Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest
This week, we’re concluding our Predictions for Journalism 2024 series. You can read all the predictions here.

This time, journalists will stand up to Trump (no, really)

“Journalists will find their voice — their moral voice — this time around to a much greater extent than before.” By Matt Carlson.

Channels change the publishing game on WhatsApp

“As a reader, I love the idea of being able to check out a publication without signing myself up for future re-engagement campaigns.” By Meena Thiruvengadam.

We’ll move beyond “en Español” to reach Hispanic and Latino audiences

“Create joint ventures or partnerships with news organizations that already know and serve these audiences.” By Benjamin Morales Meléndez.

Journalists confront disinformation head-on

“Existing efforts to expose disinformation and build trust are not enough. But the fact that more funders and news organizations are centering them is promising.” By Sharon Moshavi.

Refocus on what really drives growth

“If you are a site that is 100% ad-supported, now is the time to seriously consider how you introduce consumer revenue into your revenue mix.” By Matt Karolian.

Journalists cover power grabs from an openly pro-democracy bent

“More journalists will cover unfettered power grabs with a pro-democracy orientation.” By Michael W. Wagner.

News coverage will give readers something to hope for

“Positive news doesn’t mean a feature about dogs in Halloween costumes.” By Tania L. Montalvo.

Newspocalypse now

“We will learn that the less something looks like what we have now, the better chance it has of being the thing on the other side of death.” By Mike Orren.

Print isn’t dead, it’s just being delivered by mail

“Print as a content platform and, more importantly, as an advertising vehicle is far from dead.” By Mizell Stewart III.

We’ll see partisan media more clearly

“As partisan media becomes more central to politics, we will need to think about it with more nuance, seeing it as more than a menacing rival to professional journalism.” By Anthony Nadler.

We look South

“Between the upcoming presidential election and the continued reverberations of the Dobbs decision, the region deserves and will see an uptick in national media attention next year.” By Bracey Harris.

More states directly fund local news reporting

“More legislators will introduce efforts to support local news, having realized that the economic plight of news companies, particularly dailies and weeklies, is fraying the fabric of democracy.” By Jody Brannon.

Publishers’ short video strategy is put to the test

“Newsrooms that don’t start testing short video formats won’t be able to engage an audience hungry for information in an unstable political year.” By Snigdha Sur.

Podcasting goes bionic

“Even though the audio industry is clearly going through its own version of a ‘bubble burst,’ we can rebuild it.” By Joni Deutsch.

Visuals get a boost from AI-powered tools

“Journalists will use AI-powered tools responsibly to create more daily video and graphics content, especially for social media.” By Amara Aguilar.

The voter is the VIP

“We must center our election journalism through the lens of the people we serve, not the candidates courting them.” By Rachel Lobdell.

More boots on the ground

“Guys, your reporting spread. You did a big thing. Otherwise, no one would know what happened.” By Raney Aronson-Rath.
What We’re Reading
ReaderGrev / Mikhail Klimentov
A look at why The Washington Post killed its video game vertical →
“The oft-cited statistic that video games make some unfathomably large amount of money that eclipses the earnings of the film and music industries is a good pitch to the suits, but normal people don’t think in those terms.”
Vanity Fair / Charlotte Klein
Inside The New York Times’ big bet on games →
“The half joke that is repeated internally is that The New York Times is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”
Variety / Todd Spangler
Apple News+ adds content from The New York Times’ Athletic, with Wirecutter coming in 2024 →
“Articles from the New York Times Co.’s namesake newspaper remain unavailable in the tech giant’s popular Apple News app.”
Press Gazette / Charlotte Tobitt
The Daily Mail will put some stories behind a paywall →
“Mail Online publishes around 1,500 stories every day and under the new product around ten to 15 daily will be subscription-only, as indicated by a small Mail+ logo.”