Fact-checkers need a marketing mentality

Let your users tell you what they value and are willing to pay for The International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute held its Global Fact 8 conference this past week. I was on a panel that discussed the question, “Fact-checking as a product: Why can’t we sell it?”. The moderator was Gilberto Scofield Jr., […]

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Economists ask, Does advertising actually work?

Groundbreaking research questions the value of this $500 billion global industry My apologies to the Freakonomics Radio podcast for borrowing their headline. But it summarizes perfectly a question on the minds of business people for more than a century. The question is especially relevant for the digital advertising business, which promised to be more measurable, […]

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In a crisis, people seek trusted news brands

Latest Reuters report highlights importance of trust, user payments, shift to digital Several insights from the latest Reuters Digital News Report caught my attention. I want to share them from the executive summary, followed by my comments. Digital News Report 2021: “This [coronavirus] crisis has also shown the value of accurate and reliable information at […]

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Confession: Why I avoid reading (some of) the news

For journalists to be effective, we have to read the news the way a long-term investor does. We need to look for value. Wise investors take note of those who predict that the the stock market is headed for record highs or a sudden collapse. They give an ear to the self-appointed gurus who say […]

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How publisher credibility creates economic value

Transparency is key to strengthening trust in media People tell each other stories all the time to make sense of the world. At the moment, various storytellers are competing for our attention. Their motives vary wildly: to surprise, distract, entertain, confuse, create envy, win votes, inspire hatred, make money, and, in some cases, to perform […]

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User awareness of sponsored content

How to make native advertising work for you

Choose advertisers whose values align with yours In the last blog post I laid out the reasons why independent news media organizations need to hire their own salespeople. This way they avoid giving up ad revenue to tech platforms. They also offer advertisers a safer environment. Although publishers sell conventional ad spaces like the platforms, […]

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salesperson

Why you need to hire a dedicated salesperson

You may already have a solid team of journalists and specialists in technology and social media marketing. But that isn’t enough. You need to hire at least one person who specializes in sales of advertising, subscriptions, and other products. We’re going to discuss why you should do it, who you should hire, and how much […]

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