The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices

Media Voices: Skift CEO Rafat Ali on paid content and the perils of VC funding

This week we hear from Rafat Ali, co-founder and CEO of boutique travel publisher Skift. We spoke about what connects the dots between paid content, travel, dining and wellness, his belief in trendlines not headlines, his long-term aspirations for Skift vs short-term VC plays and why he wants to be useless to his business. In the news round-up we put a bow on the discussion about Waitrose Magazine’s editor quitting over comments he made to a freelancer, discuss whether Channel 4’s move to Leeds will pop the London media bubble, and discuss whether Facebook is more powerful than the British parliament.

Media Voices: Women's Health editor in chief Claire Sanderson on defying circulation trends

This week, Claire Sanderson, the editor in chief of Women’s Health (UK) talks about the magazine's circulation growth, why they love working with influencers, and how mental health has become such a vital part of overall wellness. She also explains how integrating the print and digital teams helps them to drive audiences between both platforms, and why VR will be a huge part of health and fitness in the future. In the news round-up the team discuss Apple's invention of something called a 'human editor', Twitter's return to profitability and Refinery29's refining of its publishing strategy. A maudlin Chris derails the round-up with a philosophical question.

Flipboard Head of Growth Claus Enevoldsen on growing a platform that works for publishers

This week, Claus Enevoldsen, Head of Growth for news aggregation platform Flipboard, talks about being a technology company with media values, how their human-led algorithms work to surface quality content, and why now is the perfect time for a platform like Flipboard. He also dives into the reasons behind their rise in both users and referral traffic over the past year. In the news roundup, we ask WTF is going on with Facebook and Nick Clegg, Facebook and video metrics, and Craigslist and journalism. The team makes liberal use of censor bleeps.

Media Voices: Foul Play magazine's Grace Harrison on what mainstream titles can learn from indies

This week we hear from Grace Harrison, founder of true crime magazine Foul Play on managing a magazine as a side hustle, what mainstream titles can learn from independents, and what makes Foul Play an altogether classier type of true crime title. In the news roundup we discuss LadBible's imminent takeover of Unilad to create the Ultimate Lad, the sad news that Johnston Press' debt his forcing the sale of its titles, and whether 5 minute long videos can work for Snapchat. Peter voices his fear of extraterrestrials.

Media Voices: Time Out CEO Julio Bruno on growing diverse revenue streams

This week, Julio Bruno, CEO at Time Out Group talks about the brand reaching a milestone 50th birthday, the growth of their different revenue streams, and how they stay true to the Time Out brand across 315 cities. He also explains why the print magazine is still a vital part of the business, and how their unique approach to Time Out Markets is their biggest opportunity next year. In the news roundup we discuss the Battle of the Lads, Meredith cutting 4,500 jobs, and whether the Observer was right to publish an op-ed from the prime minister (yes). Esther and Peter debut their music hall double act.

Media Voices: DC Thomson's Sally Hampton on why magazines have a bright future

This week, Sally Hampton, Consumer Magazines Publisher at DC Thomson spoke to us about how she manages such a wide range of magazines, the biggest shifts she's seen in print publishing, and a surprising new growth opportunity for niche Scottish titles. She also explains why she's so optimistic about the future of magazine media. In the news round-up the team discuss the Independent's paid-for subscription model, whether it matters if print audiences don't follow when newspapers go digital only, Apple foibles, and Comcast's purchase of Sky. Peter's view of the Telegraph's readership is Dickensian.

Media Voices Live: What's the future for free?

In this very special live episode of Media Voices the team discuss the future of free media in front of an audience at Magfest '18, the UK's premiere magazine-focused event. On stage in the far-flung city of Edinburgh, the team are joined on stage by Mike Soutar, chairman of ShortList Media Limited, and Radio Times Editor Mark Frith to discuss the fate of free magazines. We'd like to extend our thanks to Magfest for inviting us to speak - for the three of us it was validation of Media Voices' journey to this point, and hearing from the other fantastic guests has given us plenty of ideas for future episodes! Visit www.magfest.co.uk for more information.

Media Voices: Lucy Kueng on how Silicon Valley has changed journalism

This episode, we hear from Lucy Kueng. She’s one of the go-to names for macro and micro industry analysis, a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and has a ton of other roles in the industry that allow her to see the bigger picture. We spoke about journalism’s perverse relationship with Silicon Valley, whether publications can make it across the Valley of Death, and how external pressures change internal newsroom structure. In the news round-up the Media Voices team discuss the BBC's new show on Facebook Watch, the potential impacts of the Copyright Directive, and gush over Bauer's latest magazine launch. Peter does impressions of a stuffy English gent and Katy Perry.

Media Voices Conversations: Is Advertising More Hassle Than It's Worth?

Digital advertising has never delivered on its potential for publishers. Crowded ecosystems, a break in the value chain between creator and audience, and the prioritisation of direct reader revenue all demand the question ‘is advertising more hassle than it’s worth?’ To answer that question we’ve put together an expert panel of Raoul Monks, co-founder of Flume Training; Fergus Gregory, Group Commercial Director at global marketing-media powerhouse The Drum; and our own host Chris Sutcliffe. The three discuss how consumer-facing advertising has changed over the past decade, how that has impacted the buying and selling of advertising, and whether technology can solve the problems it helped to cause. This Media Voices Special is sponsored by Flume Training. Flume believe the way clients buy has completely shifted and what works in sales has completely changed. They help media businesses drive sales performance through their high impact training, coaching & consultancy.

Media Voices: Columbia Journalism Review's Mathew Ingram on what publishers get wrong about trust

In this episode of the Media Voices podcast Mathew Ingram, media writer for the Columbia Journalism Review, explains why publishers need to take a more human approach to their memberships, the role of platforms in disrupting those relationships, and whether 'trust' is a meaningful metric. In the news round-up the team try to spy a way that regulation of the tech platforms could ever work. We also discuss the closure of yet another celebrity gossip magazine, and what Immediate Media's purchase of BBC Good Food says about both companies' priorities. One Media Voices team member records the episode from Frankfurt, one from a car park, and the other from a dressing gown.

Media Voices: De Correspondent co-founder Rob Wijnberg on relaunching in the US

In this week's episode of Media Voices, Peter talks to Rob Wijnberg, co-founder and Editor in Chief of Dutch ad-free, member-funded news site De Correspondent. After securing runway funding, Rob is in New York preparing the launch of The Correspondent, an English-language version of the news network, and he spoke about the obstacles and opportunities the team is encountering ahead of launching. In the news roundup, we take a look at the potential fallout of Trump vs. Google, some admirable efforts from Twitter, and discuss where you'd buy a hairdryer online with bizarre specificity (not BuzzFeed Reviews, it turns out). We're reading: - I Helped Create Insider Political Journalism. Now It's Time For It To Go Away, via BuzzFeed News: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/bensmith/i-helped-create-insider-political-journalism-now-its-time - Could kindness finally be winning over negative celebrity gossip? via The Pool: https://www.the-pool.com/news-views/opinion/2018/35/Stacey-Solomon-Now-magazine-media-bullying-women - Alan Rusbridger: Who broke the news? via Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/31/alan-rusbridger-who-broke-the-news

Media Voices: The Times & Sunday Times' Alan Hunter on achieving a major subscription milestone

In this week's episode, the head of digital for The Times & Sunday Times Alan Hunter explains how the titles continue to outperform industry at a time when most titles are scaling back their ambitions, and what effect paywalls have on democratic debate. In the news roundup the team discuss bad news for the New York Daily News, "bad" news for Facebook, good news for the Guardian and WTF news for Condé Nast and Goop.

Media Voices: Hearst UK's Kalpana Fitzpatrick on the launch of Financially Fabulous

Hearst UK's Finance Editor, Kalpana Fitzpatrick talks about the launch of their new consumer-facing Financially Fabulous campaign, aiming to empower women to take control of their finances. She discusses the aims of the campaign, the benefits of running it across multiple brands and the overwhelming demand from their audiences for straightforward financial advice. In the news roundup - everything. The team does the second ever newsblitz, looking at everything from the Guardian's paid membership numbers to the Comcast/Disney/Fox saga to Chance the Rapper buying up the Chicagoist. We're reading: - Fact-checkers have debunked this fake news site 80 times. It's still publishing on Facebook, via Poynter: https://www.poynter.org/news/fact-checkers-have-debunked-fake-news-site-80-times-its-still-publishing-facebook - HuffPost experiments with 'listening circles' in Birmingham to go beyond the London bubble, via journalism.co.uk: https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/huffpost-experiments-with-local-reporting-to-go-beyond-the-london-bubble/s2/a724811/ - A new model for investigative journalism, via Omidyar Network: https://medium.com/positive-returns/a-new-model-for-investigative-journalism-b604aaea091f

Media Voices: The Second Source’s Jasmine Andersson on the challenges facing women in journalism

In this week’s episode, one of The Second Source’s co-founders, Jasmine Andersson talks about the aims of the project, the launch of their new mentoring scheme and how women can support each other in challenging environments. In the news round-up, the team dive into what YouTube’s $25 million news spend means for publishers, whether Reddit will work for advertisers and what the deal is with Rolling Stone’s revitalised magazine. Chris worries that AR ads will start manipulating the size of his head. We're reading: - 'The good, the bad, and the mansplaining of WikiTribune’, via Nieman Lab http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/07/several-people-are-typing-the-good-the-bad-and-the-mansplaining-of-wikitribune/ - ‘The promises and pitfalls of reporting within chat apps and other semi-open platforms: A journalist’s guide’ via Nieman Lab http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/07/a-journalists-guide-to-the-promises-and-pitfalls-of-reporting-within-open-and-closed-and-semi-open-platforms - The Death of Truth, by Michiko Kakutani https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/14/the-death-of-truth-how-we-gave-up-on-facts-and-ended-up-with-trump?CMP=share_btn_tw

Media Voices: Corinne Podger on mobile journalism and digital storytelling

This week, Corrine Podger takes us through best practice in mobile journalism and digital storytelling, and how varying mobile consumption habits affect the journalism in different territories. In the news round-up, the team discuss Quartz's sale, a mixed bag of news for UK newspapers, and The Beast Inside. Chris flubs the outro, see if you can tell. We're reading: The Guardian finds less polished video works better on Instagram Stories, via Digiday - https://digiday.com/media/guardian-finds-less-polished-video-works-better-instagram/ Tell me more: The Globe and Mail is slipping a little extra context into its stories (while explaining its editorial thinking along the way), via Nieman Lab - http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/07/tell-me-more-the-globe-and-mail-is-slipping-a-little-extra-context-into-its-stories-while-explaining-its-editorial-thinking-along-the-way/

Media Voices: The New Statesman's digital editor Jasper Jackson on paywall strategy

In this week's episode we hear from the New Statesman's digital editor Jasper Jackson about the circumstances that led the popular current affairs magazine to launch a paywall, how the team decided on digital-only extras to lure potential subscribers across, and what the widespread adoption of paywalls says about the state of the news media. In the news roundup Chris and Peter discuss The London Evening Standard's £10m loss under its editor George Osborne, whether a news and entertainment bundle can work for Apple, and the great news that Mediargh has returned from hiatus. We're taking Media Voices on the road! We're recording a live show and presenting a podcasting masterclass at Magfest this September. For more information or to book your place, visit http://www.magfest.co.uk/

The Telegraph's Director of Product Cat Wildman on navigating tech trends and platforms

On this week's episode, we hear from The Telegraph's Director of Product Cat Wildman on how a modern newspaper can stay on top of changes in consumer habits and launch new products and services that benefit publisher and audience. In the news roundup the team discuss the launch of yet another publisher advertising alliance, Instagram's new TV-like service, and who Facebook's 'subscription groups' are really for.

Media Voices: Bauer Xcel's Ian Betteridge on leading a data-driven digital division

On this week's episode, Bauer Xcel's Director of content and audience development Ian Betteridge talks about drawing together the separate roles of editorial and data-driven audience development, how commercial needs drive content strategy and how he brings together the print and digital teams to make the many brands he oversees a success. He also tells the story behind 'Betteridge's Law'. In the news round-up, Peter and Esther talk about their highlights of the Digital News Report, why Quartz is partnering with Facebook Watch and a dismal set of newspaper ABCs. Peter gets excited about independent magazine publishing. We're reading: - Despite concerns about control, news publishers are still pushing a lot of content to third-party platforms, via Nieman Lab http://www.niemanlab.org/2018/06/despite-concerns-about-control-news-publishers-are-still-pushing-a-lot-of-content-to-third-party-platforms/ - Platforms and Publishers: A Definitive Timeline, via Tow Centre http://tow.cjr.org/platform-timeline/

Media Voices: Deadspin editor in chief Megan Greenwell on a bigger mission for sports journalism

On this week’s episode, Megan Greenway editor-in-chief of Gizmodo Media's sports site Deadspin challenges the 'toy department' misconception of sports journalism, sets her Twitter filters against the trolls and focuses on the work instead of a dysfunctional parent company. In the news round-up, the team take a cynical look at what the changing of the guard at the Daily Mail means for the brand, and whether a 'European Netflix' is viable. Peter takes an unexpected turn against paywalls. We're reading: - ‘Britain's biggest Local TV company has "gamed" the BBC for hundreds of thousands of pounds of licence fee payers' money’, via Buzzfeed https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/revealed-how-britains-biggest-local-tv-company-has-gamed - 'Study: Apple News’s human editors prefer a few major newsrooms', via CJR https://www.cjr.org/tow_center/study-apple-newss-human-editors-prefer-a-few-major-newsrooms.php - 'Rip it Up: The Story of Scottish Pop at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh', via The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6e42643c-6a5a-11e8-9c53-0e2cb45ebb16

Media Voices: Allure editor in chief Michelle Lee on representation in magazines

On this week’s episode, Esther interviews Allure’s editor in chief Michelle Lee about its ongoing efforts to improve representation in magazine media, how diversity can help heal divisions in society, and opportunities around new media. In the news roundup the team discusses a potential cash-for-coverage scandal at the Evening Standard (and what that says about sponsored editorial and trust), Peter gets extremely happy about new investment in Rolling Stone, and Esther discusses the latest news about news at Facebook. We’re reading: ‘Do we need J-schools?’ from Columbia Journalism Review - https://www.cjr.org/special_report/do-we-need-j-schools.php/ ‘Don’t forget about ad blocking: Lost revenue to UK publishers rises to £630,000 a year’ from Digiday - https://digiday.com/media/dont-forget-ad-blocking-lost-revenue-uk-publishers-rises-63000-year/ ‘Are news organisations ‘consciously uncoupling’ from Facebook?’, via Emily Bell - https://medium.com/global-editors-network/emily-bell-are-news-organisations-consciously-uncoupling-from-facebook-7fdfc89fc2d0