Newsletter Writers Frustrated by Being Relegated to Gmail's Promotions Tab PLUS CNN Looks to NFTs to Monetise Their Archive

June 17, 2021

Today there are a couple of moves by the duopoly to note. Facebook is launching a podcast feature so that podcasters can easily add their shows to their pages. The podcasts will show up in a separate tab.

Google is trialling a new way to highlight journalists content in their search carousels.

CNN is testing whether they can effectively monetise coverage of historic moments in their archives via NFTs.

A new study of US news consumers looks at the ways that people determine which outlets they will trust.

Travel Business Group Skift Acquires Lodging Newsletter

Concise, no-nonsense insights delivered straight to your inbox — that has been the promise of Daily Lodging Report for over 25 years.

Travel business group Skift acquires 26-year-old newsletter as the travel industry is recovering quickly in countries where the COVID-19 vaccine is allowing for reopening. The subscription-only magazine builds on the company's subscription-revenue led strategy.

Will Facebook Help Podcasters Expand Their Audiences?

Facebook plans to start rolling out its podcasts product on June 22nd. Podcasters will be able to link their RSS feed to their page directly, allowing people to listen to episodes as they’ve published on Facebook

It is a huge audience, but there are questions about the terms and what the might mean for podcasters intellectual property. 

Google Tests New Article Carousel Format

A new beta feature that highlights articles from journalists.

It could be a way for publishers to get more exposure for articles from high-profile writers.

Can NFT Provide a Way to Monetise Archives?

CNN is selling NFTs of its own news coverage, letting users buy coverage of elections and historic moments on the blockchain.

It has long been a goal for outlets to find a way to make money from their archives. CNN will see if NFTs can provide a solid revenue stream from coverage of historic moments.

Musicians Using Twitch to Build Fanbase; Lessons for Publishers?

The gaming platform is becoming increasingly attractive to artists, who can earn money by cultivating fan tribes that express their loyalty through patronage.

I'm always curious about how adjacent industries in media and entertainment are growing audiences, building loyalty and finding new ways to monetise what they do. News organisations like the Washington Post have used Twitch in the past, most notably playing video games with presidential candidates and asking them questions to engage younger audiences. Maybe some of the techniques that musicians are using can work for publishers.

Newsletter Writers Frustrated by Gmail's Promotions Tab

The newsletters business is booming, and Substack along with it. But one big thing still stands between writers and their readers: Google and its mysterious Gmail inbox filter.

Newsletter writers feel that being relegated to the promotions tab in Gmail is random and arbitrary. Substack writers are especially frustrated and are considering moving platforms.

Study: The Range of Factors Audiences Use to Decide Which Outlets to Trust

“Trust often revolves around ill-defined impressions of brand identities.” The news organization that publishes a story is a very important factor when determining its trustworthiness for half of US adults, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. The study is based on a March 2021 survey of 12,045 US adults. It focuses on five …

A good summary of a major US study that tried to identify how audiences decided which news outlets they trust. The answer? It's complicated.