The Future of Media, Explained - from Press Gazette

Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford and UK editor Charlotte Tobitt discuss the latest front in the Telegraph ownership battle, the publication of fake interviews on The Times, and the threat from social media misinformation in the wake of serious incidents like the stabbing on a train in Cambridgeshire.

Advertising has funded journalism and kept the lights on for democracy since the steam age.But in recent years many publishers have pulled away from relying so heavily on automated programmatic advertising as way of funding free online news.In this episode (sponsored by Assertive Yield) the company’s chief operating office Sherzod Rizaev explains some of the challenges publisher face extracting value from an advertising ecosystem filled with intermediaries all taking a cut.He says publishers don’t have to passively accept declining revenue but can increase their market share by taking back control of the technology which underpins online advertising.He said: “I’m generally optimistic about where we are heading as a publishing industry. We are moving from guesswork and patchwork to a world where publishers can operate with more certainty and precision and confidence of know exactly what they are publishing, how much money they are earning.”

Whatever medium publishers started out on, many are now racing towards Youtube and other online video platforms as the fastest growing source of both audience and revenue.Goalhanger co-founder Jack Davenport joined Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford to discuss this phenomenon alongside consultant Connie Krarup of Q5 Partners. He revealed how the producer of hit shows such as The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Politics now sees itself as a video production company more than an audio producer and explained why podcasts is now a term eschewed by the high-ups at Goalhanger.Davenport also spoke about Goalhanger's commercial model, which includes strong incentives for hosts, and shared his tips for other publishers who want to succeed in an increasingly video-dominated media age.This edition was sponsored by Q5 Partners.

Hamburger Morgenpost head of product Dana Schluenzen tells Dominic Ponsford how offering readers a personalised selection of homepage stories has paid off with higher click-throughs and more returning visitors. This podcast also features insights from the CEO of website personalisation specialists Kilkaya, Tarjei Gilbrant.This episode is sponsored by Kilkaya.

Unlike many publishers, The Economist has chosen not to do any licensing deals with the likes of OpenAI - but isn't looking to sue them either.The Economist's president Luke Bradley-Jones appeared at Press Gazette's Future of Media Technology Conference in London and explained how the brand is adapting for a "post-search world", including by launching one of its newsletters on Substack.

In which Charlotte and Dom discuss: the latest mass job cuts at Reach, the latest attacks on journalism from AI bots and what the proposed break-up of Google's adtech business could mean for publishers.

Kyiv Independent launched in November 2021, just three months before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Here chief operating officer Zakhar Protsiuk talks to Press Gazette editor-in-chief Dominic Ponsford about building a 70-strong team out of nothing, funded mainly by reader revenue, and the ways they have had to constantly reinvent their model.

Times Media head of digital Edward Roussel talks about the relaunched smartphone app which is now the title's most important platform commercially. He also explains why The Times will never use AI to create journalism and why publisher homepages have got far too busy.

Rob Waugh talks about the shadowy figures who are successfully bombarding UK news media with fake content. Fictional experts and non-existent experts are conning their way into UK news media with the help dodgy PR companies. It's a lucrative business providing search engine juice to gambling sites and dubious online retailers. And it won't stop until publishers raise their game in terms of verifying the sources they quote.