The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices

On this week's episode of Media Voices, we hear from Dr Bibiana Campos Seijo, VP of the Chemical and Engineering News Media Group at the American Chemical Society. We spoke about finding a broader audience for chemistry content, about covering subjects like the environment and diversity in a professional publication, and how to say "those men stole my shoes" in Spanish. In the news roundup the team exorcise a depressing week of news about the failure of journalists to cover some huge political issues by talking about whether Chrome 76 is a Trojan horse for Subscribe With Google, The Atlantic introducing a daily idea for smart speakers, and take a trip down memory lane as Twitch acquires Bebo.

This week, Den of Geek's UK Editor Rosie Fletcher talks to us about the mainstreaming of geek culture, finding an angle for entertainment stories everyone is covering, and how to maintain a friendly online community. She also explains how they used a 'time travel expert' to get a fresh angle on the latest Marvel movie. In the news round up, Peter and Esther debate whether 'time travel expert' is even a job title, what the publisher deal is with new aggregator app 'Mogul News', and the findings of Reuters' Digital News Report 2019. They both try to work out what the Brexitcast podcast could look like as a TV show, and Peter learns more about Snapchat filters.

On this week's episode of Media Voices, Google's Head of News Ecosystem Development Madhav Chinnappa takes us through his views on the often-fraught relationship between publishers and platforms, what lessons he's learned from the Google News Initiative, and what best practice looks like for subscriptions success. In the news roundup the team each share their own take on the state of micropayments for news, some job cuts at The Sun, and a weird tale about traffic at Mail Online. Chris sets Peter and Esther homework.

This week, we hear from veteran of the magazine industry Paul Rayner about his career trajectory from Dennis to LadBible to the Chelsea Magazine company and the lessons he’s learned along the way. In the news roundup, the team tries and fails to discuss DMGT's latest results with a particular focus on Mail Online, whether Fortune going behind a paywall is the canary in the coalmine for other paywall plays, and whether the sale of Sports Illustrated to a non-publishing company tells us anything about the future of magazine brands. It's snark week this week on Media Voices.

Direct reader revenue is back on top of publishers’ priorities, as re-igniting the relationship with an audience is seen as the single best guarantee of a sustainable media business model. At the same time, publishers’ strategies around subscriber acquisition and retention are maturing, and the sophistication of subscription tools is increasing enormously. There is a surfeit of choice of strategy for publishers looking to capitalise on increasing consumer propensity to pay, and while there are some standout successes in the subscription market it is still far from an easy process to convince consumers to pay. In this special Conversations episode of Media Voices, Chris is joined by Michael Silberman, SVP of Strategy at Piano, and Katie Vanneck Smith, co-founder of slow journalism outlet Tortoise. The trio discusses everything from how publishers and partners can model propensity to pay, the difference between membership and subscription strategies, and best practice around user data. This episode of Media Voices is sponsored by Piano, a platform dedicated to helping publishers develop and grow their direct reader revenue strategies. Piano believes there will always be a demand for words and scenes that make a difference, whether that’s through hard-hitting journalism or emotive articles that resonate with audiences, and is passionate about helping media businesses grow the revenue required to produce it. Find out more at piano.io.

On this week's episode of Media Voices, WIRED's Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson talks about the brand's positioning as a tech magazine in a digital world, the impact of two huge Facebook features, lessons learned from WIRED's paywall a year on, and what his dream paywall would look like. In the news roundup the team discusses TI Media's sale of NME to a tech platform, Quartz's low-key paywall launch, and the dangers of churnalism come to light as the Daily Star offends Scotland. Esther doubts whether the last item counts as 'news'.

This week Julia Raphaely, CEO of Associated Media Publishing, takes us through how magazines can act as storefronts, the differences between the SA and UK magazine markets, why people are continuing to make time for print products, and the benefits of international collaboration between people who love magazines. In the news roundup the team discusses Byline's 'pivot to print', Disney taking a write-down on its investment in Vice, and belately discuss the Guardian breaking even.

Our 100th episode special was recorded live in front of an audience in London on May 2nd. We were joined by four fantastic guests - EMPIRE’s Editor in Chief Terri White, The Week’s Chief Executive Kerin O’Connor, PinkNews’ Head of Platforms Ellen Stewart, and Bibblio’s founder Mads Holmen - to discuss whether publishers can maintain brand identity in a world of distributed content. Many thanks to Bibblio for helping to organise the event, to our media partner What's New In Publishing, and to the guests who turned out to celebrate with us!

In this week's episode of Media Voices, Rob Orchard - the co-founder and editor of the original slow journalism magazine Delayed Gratification - takes us through the mission of the magazine, why giving news room to breathe is absolutely vital, and why more publishers are jumping on the bandwagon. In the news roundup we celebrate some subscription milestones for the FT and the Guardian, investigate the timings of AppleNews+'s launch and Facebook's mooted premium News tab, and ask if Stylist Group's move into lifestyle and fitness products is a class issue.

In this week's episode of Media Voices, Readly MD Ranj Begley takes us through how the magazine app approaches its publisher partnerships, how reader data informs everything from cover choice to exclusive content, and whether Ready sees Apple News+ as friend, foe, or frenemy. In the news roundup this week, the team discusses the launch of a new news subscription service from Apple, whether Google can or should fix the local news ecosystem, and try to figure out what's happening with The Correspondent's plans to launch an English language news outlet.

This week's guest is Marco Bertozzi, who is the Vice President of EMEA Sales & Multi-Market Global Sales at Spotify. He spoke to us about how Spotify’s ad business has evolved from the early days, why the company believes strongly in the future of podcasting, and what the audience’s relationship is like with advertising in audio. He also explains why they’ve just launched a #Loveads campaign. In the news roundup the team discusses the BBC's latest plans to save local democracy, the NYT's comments about Apple's latest foray into news, and asks if MySpace deleting every upload prior to 2016 is the future of social media. Plus, cupcakes!

On this week's episode we talk to Dr Chadden Hunter, who is a Director and Producer at the BBC Natural History Unit, and has worked on blockbuster nature programmes like Planet Earth II, Frozen Planet and Wild Arabia. He discusses how he balances the desire to highlight conservation issues with the need to produce an entertaining series, the role new media can play in reaching global audiences, and what it's like working with David Attenborough on the storytelling side. He also tells us why he has hope in the younger generation and their climate change activism. In the news roundup the team discusses the misbehaviour of the press and platforms in the wake of terrorism, why Twitter's podcast indicates its changing priorities, and make predictions about Apple's next moves.

On this week’s episode of Media Voices, former PPA Scotland business manager Nikki Simpson introduces plans to launch The International Magazine Centre, a hub for publishers to promote magazine innovation and celebrate the industry’s past. In the news round-up, the team decide whether Buzzfeed's print edition is more than a marketing stunt, how serious Zuckerberg's 'pivot to privacy' is, and how Readly has come to claim the 'Spotify of magazines' title. Esther and Chris are outraged at a crass new launch from Bauer.

On this week's episode of Media Voices, Meg Cramer, Senior Producer of Trump Inc., takes us through why a collaborative team took on what might be a coast-to-coast crime scene, why a podcast can ask questions while an article must provide answers, and why great journalism transcends mediums. In the news roundup, the team discuss the BBC and ITV's Netflix competitor Britbox, whether Jeremy Corbyn is Trumpian in his approach to the media, and why Medium and Twitter's partnership could be great for the consumer. The team launches their new feature, Cryptocurrency Conspiracy Corner.

Jason Kint, the CEO of Digital Content Next, the trade association for online publishers, takes us through the organisation's aims and ambitions, why the Duopoly has skewed the playing field for digital publishers, and why it is vital that Google and Facebook can be held accountable for a lack of transparency. In the news roundup Chris and Peter discuss the NYT's chief executive Mark Thompson's take on the state of local news, Pinterest taking an editorial role over the elimination of antivax content, and whether Medium's Netflix-like approach to content creation can work. Chris makes wild, unsubstantiated claims about his Tetris skills.

This week, magazine marketing agency Magnetic's CEO Sue Todd speaks to us about their newly-launched 'Pay Attention' campaign, aiming to highlight the importance of quality attention to advertisers. She also talks about some of the educational issues around media buyers, the importance of evidence and research, and why she believes magazine media is undervalued. In the news roundup, a chipper team discuss the Cairncross Review report, analyse the idea of a 50% publisher revenue share from Apple's news service, and take a look at whether GQ Hype is indicative of an industry that doesn't know whether it wants to be paid for or free. Katy and Orlando might be engaged; Peter can't even deal.

On this week's episode of Media Voices, PinkNews' Head of Platforms Ellen Stewart tells us why Snapchat is a priority for the world's largest LGBTQ+ publisher, why video is a solid investment for a site with a highly engaged audience, and why it pays to be as much a resource as a news source. In the news roundup, the team discusses why Spotify is investing in podcasting as the future of audio revenue, Facebook's Campbell Brown telling publishers they can't rely on the social network to survive, and examine whether other publishers can learn anything from the NYT's latest good results. A flock of seagulls and a puppy guest star.

On this week's episode of Media Voices, the team brave Snowmageddon to interview Digiday editor-in-chief Brian Morrissey, about publishing economics and sustainability, how B2B is cool, and the value of being really honest about change. In the news roundup the Media Voices team discuss the very sad closure of The Pool, the problems with one-size-fits-all verification tools, and how Hearst has transformed itself into a revenue behemoth.

On this week's episode of Media Voices, the founder of Film Stories magazine Simon Brew talks the dos and don'ts of a crowdfunding campaign, the potential of independent magazines, and the importance of giving new voices a chance to be heard. In the news roundup Peter, Esther and Chris discuss why Facebook might be folding its messaging apps together, what next for journalism after over 1,000 media jobs were cut Buzzfeed, Gannett and Verizon Media, and examine why Condé Nast is choosing to put all of its magazine titles behind paywalls. The team brainstorms new messaging app names with horrifying results.

This week, Immediate Media's Product Director Laura Jenner talks to us about drawing together the needs of different teams across a publishing business, how the roles and responsibilities of a product manager evolve in such a rapidly changing industry, and why the relationship between product and editorial is so important. She also shares her one piece of advice for other product managers in publishing. In the news roundup Chris and Esther discuss a mixed back of a week for News UK, the storm in a teacup over BBC journalists dropping the phrase 'BBC understands', and yet another Facebook fact-checking endeavour. Is Media Voices hopeful, or cynical? You decide!

In this episode Chris and Esther are joined by Damian Radcliffe, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at the University of Oregon, to discuss what lessons from 2018 they want to see applied in the new year. The discussion takes in print, digital, memberships, audio, KFC, Japan, cat gifs, vegan sausage rolls, and much more.

This week, Richard Reeves, the Managing Director of the UK's Association of Online Publishers (AOP) talks to us about the progress on their Ad Quality Charter, what the lack of barrier to entry to publishing online means for premium online publishers, and how Facebook and Google engage with the association's member publishers. He also explains what he made of Jonah Peretti's suggestion for a mega-merger of online publishers. In the news round-up we discuss the future of news on smart speakers, the reported failure to launch of YouTube Red, and give a plug to The Correspondent. Merry Christmas everybody!

This week, Victoria Turk, Senior Editor at WIRED UK talks to us about all the work they're doing on their brand extensions, from their flagship WIRED Live event to the WIRED World Special 2019 and their weekly podcast. She also discusses what they do to stand out in a crowded market, how the print and digital teams have evolved, and the many skills you now need to get ahead in journalism. In the news roundup we discuss whether the sale of Mic heralds the end of new media hopes, Glamour US going online online, DMGT's latest results, and whether there's any stopping the relentless rise of Stories.

This week we hear from Jeff Kofman, founder and CEO of Trint, about the dark abyss of transcription, whether Google and Facebook are serious about funding journalism and the good the bad and the ugly of social media. In the news roundup the team discusses a bad week for UK media companies including Johnston Press going into administration, Esquire cutting back its print offering, and Shortlist going digital-only. The team go Thanksgiving mad (not in a good way).

This week we hear from Popbitch co-founder Camilla Wright about the origins of the influential celebrity gossip site, whether celebs ever try to plant stories about themselves, and the romanticism of clandestine meetings in dark pubs. In the news roundup the team discusses the NME's return to profitability and future success, the disappearance of the LADS from Facebook's engagement rankings, and take a quick spin through a lot of other media news. Chris will buy a pint for the first person to send him every Rihanna song title he mentions this episode.

This week we hear from Rafat Ali, co-founder and CEO of boutique travel publisher Skift. We spoke about what connects the dots between paid content, travel, dining and wellness, his belief in trendlines not headlines, his long-term aspirations for Skift vs short-term VC plays and why he wants to be useless to his business. In the news round-up we put a bow on the discussion about Waitrose Magazine’s editor quitting over comments he made to a freelancer, discuss whether Channel 4’s move to Leeds will pop the London media bubble, and discuss whether Facebook is more powerful than the British parliament.

This week, Claire Sanderson, the editor in chief of Women’s Health (UK) talks about the magazine's circulation growth, why they love working with influencers, and how mental health has become such a vital part of overall wellness. She also explains how integrating the print and digital teams helps them to drive audiences between both platforms, and why VR will be a huge part of health and fitness in the future. In the news round-up the team discuss Apple's invention of something called a 'human editor', Twitter's return to profitability and Refinery29's refining of its publishing strategy. A maudlin Chris derails the round-up with a philosophical question.

This week, Claus Enevoldsen, Head of Growth for news aggregation platform Flipboard, talks about being a technology company with media values, how their human-led algorithms work to surface quality content, and why now is the perfect time for a platform like Flipboard. He also dives into the reasons behind their rise in both users and referral traffic over the past year. In the news roundup, we ask WTF is going on with Facebook and Nick Clegg, Facebook and video metrics, and Craigslist and journalism. The team makes liberal use of censor bleeps.

This week we hear from Grace Harrison, founder of true crime magazine Foul Play on managing a magazine as a side hustle, what mainstream titles can learn from independents, and what makes Foul Play an altogether classier type of true crime title. In the news roundup we discuss LadBible's imminent takeover of Unilad to create the Ultimate Lad, the sad news that Johnston Press' debt his forcing the sale of its titles, and whether 5 minute long videos can work for Snapchat. Peter voices his fear of extraterrestrials.

This week, Julio Bruno, CEO at Time Out Group talks about the brand reaching a milestone 50th birthday, the growth of their different revenue streams, and how they stay true to the Time Out brand across 315 cities. He also explains why the print magazine is still a vital part of the business, and how their unique approach to Time Out Markets is their biggest opportunity next year. In the news roundup we discuss the Battle of the Lads, Meredith cutting 4,500 jobs, and whether the Observer was right to publish an op-ed from the prime minister (yes). Esther and Peter debut their music hall double act.

This week, Sally Hampton, Consumer Magazines Publisher at DC Thomson spoke to us about how she manages such a wide range of magazines, the biggest shifts she's seen in print publishing, and a surprising new growth opportunity for niche Scottish titles. She also explains why she's so optimistic about the future of magazine media. In the news round-up the team discuss the Independent's paid-for subscription model, whether it matters if print audiences don't follow when newspapers go digital only, Apple foibles, and Comcast's purchase of Sky. Peter's view of the Telegraph's readership is Dickensian.

In this very special live episode of Media Voices the team discuss the future of free media in front of an audience at Magfest '18, the UK's premiere magazine-focused event. On stage in the far-flung city of Edinburgh, the team are joined on stage by Mike Soutar, chairman of ShortList Media Limited, and Radio Times Editor Mark Frith to discuss the fate of free magazines. We'd like to extend our thanks to Magfest for inviting us to speak - for the three of us it was validation of Media Voices' journey to this point, and hearing from the other fantastic guests has given us plenty of ideas for future episodes! Visit www.magfest.co.uk for more information.

This episode, we hear from Lucy Kueng. She’s one of the go-to names for macro and micro industry analysis, a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and has a ton of other roles in the industry that allow her to see the bigger picture. We spoke about journalism’s perverse relationship with Silicon Valley, whether publications can make it across the Valley of Death, and how external pressures change internal newsroom structure. In the news round-up the Media Voices team discuss the BBC's new show on Facebook Watch, the potential impacts of the Copyright Directive, and gush over Bauer's latest magazine launch. Peter does impressions of a stuffy English gent and Katy Perry.

Digital advertising has never delivered on its potential for publishers. Crowded ecosystems, a break in the value chain between creator and audience, and the prioritisation of direct reader revenue all demand the question ‘is advertising more hassle than it’s worth?’ To answer that question we’ve put together an expert panel of Raoul Monks, co-founder of Flume Training; Fergus Gregory, Group Commercial Director at global marketing-media powerhouse The Drum; and our own host Chris Sutcliffe. The three discuss how consumer-facing advertising has changed over the past decade, how that has impacted the buying and selling of advertising, and whether technology can solve the problems it helped to cause. This Media Voices Special is sponsored by Flume Training. Flume believe the way clients buy has completely shifted and what works in sales has completely changed. They help media businesses drive sales performance through their high impact training, coaching & consultancy.

In this episode of the Media Voices podcast Mathew Ingram, media writer for the Columbia Journalism Review, explains why publishers need to take a more human approach to their memberships, the role of platforms in disrupting those relationships, and whether 'trust' is a meaningful metric. In the news round-up the team try to spy a way that regulation of the tech platforms could ever work. We also discuss the closure of yet another celebrity gossip magazine, and what Immediate Media's purchase of BBC Good Food says about both companies' priorities. One Media Voices team member records the episode from Frankfurt, one from a car park, and the other from a dressing gown.

In this week's episode of Media Voices, Peter talks to Rob Wijnberg, co-founder and Editor in Chief of Dutch ad-free, member-funded news site De Correspondent. After securing runway funding, Rob is in New York preparing the launch of The Correspondent, an English-language version of the news network, and he spoke about the obstacles and opportunities the team is encountering ahead of launching. In the news roundup, we take a look at the potential fallout of Trump vs. Google, some admirable efforts from Twitter, and discuss where you'd buy a hairdryer online with bizarre specificity (not BuzzFeed Reviews, it turns out). We're reading: - I Helped Create Insider Political Journalism. Now It's Time For It To Go Away, via BuzzFeed News: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/bensmith/i-helped-create-insider-political-journalism-now-its-time - Could kindness finally be winning over negative celebrity gossip? via The Pool: https://www.the-pool.com/news-views/opinion/2018/35/Stacey-Solomon-Now-magazine-media-bullying-women - Alan Rusbridger: Who broke the news? via Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/31/alan-rusbridger-who-broke-the-news

In this week's episode, the head of digital for The Times & Sunday Times Alan Hunter explains how the titles continue to outperform industry at a time when most titles are scaling back their ambitions, and what effect paywalls have on democratic debate. In the news roundup the team discuss bad news for the New York Daily News, "bad" news for Facebook, good news for the Guardian and WTF news for Condé Nast and Goop.

Hearst UK's Finance Editor, Kalpana Fitzpatrick talks about the launch of their new consumer-facing Financially Fabulous campaign, aiming to empower women to take control of their finances. She discusses the aims of the campaign, the benefits of running it across multiple brands and the overwhelming demand from their audiences for straightforward financial advice. In the news roundup - everything. The team does the second ever newsblitz, looking at everything from the Guardian's paid membership numbers to the Comcast/Disney/Fox saga to Chance the Rapper buying up the Chicagoist. We're reading: - Fact-checkers have debunked this fake news site 80 times. It's still publishing on Facebook, via Poynter: https://www.poynter.org/news/fact-checkers-have-debunked-fake-news-site-80-times-its-still-publishing-facebook - HuffPost experiments with 'listening circles' in Birmingham to go beyond the London bubble, via journalism.co.uk: https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/huffpost-experiments-with-local-reporting-to-go-beyond-the-london-bubble/s2/a724811/ - A new model for investigative journalism, via Omidyar Network: https://medium.com/positive-returns/a-new-model-for-investigative-journalism-b604aaea091f

In this week’s episode, one of The Second Source’s co-founders, Jasmine Andersson talks about the aims of the project, the launch of their new mentoring scheme and how women can support each other in challenging environments. In the news round-up, the team dive into what YouTube’s $25 million news spend means for publishers, whether Reddit will work for advertisers and what the deal is with Rolling Stone’s revitalised magazine. Chris worries that AR ads will start manipulating the size of his head. We're reading: - 'The good, the bad, and the mansplaining of WikiTribune’, via Nieman Lab http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/07/several-people-are-typing-the-good-the-bad-and-the-mansplaining-of-wikitribune/ - ‘The promises and pitfalls of reporting within chat apps and other semi-open platforms: A journalist’s guide’ via Nieman Lab http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/07/a-journalists-guide-to-the-promises-and-pitfalls-of-reporting-within-open-and-closed-and-semi-open-platforms - The Death of Truth, by Michiko Kakutani https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/14/the-death-of-truth-how-we-gave-up-on-facts-and-ended-up-with-trump?CMP=share_btn_tw

This week, Corrine Podger takes us through best practice in mobile journalism and digital storytelling, and how varying mobile consumption habits affect the journalism in different territories. In the news round-up, the team discuss Quartz's sale, a mixed bag of news for UK newspapers, and The Beast Inside. Chris flubs the outro, see if you can tell. We're reading: The Guardian finds less polished video works better on Instagram Stories, via Digiday - https://digiday.com/media/guardian-finds-less-polished-video-works-better-instagram/ Tell me more: The Globe and Mail is slipping a little extra context into its stories (while explaining its editorial thinking along the way), via Nieman Lab - http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/07/tell-me-more-the-globe-and-mail-is-slipping-a-little-extra-context-into-its-stories-while-explaining-its-editorial-thinking-along-the-way/

In this week's episode we hear from the New Statesman's digital editor Jasper Jackson about the circumstances that led the popular current affairs magazine to launch a paywall, how the team decided on digital-only extras to lure potential subscribers across, and what the widespread adoption of paywalls says about the state of the news media. In the news roundup Chris and Peter discuss The London Evening Standard's £10m loss under its editor George Osborne, whether a news and entertainment bundle can work for Apple, and the great news that Mediargh has returned from hiatus. We're taking Media Voices on the road! We're recording a live show and presenting a podcasting masterclass at Magfest this September. For more information or to book your place, visit http://www.magfest.co.uk/

On this week's episode, we hear from The Telegraph's Director of Product Cat Wildman on how a modern newspaper can stay on top of changes in consumer habits and launch new products and services that benefit publisher and audience. In the news roundup the team discuss the launch of yet another publisher advertising alliance, Instagram's new TV-like service, and who Facebook's 'subscription groups' are really for.

On this week's episode, Bauer Xcel's Director of content and audience development Ian Betteridge talks about drawing together the separate roles of editorial and data-driven audience development, how commercial needs drive content strategy and how he brings together the print and digital teams to make the many brands he oversees a success. He also tells the story behind 'Betteridge's Law'. In the news round-up, Peter and Esther talk about their highlights of the Digital News Report, why Quartz is partnering with Facebook Watch and a dismal set of newspaper ABCs. Peter gets excited about independent magazine publishing. We're reading: - Despite concerns about control, news publishers are still pushing a lot of content to third-party platforms, via Nieman Lab http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/06/despite-concerns-about-control-news-publishers-are-still-pushing-a-lot-of-content-to-third-party-platforms/ - Platforms and Publishers: A Definitive Timeline, via Tow Centre http://tow.cjr.org/platform-timeline/

On this week’s episode, Megan Greenway editor-in-chief of Gizmodo Media's sports site Deadspin challenges the 'toy department' misconception of sports journalism, sets her Twitter filters against the trolls and focuses on the work instead of a dysfunctional parent company. In the news round-up, the team take a cynical look at what the changing of the guard at the Daily Mail means for the brand, and whether a 'European Netflix' is viable. Peter takes an unexpected turn against paywalls. We're reading: - ‘Britain's biggest Local TV company has "gamed" the BBC for hundreds of thousands of pounds of licence fee payers' money’, via Buzzfeed https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/revealed-how-britains-biggest-local-tv-company-has-gamed - 'Study: Apple News’s human editors prefer a few major newsrooms', via CJR https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/study-apple-newss-human-editors-prefer-a-few-major-newsrooms.php - 'Rip it Up: The Story of Scottish Pop at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh', via The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6e42643c-6a5a-11e8-9c53-0e2cb45ebb16

On this week’s episode, Esther interviews Allure’s editor in chief Michelle Lee about its ongoing efforts to improve representation in magazine media, how diversity can help heal divisions in society, and opportunities around new media. In the news roundup the team discusses a potential cash-for-coverage scandal at the Evening Standard (and what that says about sponsored editorial and trust), Peter gets extremely happy about new investment in Rolling Stone, and Esther discusses the latest news about news at Facebook. We’re reading: ‘Do we need J-schools?’ from Columbia Journalism Review - https://www.cjr.org/special_report/do-we-need-j-schools.php/ ‘Don’t forget about ad blocking: Lost revenue to UK publishers rises to £630,000 a year’ from Digiday - https://digiday.com/media/dont-forget-ad-blocking-lost-revenue-uk-publishers-rises-63000-year/ ‘Are news organisations ‘consciously uncoupling’ from Facebook?’, via Emily Bell - https://medium.com/global-editors-network/emily-bell-are-news-organisations-consciously-uncoupling-from-facebook-7fdfc89fc2d0

This week, CEO of White Light Media Fraser Allen takes us through what it's like to close a much loved indie magazine, the launch of World Whisky Day and trends in the content marketing world. In the news roundup the team discusses Time Inc UK's renaming, the Guardian's new approach to a premium app, and whether Elon Musk is right to launch a site grading journalists' credibility (no). We're reading: - A progress report on Deepnews.ai, via Frederic Filloux - https://mondaynote.com/a-progress-report-on-deepnews-ai-aka-news-quality-scoring-b643d3e7b620 - How media paywalls work in authoritarian countries, via Bloomberg - https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-16/how-media-paywalls-work-in-authoritarian-countries - RIP Interview: Here's what killed Andy Warhol's iconic magazine, via AdAge - http://adage.com/article/media/r-i-p-interview-andy-warhol-s-iconic-glossy-dead/313593/?utm_source=mediaworks&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=adage&ttl=1527541683&utm_visit=1254485

On this week's episode, The Book Of Man co-founder Martin Robinson discusses his journey through the UK magazine industry, the need for a space for men to honestly discuss mental health, and plans for podcasts, longform and membership. In the news roundup we discuss YouTube Music Premium's place in the market, Twitter's latest attempt at fixing its troll problem, and whether it's a good or bad thing that Facebook and Google are now the biggest funders of journalism. We're reading: • Third Party Web Content on EU News Sites: Potential Challenges and Paths to Privacy Improvement, via RISJ - https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2018-05/Third-Party%20Web%20Content%20on%20EU%20News%20Sites.pdf • Why we need older women in the workplace, via The Cut - https://www.thecut.com/2015/08/why-we-need-older-women-in-the-workplace.html • Google's selfish ledger is an unsettling glimpse at Silicon Valley social engineering, via The Verge - https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/17/17344250/google-x-selfish-ledger-video-data-privacy

In this bumper episode, the team discusses the rise of the paywall. As everyone from Vanity Fair to the New Statesman have decided to launch paywalls, we try to determine whether there is a recipe for paywall success, taking in everything from the need for brand recognition, the propensity for people to pay, and the likely outcomes of the trend towards reader revenue. We're reading: • 'Google’s news chief Richard Gingras: “We need to rethink journalism at every dimension”', via Nieman Lab - http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/05/googles-news-chief-richard-gingras-we-need-to-rethink-journalism-at-every-dimension/ • 'What Google Chrome’s new built-in ad blocker means for you', via What's New In Publishing - http://whatsnewinpublishing.com/2018/05/07/google-chromes-new-built-ad-blocker-means/ • 'How not to do paywalls', via TechCrunch - https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/06/subscription-hell/

In this week's episode of Media Voices, PressPad founder and BBC journalist Olivia Crellin explains how PressPad aims to diversify the media by removing one of the main financial obstacles to those trying to enter the profession. In the news round-up, the team discuss a week of huge news around paywalls, the success of The New York Times' subscription efforts, and why Snapchat has stopped paying licensing fees. We're reading: • Why the "golden age" of newspapers was the exception, not the rule, via Nieman Lab - http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/05/why-the-golden-age-of-newspapers-was-the-exception-not-the-rule/ • 3 questions to ask your data when evaluating your paywall, via Digital Context Next - https://digitalcontentnext.org/blog/2018/04/30/3-questions-to-ask-your-data-when-evaluating-a-paywall/ • How to get rich quick in Silicon Valley, via Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/apr/17/get-rich-quick-silicon-valley-startup-billionaire-techie

In this week's episode we hear from the London School of Economics' professor Charlie Beckett about its Truth, Trust & Technology Commission, on the role of platforms in defining truth, whether media literacy is a good or a bad thing and whether we can still use the term "fake news" as a helpful definition. In the news round-up, a full house of hosts discuss Hearst's mea culpa over abandoning quality journalism in pursuit of scale, Netflix's original content plans, and early wobbles for Facebook's local journalism scheme. We're reading: • The Book of Man: why ex-Shortlist editor is launching a platform to ‘reappraise’ masculinity, via The Drum - http://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/04/16/the-book-man-why-ex-shortlist-editor-launching-platform-reappraise-masculinity • Optimising Journalism for Trust, via Jay Rosen on Medium - https://medium.com/de-correspondent/optimizing-journalism-for-trust-1c67e81c123 • An Apology for the Internet - From the Architects Who Built It, via the New Yorker - http://nymag.com/selectall/2018/04/an-apology-for-the-internet-from-the-people-who-built-it.html