The Publisher Podcast by Media Voices

This week we're joined by Daniel Ionescu, founder of The Lincolnite, an independent local news publisher in Lincolnshire. He is also the founder and editor of new local news platform MyLocal, which is setting out to create a sustainable ecosystem where local journalism, communities and businesses can thrive. Daniel talks us through why he got into local news in 2010 and the opportunity he spotted to make local news much more up-to-date when compared to the digital efforts of local news organisations still tied to the print cycle. He explains how MyLocal came about, and how they anticipated some of the problems publishers are facing today with the decline in social media traffic and challenges around sustainable revenue streams.  We also discuss the importance of building human, direct relationships to build trust in local news titles, whether collaboration between large and small outlets is realistic, and if local news can ever truly be sustainable. The past 12 months in local news developments will be one of the chapters we explore as part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.

This week we're joined by Chris Stone, Executive Producer at the New Statesman. Chris is in charge of the podcast and video strategy at the publication, and his experimental approach has seen monthly podcast downloads double, video views reach 8 million a month, and huge growth on their YouTube channel. More recently, he has been leaning into video podcasts on YouTube, figuring out what works for the New Statesman as the platform doubles down on its support for podcasts. Chris takes us through some of his boldest experiments with podcasts at the New Statesman, from consolidating them into one feed to publishing audio and video versions to YouTube. He also talks about how they're adapting to wider trends in the podcasting market, the potential use cases for AI in podcasts, and whether others will follow in the footsteps of The Economist and move all their podcasts behind a paywall. As economic conditions continue to put publishers under pressure, he gives some advice to publisher podcast teams facing budget cuts. 2023's podcasting trends and their relevance to publishers will be one of the chapters we explore as part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.

This week we’re joined by Jacqui Merrington, who has her own Substack The Happy Journalist focused on showcasing how new tech can be used positively in journalism. Most recently she led one of the first generative AI experiments at Reach as well as devising and leading a project aimed at developing new business models for their smallest local sites using AI, interactive content formats and newsletters.  Jacqui takes us through the reasons she's optimistic about journalists using AI, how newsrooms can go about implementing it sustainably, and what best (and worst) practice looks like in 2023. And remember - we don't have a catchphrase. AI and how publishers have experimented with new generative tools will be one of the chapters we explore as part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.

On this first episode of the last season for 2023, we feature a passion project from one of our own. The Grub Street Journal is a B2B title made by and for people who love print magazines. Its co-founders and editors Joanna Cummings and Peter Houston take us through the project from inception to monetisation, and give us a sneak peek at the third issue of the magazine. The team also discuss whether a flurry of print magazine stories is a sign of a wider resurgence, or a blip. With NME coming back into print, Elle Australia hitting newsstands again next year following rising demand, and Immediate's Radio Times reaching 100 years and still going strong, what does a print resurgence look like? If print is making a comeback, it's looking more niche, less frequent, and more expensive to make or buy. Print and its place in publisher portfolios this year will be one of the chapters we explore as part of our upcoming Media Moments 2023 report. Find out more and pre-register for the report here.

Welcome to the latest season of Media Voices: Big Noises! This season, sponsored by Glide Publishing Platform, we’ll be talking to publishing people with something to say. Media Voices co-host Peter Houston is tired of hearing the same old industry buzzwords. The publishing platitudes are starting to wear a bit thin, and he’s decided to see if he can shake the conversation up a bit by speaking to some of the biggest characters in the business. On this week's episode of Media Voices - the final edition of our Big Noises series - we hear from Stuart Forrest. As Peter makes clear in his intro, Stuart has worked at most of the major publishers in the UK in a variety of different roles, which has granted him a unique insight into the good and bad practices of the industry. He tells us about all the changes he's seen over his career to date, why the publisher-platform tug-of-war is inevitable but subject to change, and how 'clickability' differs from 'clickbait'. We'll be back later in the year with our autumn season of Media Voices. Until then, have a fantastic summer! Thanks to Glide Publishing Platform who have sponsored this season of Media Voices: Big Noises. Glide exists to make publishers more successful by removing any need to get bogged down building Content Management Systems, providing an industry-leading SaaS tailored to let publishers do more and spend less. Publishers using Glide direct more resources at their audiences and products, and focus on building things that make them money. You do the content, Glide does the management. Glide have created 3 expert guides to getting much more from a new or headless CMS, created for editorial, technology, and product teams. You can get the whitepapers here.

Rafat Ali, known for choosing the slow growth path, discusses eschewing VC funding for sustainable growth and practical AI use at Skift. From tech expert to premium B2B travel site founder, he shares insights on revenue diversification and avoiding media industry pitfalls.

Welcome to the latest season of Media Voices: Big Noises! This season, sponsored by Glide Publishing Platform, we’ll be talking to publishing people with something to say. Media Voices co-host Peter Houston is tired of hearing the same old industry buzzwords. The publishing platitudes are starting to wear a bit thin, and he’s decided to see if he can shake the conversation up a bit by speaking to some of the biggest characters in the business. On this week's episode of Media Voices' Big Noises series we hear from Ricky Sutton, a man who has straddled both the journalistic and tech industries. Ricky tells us about the media militancy, why we need media plurality and why he thinks publisher cohesion is vital for ensuring that, and his own eclectic and unusual path through the industry. He explains why the AI could be fatal for the publishing industry - and what we need to do to prevent that inevitability. Thanks to Glide Publishing Platform who have sponsored this season of Media Voices: Big Noises. Glide exists to make publishers more successful by removing any need to get bogged down building Content Management Systems, providing an industry-leading SaaS tailored to let publishers do more and spend less. Publishers using Glide direct more resources at their audiences and products, and focus on building things that make them money. You do the content, Glide does the management. Glide have created 3 expert guides to getting much more from a new or headless CMS, created for editorial, technology, and product teams. You can get the whitepapers here.

Welcome to the latest season of Media Voices: Big Noises! This season, sponsored by Glide Publishing Platform, we’ll be talking to publishing people with something to say. Media Voices co-host Peter Houston is tired of hearing the same old industry buzzwords. The publishing platitudes are starting to wear a bit thin, and he’s decided to see if he can shake the conversation up a bit by speaking to some of the biggest characters in the business. On this week's episode of Big Noises we hear from Mpho Raborife. Mpho is Managing Editor at news24, a South African-based news outlet with a primarily Millennial staff and audience. Mpho tells us about how she caught the journalism bug while doing work experience, why news organisations that don't listen to their younger staff members aren't effectively serving their audiences, and why young people in newsrooms need to know they have a future in the business to remain invested and engaged. Peter also asked her about her ongoing research project for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and how she hopes younger people will be more nurtured by newsrooms in the future. She echoes what Lucy Keung has said about the need to listen to the younger members of staff - and how those who don't are leaving societal and commercial opportunities on the table. Thanks to Glide Publishing Platform who have sponsored this season of Media Voices: Big Noises. Glide exists to make publishers more successful by removing any need to get bogged down building Content Management Systems, providing an industry-leading SaaS tailored to let publishers do more and spend less. Publishers using Glide direct more resources at their audiences and products, and focus on building things that make them money. You do the content, Glide does the management. Glide have created 3 expert guides to getting much more from a new or headless CMS, created for editorial, technology, and product teams. You can get the whitepapers here.

On this week’s episode of Big Noises from Media Voices we hear from Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director at Digital Content Next (DCN), the trade organisation for premium publishers. Michelle started out as a journalist. The rise of digital media saw her embrace the changes and after working for a range of publications, from alt weeklies to B2B titles, she joined what was then the AOP to help premium publishers on their digital transition. She now manages online content and events for the group. More than a decade in, Michelle still has hope for the media, but is frustrated by many of the publishing practices she sees. “Now we’re in a world where two thirds of our job is to rise above the noise. ‘Listen to me. Look at me’ right? Are we providing a value exchange? When people give us that gift of their attention, do we provide them with value… was it worth their time?"

Welcome to the latest season of Media Voices: Big Noises! This season, sponsored by Glide Publishing Platform, we’ll be talking to publishing people with something to say. Media Voices co-host Peter Houston is tired of hearing the same old industry buzzwords. The publishing platitudes are starting to wear a bit thin, and he’s decided to see if he can shake the conversation up a bit by speaking to some of the biggest characters in the business. On this week's episode of Big Noises from Media Voices we hear from media analyst Shirish Kulkarni. He takes us through news innovation and inclusion projects, from journalism AI to community journalism, focusing really on how these can be used together to serve people who currently don’t see any value in journalism. He explains why news avoidance is a rational response to the current news ecosystem, and how news outlets that say 'we need people to trust us tomorrow' need to have a good long look at themselves. Kulkarni argues that DE&I cannot be fixed quickly, that there is a failure of management to address the issues substantively, and that media organisations' resistance to change is ultimately holding them back. Thanks to Glide Publishing Platform who have sponsored this season of Media Voices: Big Noises. Glide exists to make publishers more successful by removing any need to get bogged down building Content Management Systems, providing an industry-leading SaaS tailored to let publishers do more and spend less. Publishers using Glide direct more resources at their audiences and products, and focus on building things that make them money. You do the content, Glide does the management. Glide have created 3 expert guides to getting much more from a new or headless CMS, created for editorial, technology, and product teams. You can get the whitepapers here.