US data: Digital subscribers plan to cancel at least one sub in 2022 PLUS Newsletter franchise Morning Brew set to announce layoffs due to economic 'fear and uncertainty'

November 18, 2022

There is a flood of data out of the US that give an insight into what publishers are expecting in the new year and also an excellent bit of research from the American Press Institute and AP-NORC looking at the topics that interest Gen Z and Millenials. As we head into the end of the year, there is more data looking at the expectations of publishers when it comes to the year ahead as they forecast what they think 2023 will look in terms of revenue.

Some Readers Are Canceling Digital Subscriptions - 11/15/2022

Toolkits and National Research Group surveyed digital publication subscribers in August and found that more than half expected to trim the number of subscriptions that they had in the first half of 2023. And they provide some suggestions on how publishers could retain these subscribers including cutting prices or offering more flexible terms. The key will be flexibility and creativity.

At the recent Web Summit in Lisbon, we sat down with Joy Robins, Chief Revenue Officer at The Washington Post, to obtain a pulse check on the business of news. A few key themes emerged, including flexible reader access, micropayments and bundles, as well as the importance of doubling down on audience needs. Now in …

And flexibility is the theme that Washington Post Chief Revenue Officer Joy Robins struck as she said that their 5 in '25 team, which is looking at how to achieve the goal of 5m subscribers by 2025 is planning on meeting that goal. As I wrote in the Pugpig Media Bulletin, rather than creating a pricier, all-access bundle as the New York Times is doing, they are heading in the opposite direction and considering a cheaper, lighter offering.

Overall, Americans ages 16 to 40 pay at least some attention to many topics. On average, they follow nine different topics in our list, often a mix of “lifestyle,” “news you can use,” and “hard news” topics.

A new study shows more young Americans are listening to news, podcasts, and audiobooks than ever. Nearly all of that growth comes from listening on digital devices like phones, computers, smart speakers, and internet-connected TVs — and not AM/FM radio.

The authors of the 2022 Spoken Word Audi…

The American Press Institute and AP-NORC have done an in-depth study of the information habits of Gen Z and Millennials.

The exec talks about mining archives for film and TV projects, weathering an advertising downturn and a commitment to high quality digital video.

Publishers' third quarter earning reports are in.

Subscriptions remain a bright spot for publishers but concerns exist, which leads us to our next item.

Business newsletter Morning Brew set for layoffs

BuzzFeed reported its third quarter earnings on Nov. 14.

Meanwhile, former Millennial media darling Buzzfeed isn't ageing well. It's managing the bumpy ad market well enough, but user engagement dropped 32% across its properties.

Mediagazer presents the day's must-read media news on a single page.

Journalism techniques that became common place on Twitter, or the Birdsite as folks Mastodon call it, aren't welcome in every corner of Mastodon's federated network.

BuzzFeed helped popularize the practice of pulling social media posts to make viral content, including Reddit, Tumblr, and Twitter. A decade later, it’s still publishing aggregation articles, even as social reach has declined and platform dynamics have changed.

Which brings us back to Buzzfeed. It took social aggregation to a new level, but users who get aggregated aren't thrilled and as The Verge says, social media times have changed.

Twitter's massive layoffs and business changes could adversely affect news groups that rely on the platform to promote their stories.

And, of course, the Musk-operated Birdsite has become a rolling daily soap opera. And journalists have been considering what that means for them. The fact of the matter is that any media manager who spent even 30 seconds in their analytics knows that apart from things like sport and politics, Twitter was not a major traffic drive. And for local news organisations, Twitter was a distant also ran in terms of referrals and engagement.

A new generation of news games

News games have an interesting history. The challenge is creating a game quickly enough that will have currency, or in many cases, choosing a set-piece event like an election that you can plan for and that will garner enough attention that you can justify the investment. It's been a few years since news games were getting a lot of attention, but we've got a new example in Germany as well as a good piece from journalism.co.uk on why they are worth the investment.

The wave of cost-cutting measures in Q3 is still flowing into Q4, with publishers under pressure to keep expenses down at a time of continuing economic uncertainty and budget planning.

“It gives you a much better view on what politics on a local level is, instead of just reading about it or going to a meeting yourself and sitting in as a guest.”

Newsgames are time-consuming and costly to produce but they offer dopamine hit that can bring in a new, loyal audience

Google follows Apple in allowing third-party billing for apps

Google today announced it's expanding its user choice billing pilot, which allows Android app developers to use other payment systems besides Google's own. The program will now become available to new markets, including the U.S., Brazil and South Africa, and Bumble will now join Spotify as one of the pilot testers.

Industry News: The New York Post looks for national reach and Immediate adds to food titles

The New York Post is transforming from a relentlessly tabloid to a national website run by a Londoner.

Immediate Media, publisher of BBC Good Food, olive, and BBC Easy Cook, has acquired Nutracheck – one of the biggest digital subscription apps in the UK – to enhance its food portfolio as well as grow its subscriptions business. Immediate Media Co, the special interest publisher, has acquired Nutracheck, the UK’s leading food diary app and …