How publishers are using AI, ML and automation to create value

Peter Houston cuts through the AI hype that is making the rounds right now to focus on how publishers are using AI and machine learning to automate tasks from writing copy at various stages of the edit process from datasets, property reports and junior league sports matches to alerting reporters about stories on their beat. It shows how this “bundle of technologies” can add value to audiences and publishers. And I want to amplify a point that Peter makes that about the importance of the quality of the data that goes into these models. Garbage in and poor quality content out when he talks about structured spreadsheets.

File this one under: If someone is going to disrupt my business, I want it to be me. Bloomberg isn’t waiting for someone to use its data and content to train an LLM, it wants to use that incredibly valuable data for itself. Information wants to be free but also expensive, and one of the important management challenges is adapting to these shifts in the value chain.

And one last bit of AI news for today. Google's new ChatGPT-like Bard might be integrated into its assistant.

Adapting to changes at social platforms and small publishers pursue revenue diversification

Social platforms are in a state of flux, and publishers are moving to adapt. The American Press Institute looks at where newsrooms are looking to shift with the Musk created chaos at Twitter. Instagram and TikTok come as no surprise, but I am hearing more publishers lean into LinkedIn. For a lot of publishers, especially those who cover business in any way, LinkedIn makes a lot of sense. It really depends on

Small, local publishers in the US are finding ways to grow their business even during a time of economic uncertainty. Two publishers focused on how reader revenue and sponsored content have become a growing part of their revenue mix. To grow reader revenue, one publisher shared how he improved the checkout process while another connected with younger readers and demonstrated the value of their brand.

For the past five years, I've seen search reassert itself as the dominant source of referral traffic for publishers, and it is not simply a volume issue but also a quality issue. Traffic from search has delivered a more loyal and more engaged audience than social. This is mostly amongst news publishers, but I'll be digging into data for a wider range of publishers while I do some research on retention at work.

As the search space becomes competitive again, publishers need to think broadly about their SEO strategies, and here is a solid guide on how to create content pillars. Who is your target audience? (And please do not say everyone because it's not only not true but it's also the path to irrelevance.) What content do they consume? How can you create "content pillars" around that content? And how does this affect your editorial planning?

A good quick look at how content consumption patterns have changed since the pandemic and how that might be denting podcast listening.

An interesting move from a former editor of Politico's shuttered tech vertical. He has bought part of the company's email list. A smart move and one to watch.

This is a horrible practice and station managers who say that they have built up young talent so are owed something have tipped that value exchange solidly towards employers. It shouldn't be allowed, especially for staff making $15 an hour. It's nonsense.

Industry news: The destruction of Twitter for research, linear TV is not dead yet and TikTok fined in Britain

Twitter is just one hot mess right now, and Nieman Lab highlights how its chaotic shifts have robbed academic researchers of an important tool.