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Wednesday, December 6, 2023
 | Rise of the news DJs“For an increasing subset of readers, ‘articles’ will be as invisible as CSS code.” By Bassey Etim. |
 | The future-of-journalism crowd stops ignoring local TV news“The reality is that people of color in the U.S. are more likely to turn to TV news for local information than they are newspapers or digital-first local news.” By Nikki Usher. |
 | Journalism prepares for a post-search, post-social future“The loss of reach for news publishers comes with a loss of visibility, which is likely to hit new, digital-born journalism organizations the hardest.” By Alfred Hermida. |
 | Hyperlocal information warfare rises up“Hyperlocal and state-level right-wing digital news sites represent a new and often less visible terrain for right-wing misinformation campaigns, ‘culture war’ posturing, and doxxing efforts.” By A.J. Bauer. |
 | One issue will dominate election coverage in both red and blue states“Will a multiracial democracy survive an assault without precedent over the past 60 years? Have we ever really had an even playing field in access to voting and political representation?” By Matt DeRienzo. |
 | Nonprofits embrace profits“2024 will see the quickened rise of innovative, unfamiliar, and even uncomfortable revenue streams for Europe’s nonprofits.” By Adam Thomas. |
 | Celebrities will endorse publishers (and get paid for it)“It’s not just us publishers…Everyone (yes, even Taylor needs Beyonce) is in the precarious dance of sizing up the new way to catch and keep attention.” By Ryan Kellett. |
 | AI takes center stage“By the end of 2024, almost all media organizations will have adopted some level of AI strategy for content creation, marketing, and advertising.” By Mario García. |
 | Collaboration with ethnic and identity publishers becomes a must“What we once thought of as the liabilities of ethnic and identity publishers will become their strengths — and their tactical advantage.” By Ashley Woods Branch. |
 | The AI copyright watershed comes into view“Comparatively little of the attention around news and AI has focused on its impact on the future economic viability of our industry, and 2024 seems likely to be the year in which this changes.” By Richard Tofel. |
 | The press adopts a new level of transparency around images“The press has often been light on contextual information and details about the images they use.” By Ståle Grut. |
 | Everyone in the newsroom gets training“Digital transformation is more a cultural challenge than it is a tech challenge.” By Alexandra Borchardt. |
 | AI changes everything…and nothing“There will be mishaps and confusion. Same as it ever was.” By Cindy Royal. |
What We’re Reading
Medium / Natalia Antelava
Noise is the new censorship →
“This deafening noise of the information ecosystem, I believe, is a huge reason why journalism — and by journalism I mean high quality insightful, inclusive reporting — lost its role as a curator of a public conversation. It’s the element of the disinformation crisis we, journalists, should have been combatting all along.”
Slate Magazine / Scott Nover
What if I told you podcasts aren’t doomed? →
“By just about every metric, podcasts are still gaining popularity with listeners … But perhaps there was too much hype, too many unrealistic expectations—and, dare we say, too many podcasts? Or at least too many podcasts that couldn’t turn a profit based on high talent or production costs?”
The Daily Beast / Corbin Bolies
Yahoo News lays off staffers and shuts down Gen Z-focused site →
“Kelsey Weekman, an ‘In The Know’ internet culture writer who previously worked at the now-defunct BuzzFeed News: ‘If I had a nickel for every time in 2023 the website i was working for got shut down, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice right.'”
Semafor / Max Tani
Allbritton news nonprofit to launch News of the United States (“NOTUS”) in January 2024 →
The Politico founder and former publisher Robert Allbritton committed $20 million to launch AJI, a nonprofit organization focused on addressing the difficulty of mentorship and the prohibitive cost of getting started in a career in journalism. “NOTUS” is a new publication that will explore Washington and the 2024 election.
Axios / Sara Fischer
BBC has relaunched its American website as part of a broader overseas push →
“Several new series will be featured on the new site, including ‘Green Getaways,’ a series about greener, cleaner ways to travel, and ‘Changing Room,’ a series about moving fashion into its climate-conscious future. ‘I think we also have a distinct position in that we are a news plus organization,’ [BBC Studios’ CEO of global distribution Rebecca] Glashow said, referring to successful cross-platform franchises like BBC Earth.”
Washingtonian / Andrew Beaujon
“We have nothing in the cupboard”: Washington Post manager begs for content ahead of 24-hour strike →
“If there is a sentencing, a bill introduction, an appointment — anything that even whiffs of news – do it. I’m serious. We need to hoard.”
Capital B News / Aallyah Wright
Digital redlining in the Black rural South →
“Millions of Americans have been forced to go without internet or pay for subpar service, which thwarts opportunities to participate and thrive in today’s society, especially for Black communities in the rural South, where the digital divide is the greatest. In this region, about 38% of Black households don’t have home internet, a higher percentage than white people in the same region and the national average.”
