortium of the best and brightest in the media business world. We also discuss Google's latest advertising battles, the launch of URL Media, and the sad closure of The Overtake.

This week Dr Samir Husni, founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism and New Media, tells us why magazines are the ultimate new media. He explains the wild ride that was magazine publishing in 2020, his print evangelism, the benefits that digital brings and his favourite magazine. Oh, and why he's called 'Mr. Magazine'. In the news roundup, Chris and Peter discuss Twitter getting into the subscription business, why Facebook is allowing people to monetise misinformation, and if Nextdoor is the future of local news. Welcome to the world, Emily!

This week we hear from Yahoo Lifestyle's Editor in Chief for Southeast Asia Reta Lee. We talked about her career in media and her work at Yahoo Lifestyle, including spinning up new content pillars and identifying new trends. She also discusses the opportunity for eCommerce in Asia, collaborating with teams in the US and UK, and what opportunities she's got her eye on over the next few years. In the news roundup we ask what motivates the constant argy bargy between tech platforms, countries and publishers. We examine why Forbes wants to launch a contributor network for newsletters, and ask if Rolling Stone's pay-to-play model is the death of culture. Good luck Esther!

Last year, the team at Pugpig decided to take a step back from their day-to-day development work and get a sense of what was going on in the wider digital publishing market. Analysing data from their publishing clients and interviewing 40 senior executives, they created the company’s first annual State of the Digital Publishing Market report. As the platform provider for over 300 media brands - from The Economist to The Independent - Pugpig is in a unique position to answer key questions about the digital publishing market. In this special Conversations episode of Media Voices, 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 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. In the news roundup, we discuss Axios launching its own communications platform that will enable businesses to update their employees in Axios’ bullet-point style, scary stats for newsletter-based publishers, and the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of misinformation on Twitter.

This week Sara Fischer, Media Reporter at Axios, tells us about her process for crafting a thoughtful, informative newsletter, whether Axios’ ‘smart brevity’ model can work for local news, and what lessons she’s taken from covering media companies that she applies to her own work. In the news roundup the team discuss the fallout for publishers from Trump's ban from social media, and the trends that led to this point. We also talk UK local news priorities, why Meredith’s Travel + Leisure has been acquired by a timeshare resort company, and the appointment of the new BBC chair. Peter auditions for the next Terminator movie.

As well as its flagship paper, The Economist also publishes future-gazing issues looking at what to expect the next year and even further into the future. This week Tom Standage, its Deputy Editor and Head of Digital Strategy tells us about the reason why it believes doing so is central its mission, what needs to happen to prevent journalists revisiting familiar mistakes in the near future, and why blaming the Duopoly for revenue doldrums is unhelpful. In the news roundup the team discusses the closure of The Correspondent, The Atlantic's new chief executive, and why UK digital news audiences have grown 30% over the year. Chris' brain gives up halfway through the news roundup. Happy holidays, everybody!

This special episode includes the audio of our launch presentation for the Media Moments 2020 report. Esther, Peter and Chris examine one key stat of each section within the report, from diversity through platforms to trust. In the second half of the episode the team is joined by a panel of Jemima Villanueva, Executive Director, EMEA at The Atlantic, Aly Nurmohamed, General Manager of Permutive and Andrea Barbalich, Editor in Chief of The Week Junior US. Download the full report at https://bit.ly/mediamoments 2020

A few weeks ago, Hearst UK announced that women's lifestyle magazine Prima would increase its print edition from 12 to 13 issues a year, following a 68% surge in subscriptions this year. 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. Jo also outlines what she's done to keep her magazines thriving during her career despite tough market conditions for women's titles. In the news roundup the team discusses Future Plc's resurgent fortunes and purchase of GoCompare, the UK government's attempts to create a competition regime to tackle the ‘fundamental imbalance of power’ between platforms and publishers, and Spotify launching a Stories copy. Esther is a meerkat.

This week we hear from Scott Omelianuk, Inc.'s Editor in Chief. He talks about how starting his new job just before lockdown affected Inc.'s plans for change, how their content strategy has shifted in response to a momentous year in politics, and the thinking behind their new texting subscription service. He also explains why media businesses need a process before trying new platforms. In the news roundup the team discusses BuzzFeed buying HuffPost, Google's payments to French publishers, and the whys and wherefores of launching a one-off print comic book for grown-ups. Don't worry, America, Peter still loves you really.

This week Gary Rayneau, co-founder of Project 23 tells us about about his time leading a diverse team at Dennis, the impact of Black Lives Matter in 2020, and how publishers can approach diversity and inclusion in the right way. In the news roundup we discuss Quartz's sale to itself, Spotify purchasing Megaphone, and BuzzFeed launching its sexual wellness vertical.

Over the past two years publishers have rightly been shouting about the power of their first party data. Understandably, that’s led to many becoming protective of the data that underpins this rediscovered strength - but rather than building up walls, many are doubling down on collaboration within the industry. Rather than simply hoarding that data, publishers are looking for ways to work with marketers to enhance their understanding of the consumer. This Conversations episode discusses the importance of an open web to advertisers, the realities of our new cookieless ecosystem and how identity solutions add value to the entire ecosystem. To discuss all that Chris is joined by Terry Hornsby, Digital Solutions Director at Reach PLC, and Chris Hogg, EMEA Managing Director at Lotame.

This week, we hear from Uwern Jong, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of OutThere magazine. He talks to us about the luxury LBGTQ travel brand's journey over the past decade, including how he's grown print readership, and how the pandemic has impacted travel content. He also discusses how he went about revamping the site's digital strategy, and what results he's seen. In the news roundup the team discusses Cosmo launching its own wine brand, the NYT's great results, and ask if Europe is too dependent on English-language news to tell its story. Oh, and how the media covered the US election.

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards News & Current Affairs category was the Week Unwrapped from Dennis Publishing. Former editor Arion McNicoll says there’s a small but critical difference between an OK podcast and a good podcast. 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.

This week, we hear from Erica Anderson, Executive Producer of Content and Partnerships at New York Magazine and Vox Media. She talks about what she took from her time working at Google and Twitter, what goes into developing outstanding podcasts, and what Vox Media is doing to prepare for changes in the podcast industry. In the news roundup the team discuss how easily segments of the British press were gulled into reporting a fake story, whether Tim Davie's new social guidelines at the BBC are helpful, and discover who the main winners in adspend are for 2020. We demand more Pick'n'Mix.

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards Branded category was the Bestseller podcast from Reedsy. Podcast host Casimir Stone says editing takes time, but crafting a podcast episode around a narrative allows you to deliver a different kind of value than a straight interview and differentiation matters; make sure you know why you are making a podcast and how it’s going to be different from what everyone else is doing.

This week Rory Brown, co-founder and CEO of AgriBriefing, speaks about building a niche B2B business, the issues with finance in media, Agribriefing's acquisition strategy, and keeping an entrepreneurial spirit alive as a larger company. In the news roundup the team takes a look at the welcome trend of new climate change verticals, have a discussion about the death of Quibi, and Time's new children-focused subscription. With apologies to Elton John.

Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of high-profile examples of journalists leaving publications to launch their own newsletters. This isn't a new trend, but as tools like Substack, Medium and Patreon have grown in prominence, the barriers to making a living off working by yourself have come down. In this special podumentary episode, we talk to journalists at a range of stages, from those that have been flying solo with their own businesses for a number of years, to those that have recently taken the leap. What connects them all is a loyal newsletter audience, although as we'll see later, that isn't always enough. Hear from Casey Newton, Thomas Baekdal, Simon Owens, Anne Helen Petersen and Josh Sternberg as they talk about the realities of what it takes to go it alone with reader revenue as a journalist.

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards Science and Medical category was the Nature Podcast from Springer Nature. Podcast host Benjamin Thomson says put storytelling at the heart of your podcast. Journalists best support commercial objectives by making really interesting podcasts and if you find one story dominating your podcast regularly, consider a dedicated spin off.

This week, we hear from Casey Newton, founder of Platformer. He was previously The Verge's long-time Silicon Valley editor, where his newsletter The Interface grew to 20,000 subscribers. Now, he's gone solo with his own Substack newsletter Platformer. He talks to us about what made him decide to take the plunge, how his first week at his new newsletter Platformer has gone, and what a Platformer podcast model would look like. He also discusses where he sees platform regulation ending up after more than a decade of covering the tech giants, and shares the first steps he would take to fix them if he was put in charge. In the news roundup the team discusses whether coronavirus will have a long-lasting impact on trust in journalism. We also discuss the sale of Quartz, Stylist's move away from being a free magazine in favour of distribution through Ocado, and how one Arkansas title reduced churn to 1%. Pod save the Queen.

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards Sports category was The Spin from the Guardian. Podcast producer Geoff Gein says editing is an essential part of the podcasting process, don’t underestimate how much time it takes. And although podcasting is not rocket science, get expert advice to help you build out infrastructure and fix formats quickly.

This week, we hear from Anna Bassi, Editor in Chief of The Week Junior. They’ve had a milestone couple of months, recently releasing their 250th issue and increasing circulation during lockdown by 22% year on year. She talks about why a print magazine for children is doing so well in 2020, how they approach really difficult topics like protests and pandemics, and how their podcast is doing a year on. In the news roundup we take a look at the recent launches from Future plc, Reuters, Bloomberg and more, before rattling through the news in brief. Get well soon, Donny!

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards Lifestyle category was the Olive Magazine Podcast from Immediate Media. Deputy Editor and podcast host Janine Ratcliffe says your podcast doesn’t need to be super slick, but it does need to be a pleasant listening experience, care about commercial content every bit as much as you care about your regular episodes and the best publisher podcasts develop a life of their own.

This week we hear from Director of Cognitive Publishing Roy Rowlands on what it’s like to be in a family publishing business with a trillion-pound audience, going all-digital with their B2B titles, and the benefits of being in Manchester. He also outlines how they've adapted in lockdown, including the reasons behind their decision not to go virtual with events. In the news roundup the team examines why so many journalists are leaving to form their own newsletter-based businesses, ask whether the rumoured changes to British broadcasting's top brass are good for the country, and discuss the latest developments in the TikTok trade war. Bonus discussion: is Media Voices a tiny enough business to be called 'cute'?

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards Specialist podcast category was History Extra from the BBC’s History Magazine, published by Immediate Media. Publisher and podcast host Dave Musgrove says publishers new to podcasting should choose a format that they will be able to deliver on a regular basis. The key to success is to commit and give a podcast the time to grow and find its unique voice.

This week, we hear from Tobi Oredein, Co-Founder and CEO of Black Ballad, a UK-based lifestyle platform for Black British women. She talked about what drove her to found the site, why they decided to launch memberships ahead of the curve in 2016, and the impact of their recent HuffPost takeover. She also outlines how their Future News Funding will help them better serve and grow their audience outside London. In the news roundup, the team goes deep into Trump v. TikTok and its implications for publishers, looks at what good news means for The Telegraph around subscriptions, and discusses the BBC failing to close its gender pay gap. A slip of the tongue leads 'directors' to become 'dictators'.

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards Technology category and our Publisher Podcast of the Year 2020 was Crazy/Genius from The Atlantic. Executive producer Katherine Wells says talk to writers and editors for new podcast ideas and train your writers to be talkers. Remember your listeners aren’t necessarily your readers, make your brand values clear and consistent.

This episode Josh Schollmeyer, co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief of online men’s magazine MEL, takes us through working at the legacy print behemoth Playboy, why that convinced him men’s magazines needed to change and the branded media business model that is at the heart of MEL’s success. In the news roundup, we discuss growth and success at The Atlantic, The Athletic, El Pais and Future plc, and come away hopeful for once.

The winner of the 2020 Publisher Podcast Awards B2B category was the Digiday Podcast. Digiday President, editor-in-chief and podcast host Brian Morrissey says build your podcast around what you do best, but be adaptable. Be clear on the job your podcast does for your business; think of it as a feature of your brand, not as a separate product.

In this first episode back following an... eventful summer for media, the team discusses six topics you might have missed over the past month: • Facebook goes to war with Australian publishers • Amid many magazine closures, some green shoots emerge • Vulture attempts to create a vertical around podcast criticism • Which global megacorp deserves your support, Apple or Epic? • Vogue business and the unstoppable rise of reader revenue plays (at least until they stop working) • Ecommerce booms - but can publishers take advantage of it? Guest starring the planes that flew an inch over Chris' flat.