How to Build a TikTok Audience PLUS How to Build Trust and Transparency According to Google

June 02, 2021

BDG, the company formerly known as the Bustle Media Group, has been building its TikTok over the past year of pandemic, finding niches that it can build an audience for. That experimentation is paying dividends as brands now find value in its audience and expertise.

Also Google's search product manager Jen Granito has written a blog post on how it ranks trust and transparency for news sites, and What's New in Publishing has an excellent summary of her advice.

Also, a great international media news roundup. In Canada, the government is looking to regulate algorithms to increase discoverability of Canadian content. In the UK, Archant is hiring to support its successful digital teams, and David Montgomery, CEO of National World, wants to position the group's website as The Independent for the regions. In the US, Gannett digital teams unionise, and a crypto news start-up lands investment valuing it at $100 m.

Google Releases Info on to Build Trust and Its Ranking

“Our systems are designed to use these guiding principles… They help ensure we’re elevating content from trusted, authoritative sources.” There are some surprises for publishers. For example, publishing pieces without bylines don’t affect the credibility of an otherwise authoritative source. Google recently shared new details about how it ranks news sources, with transparency being a …

Bookmark this one. Google has released some information on how it ranks news sources and how to build trust with audiences. This piece is a treasure trove of detailed information, which is itself a summary of a post by Google search product manager Jen Granito.

BDG Mines Niches for Riches on TikTok

As brands work through their identities in this “new normal,” BDG shared findings of its success in using TikTok.

"(BDG found) niche fans within specific communities on TikTok, from its science-focused channel with its brand Inverse to parent-focused channel with its brand Romper."

Canada: Government Considers Algorithm Regulation

Bill C-10 opens the door to regulating how CanCon is discovered online.

Canadian government looks to main Canadian content more discoverable online.

US: Gannett Digital Producers Vote to Unionise

Gannett has said it will not voluntarily recognize the new union, Atlantic DOT Guild, which has received support from 80% of eligible members.

They aren't chuffed about being asked to cover more titles.

UK: National World's Montgomery to Create Regional Supersite

Press Gazette has been reporting on British journalism without fear or favour since 1965. Our mission is to provide a news and information service which helps the UK journalism.

Montgomery wants to build the National World into 'The Independent' for the regions.

UK: Archant Recruiting, Building Digital Teams

Regional publisher Archant is launching a major recruitment drive which will create about 70 new roles, including a dozen jobs for journalists. Archant has said it is “putting our money where our mouth is” and aiming “to give local media a damn good kick up the backside”.

"The editorial roles in East Anglia include a two new live reporter roles and a live lead as Archant builds a dedicated digital reporting team, which has been trialled for several weeks in London with “outstanding results” according to chief content officer Jeremy Clifford."

Job Alert: Global Voices Seeks Digital Rights Director

Digital social news aggregator seeks director for its digital rights project.

Year-old Start-up Valued at $100 Million

Union Square Ventures, an early backer of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has invested in crypto publishing tool Mirror.xyz at a $100 million valuation, according to two people with direct knowledge of the funding. The one-year-old startup has raised at least $10 million across two recent ...

A year-old startup. But it was launched by former Andreessen Horowitz crypto partner Denis Nazarov so well connected. 

US: A Call for the US to Increase Funding for Public Media

Despite the popular assumption that democracy requires a free and functional press, Americans harbor a surprising recalcitrance toward public subsidies for journalism. Many believe that if the market doesn’t support a news outlet—or if it doesn’t receive a wealthy benefactor’s support—then it deserves to wither. Yet, as local commercial journalism continues to collapse and misinformation […]

The US spends a $1.40 per capita on public media while the UK, Norway and Sweden spend $100.

"Given the systemic market failure that’s driving US local journalism into the ground, a public media safety net is especially urgent now."