From Business Insider:
Here's A New, Inventive Way Jeff Bezos Plans To Make Money From The Washington Post
Eugene Kim, Dec. 29, 2014, 3:52 PM
When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, many saw it as a move to inject new life into the century-old news organization.
It seems like we’re getting a better picture of how exactly he’s going to do it.
According to the Financial Times, The Post plans to sell its back-end content-management system (CMS) to local and regional newspapers.
The report says The Post was approached by some of its partner newspapers, which already have content-sharing deals with The Post, about licensing the software that’s used for The Post's website. The Post has content-sharing deals with the Dallas Morning News and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, while some colleges like Columbia, Yale, and the University of Maryland already use the software on a trial basis.
If the deal goes through, it could open up a whole new revenue channel for The Post. Traditional print newspapers and magazines, like The Post, saw their businesses decline in recent years as they've struggled to keep up with digital. But with a new CMS-licensing business, The Post can broaden its footprint and find new growth from the technology side of its business.
The Post clearly sees potential here as it added 20 engineers this year for a total of 225. It has opened a design and development office in New York, while another one is expected to open in Virginia next year, the report said.
In fact, the move is in line with what Bezos said during Business Insider’s Ignition conference. Here's what he said when he was asked why he bought The Post:
The internet has radically disrupted traditional newspapers, so there’s a lot of invention and experimentation to be done ... even though I didn’t know anything about the newspaper business, I did know something about the internet and companies reacting to the internet. That, combined with the financial runway that I can provide, is the reason why I bought the company.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/washington-post-cms-license-2014-12#ixzz3NOQI8PtQ
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
What Defines a Healthy Newsroom Culture?
From Poynter.org:
What defines a healthy newsroom culture?
by Roy Peter Clark Published Dec. 26, 2014 4:00 am Updated Dec. 26, 2014 4:07 am
Earlier this month, I had the honor of conducting a writing workshop in Washington, D.C., for the writers and editors of National Geographic. It was a kick for me to work with a publication that I had read as a boy, one that, in 1963, had published a photo of my father, a U.S. Customs officer, pasting a sticker on the wooden crate that contained the Mona Lisa as she made her way on a tour of America.
The folks at NatGeo asked some great questions, and I want to answer one of them in this essay.
“You keep talking and asking questions about the ‘culture’ of this place,” asked one young man. “What do you mean by ‘culture’?”
As is my habit, I was going to begin my answer with a dictionary definition of culture, but even the shortest one I could find was so complicated and multi-faceted that it would not provide much direction.
So I have decided to try a definition of my own in the context of a newsroom:
“The norms, practices, habits and routines of a workplace that create the conditions for excellent or sub-standard work.”
It is often easier to recognize fault lines in a culture from the outside although this must be done with caution. In the television series “Mad Men,” for example, the Madison Avenue advertising company of the early 1960s is portrayed as a male dominated, hierarchical, harshly sexist, overly competitive culture, fueled by nicotine, hard liquor, and casual sex. That such a culture might also be creative is a tension played out in episode after episode.
Is there such a thing as an “ideal” culture for a magazine or newsroom? I cannot answer. The only questions I am qualified to answer are these: “What is the best culture for me? What kind of place keeps me happy and productive?”
Where craft is tied to mission and purpose. I am much more likely to perfect my craft in a place with a clear and high-minded sense of mission. Maximizing profit is not enough. Helping democracy is too broad. People in a news organization must be able to point to specific work that contributes to the public interest.
Where workers are learning all the time. When people call to tell me they are looking for a new job, it is almost never money that is the key issue. “I’ve stopped learning here,” is the most common complaint. A learning culture is one where reflective practitioners solve problems and then share with each other how those problems were solved.
Where doors are opened rather than closed. I thrive in a culture where there is status, of course, but where it is never an impediment. An open concept means there is an escape from silos, that folks can work across disciplines, that anyone might be called upon at any time to help someone else.
Where risk is rewarded. The great writing teacher Donald Murray used to say that he wanted to work in a place with a tolerance for interesting failures. I’m not as brave. I want to walk the tightrope, but with a safety net. I do hope that failure, when it occurs, is not incentive for retreat, but for a new determination to make it work next time.
Where coaching people is more important than fixing stories. I need a place where bosses and workers share control, where editors assume responsibility for the development of the writer over time. A culture that depends upon the constant fixing of broken work breeds negativity and resentment.
Where there is talk, talk, talk. When I enter a newsroom, I judge the culture by the dialect of the tribe. Are people talking at all, and, if so, what are they talking about? If the talk is just complaints about other workers, if it is unrelated to the work, or unrelentingly cynical, I get suspicious. I want to talk about the best work being accomplished, how it gets accomplished, and how I can accomplish it.
Where informal authority complements formal authority. At what is now the Tampa Bay Times a group of young journalists, with the leadership of Ben Montgomery, created a website known as gangrey.com. These writers were commitment to excellence in reporting and the power of telling stories. Their website is committed to the promotion of such excellent work. No one gave them permission to do this. The newspaper benefited, not just from their regular work, but from the informal leadership they exerted, not just in their own shop, but in newsrooms across the country.
Think of your company or newsroom and answer these questions as True or False:
I know what the mission of my workplace is, and I can recite it to others.
I can tell you something specific I learned about my craft during the last week
I feel I can talk to any person in any department about our mission and work.
I can try something unconventional and even if it is not completely successful, I will get support for trying again.
There is some person assigned to helping me grow as a journalist over the long haul.
Almost every day I am engaged in conversation designed to improve the quality of the work.
I am not afraid of trying to contribute to the culture of my workplace, even if I lack the authority to do so.
If you answered “True” to all seven questions, you are lucky to be working in a productive and supportive culture. If you said “False” to more than three, it may be time to roll up your sleeves and exercise your informal influence for the good
What defines a healthy newsroom culture?
by Roy Peter Clark Published Dec. 26, 2014 4:00 am Updated Dec. 26, 2014 4:07 am
Earlier this month, I had the honor of conducting a writing workshop in Washington, D.C., for the writers and editors of National Geographic. It was a kick for me to work with a publication that I had read as a boy, one that, in 1963, had published a photo of my father, a U.S. Customs officer, pasting a sticker on the wooden crate that contained the Mona Lisa as she made her way on a tour of America.
The folks at NatGeo asked some great questions, and I want to answer one of them in this essay.
“You keep talking and asking questions about the ‘culture’ of this place,” asked one young man. “What do you mean by ‘culture’?”
As is my habit, I was going to begin my answer with a dictionary definition of culture, but even the shortest one I could find was so complicated and multi-faceted that it would not provide much direction.
So I have decided to try a definition of my own in the context of a newsroom:
“The norms, practices, habits and routines of a workplace that create the conditions for excellent or sub-standard work.”
It is often easier to recognize fault lines in a culture from the outside although this must be done with caution. In the television series “Mad Men,” for example, the Madison Avenue advertising company of the early 1960s is portrayed as a male dominated, hierarchical, harshly sexist, overly competitive culture, fueled by nicotine, hard liquor, and casual sex. That such a culture might also be creative is a tension played out in episode after episode.
Is there such a thing as an “ideal” culture for a magazine or newsroom? I cannot answer. The only questions I am qualified to answer are these: “What is the best culture for me? What kind of place keeps me happy and productive?”
Where craft is tied to mission and purpose. I am much more likely to perfect my craft in a place with a clear and high-minded sense of mission. Maximizing profit is not enough. Helping democracy is too broad. People in a news organization must be able to point to specific work that contributes to the public interest.
Where workers are learning all the time. When people call to tell me they are looking for a new job, it is almost never money that is the key issue. “I’ve stopped learning here,” is the most common complaint. A learning culture is one where reflective practitioners solve problems and then share with each other how those problems were solved.
Where doors are opened rather than closed. I thrive in a culture where there is status, of course, but where it is never an impediment. An open concept means there is an escape from silos, that folks can work across disciplines, that anyone might be called upon at any time to help someone else.
Where risk is rewarded. The great writing teacher Donald Murray used to say that he wanted to work in a place with a tolerance for interesting failures. I’m not as brave. I want to walk the tightrope, but with a safety net. I do hope that failure, when it occurs, is not incentive for retreat, but for a new determination to make it work next time.
Where coaching people is more important than fixing stories. I need a place where bosses and workers share control, where editors assume responsibility for the development of the writer over time. A culture that depends upon the constant fixing of broken work breeds negativity and resentment.
Where there is talk, talk, talk. When I enter a newsroom, I judge the culture by the dialect of the tribe. Are people talking at all, and, if so, what are they talking about? If the talk is just complaints about other workers, if it is unrelated to the work, or unrelentingly cynical, I get suspicious. I want to talk about the best work being accomplished, how it gets accomplished, and how I can accomplish it.
Where informal authority complements formal authority. At what is now the Tampa Bay Times a group of young journalists, with the leadership of Ben Montgomery, created a website known as gangrey.com. These writers were commitment to excellence in reporting and the power of telling stories. Their website is committed to the promotion of such excellent work. No one gave them permission to do this. The newspaper benefited, not just from their regular work, but from the informal leadership they exerted, not just in their own shop, but in newsrooms across the country.
Think of your company or newsroom and answer these questions as True or False:
I know what the mission of my workplace is, and I can recite it to others.
I can tell you something specific I learned about my craft during the last week
I feel I can talk to any person in any department about our mission and work.
I can try something unconventional and even if it is not completely successful, I will get support for trying again.
There is some person assigned to helping me grow as a journalist over the long haul.
Almost every day I am engaged in conversation designed to improve the quality of the work.
I am not afraid of trying to contribute to the culture of my workplace, even if I lack the authority to do so.
If you answered “True” to all seven questions, you are lucky to be working in a productive and supportive culture. If you said “False” to more than three, it may be time to roll up your sleeves and exercise your informal influence for the good
Sunday, December 21, 2014
800 Magazines Launch This Year
Technology has made an impact on the magazine industry in more than one way. Digital media, of course, if often looked to as a huge detriment to the industry, particularly when trying to sell print ads. Yet advances in technology and digital media have made it possible for magazines to print smaller runs and niche titles and find an enthusiastic and highly targeted audience.
“Magazines, it seems, are far from fossilized. They’re still alive and kicking, and then some,” notes Sally Herships in Marketplace.
She quotes Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) as saying that more than 800 new titles have launched in the past 12 months. Many, Husni notes, are annuals, book-a-zines or highly specialized titles rather than mass market. And that’s okay.
“Magazines aren’t dead, they’re just different,” explains Husni. “New technology allows for smaller runs and more specialized titles…”
Admittedly, it is a challenging time for magazines, both in terms of securing advertising dollars and in leveraging digital media to a publisher’s best advantage.
“While magazine audiences are growing online and on other digital platforms, the loss of advertising dollars that were once a mainstay of print has been hard to make up,” Herships says, quoting Sid Holt of the American Society of Magazine Editors.
“Those digital dimes haven’t replaced those print dollars yet,” Holt said. But at the same time, he notes, magazines are adapting.
“In order for a magazine now to be successful it has to carry its shared passion between reader and publisher — be it guinea pigs or eyelashes — across platforms,” Herships continues.
As we all continue to seek that multi-platform balance, one thing remains clear, according to Andrea Marker-Kick of Media Associates: Print remains a prominent platform for luxury goods and services.
“After all, it’s very hard to smell a sample fragrance strip through the screen of your iPhone,” she notes.
The continuing appeal of print and the struggles that advertisers are facing in making their digital ads worth the cost leave the field open for innovative publishers and the titles they are creating. It’s about finding your passion, telling your story, and connecting with your tribe in print. Clearly, with this many new titles being launched, the passion and the product are evolving in positive ways.
“Magazines, it seems, are far from fossilized. They’re still alive and kicking, and then some,” notes Sally Herships in Marketplace.
She quotes Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) as saying that more than 800 new titles have launched in the past 12 months. Many, Husni notes, are annuals, book-a-zines or highly specialized titles rather than mass market. And that’s okay.
“Magazines aren’t dead, they’re just different,” explains Husni. “New technology allows for smaller runs and more specialized titles…”
Admittedly, it is a challenging time for magazines, both in terms of securing advertising dollars and in leveraging digital media to a publisher’s best advantage.
“While magazine audiences are growing online and on other digital platforms, the loss of advertising dollars that were once a mainstay of print has been hard to make up,” Herships says, quoting Sid Holt of the American Society of Magazine Editors.
“Those digital dimes haven’t replaced those print dollars yet,” Holt said. But at the same time, he notes, magazines are adapting.
“In order for a magazine now to be successful it has to carry its shared passion between reader and publisher — be it guinea pigs or eyelashes — across platforms,” Herships continues.
As we all continue to seek that multi-platform balance, one thing remains clear, according to Andrea Marker-Kick of Media Associates: Print remains a prominent platform for luxury goods and services.
“After all, it’s very hard to smell a sample fragrance strip through the screen of your iPhone,” she notes.
The continuing appeal of print and the struggles that advertisers are facing in making their digital ads worth the cost leave the field open for innovative publishers and the titles they are creating. It’s about finding your passion, telling your story, and connecting with your tribe in print. Clearly, with this many new titles being launched, the passion and the product are evolving in positive ways.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Pentecostal Evangel Switches to Digital
AG Magazine Pentecostal Evangel to Switch to Free Digital Platform
Assemblies of God to Roll out PE News at End of the Year
Contact: Steve Yount, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111, steve@alarryross.com; Mark Forrester, Assemblies of God, 417-862-2781 ext 3027, MForrester@ag.org
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Nov. 6, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pentecostal Evangel magazine, a trailblazer in Christian communication since its debut in 1913, announced today it will switch to a free digital news platform - PE News - at the end of the year.
This transition from subscription-based, weekly print publication to online will allow the Assemblies of God to provide high-quality content to a broader range of readers while taking advantage of video and individual interaction that is not possible through the current magazine. PE News will release 20-25 articles each week and be the official news agency of the Assemblies of God.
"Pentecostal Evangel's purpose - to communicate Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit - transcends medium or method," said Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A. "Through multiple daily stories accessible on both online and mobile platforms, PE News will offer a clear and timely understanding of what God is doing through the AG. Had this opportunity been available when the AG was founded, I believe we would have seized it even sooner."
PE News editors will also produce a free weekly summary that churches can download, print and share. The website will be www.penews.org.
In addition to the launch of PE News, Assemblies of God will also offer Vital, a revolutionary new magazine supported by online content, for pastors and their congregations in January. The bimonthly magazine is intended to become an essential spiritual companion to its readers by putting their world into a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered perspective.
For a preview of Vital, please visit vitalmagazine.com/firstlook.
Assemblies of God to Roll out PE News at End of the Year
Contact: Steve Yount, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111, steve@alarryross.com; Mark Forrester, Assemblies of God, 417-862-2781 ext 3027, MForrester@ag.org
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Nov. 6, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pentecostal Evangel magazine, a trailblazer in Christian communication since its debut in 1913, announced today it will switch to a free digital news platform - PE News - at the end of the year.
This transition from subscription-based, weekly print publication to online will allow the Assemblies of God to provide high-quality content to a broader range of readers while taking advantage of video and individual interaction that is not possible through the current magazine. PE News will release 20-25 articles each week and be the official news agency of the Assemblies of God.
"Pentecostal Evangel's purpose - to communicate Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit - transcends medium or method," said Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A. "Through multiple daily stories accessible on both online and mobile platforms, PE News will offer a clear and timely understanding of what God is doing through the AG. Had this opportunity been available when the AG was founded, I believe we would have seized it even sooner."
PE News editors will also produce a free weekly summary that churches can download, print and share. The website will be www.penews.org.
In addition to the launch of PE News, Assemblies of God will also offer Vital, a revolutionary new magazine supported by online content, for pastors and their congregations in January. The bimonthly magazine is intended to become an essential spiritual companion to its readers by putting their world into a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered perspective.
For a preview of Vital, please visit vitalmagazine.com/firstlook.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Reading in Print Helps With Comprehension
It's no secret that reading is good for you. Just six minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress by 68%, and numerous studies have shown that reading keeps your brain functioning effectively as you age. One study even found that elderly individuals who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer's than their peers. But not all forms of reading are created equal.
The debate between paper books and e-readers has been vicious since the first Kindle came out in 2007. Most arguments have been about the sentimental versus the practical, between people who prefer how paper pages feel in their hands and people who argue for the practicality of e-readers. But now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books.
Reading in print helps with comprehension.
A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. Lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University concluded that "the haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does."
To read the entire article, click here.
The debate between paper books and e-readers has been vicious since the first Kindle came out in 2007. Most arguments have been about the sentimental versus the practical, between people who prefer how paper pages feel in their hands and people who argue for the practicality of e-readers. But now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books.
Reading in print helps with comprehension.
A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. Lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University concluded that "the haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does."
To read the entire article, click here.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Register Ends L.A. Newspaper, Cuts Staff
Register ends L.A. newspaper, cuts staff
BY LILY LEUNG / STAFF WRITER
Published: Sept. 23, 2014 Updated: 6:39 p.m.
Freedom Communications, the owner of the Orange County Register, has ended the print run of the Los Angeles Register and will redirect its focus to covering Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the company said Tuesday.
The Los Angeles daily, which launched in April, will continue to have an online presence at losangelesregister.com.
The company’s latest restructuring also resulted in the elimination of 29 newsroom positions.
With those departures, the Orange County Register’s editorial staffing is at 220, still higher than 2011 levels before Register publisher Aaron Kushner, co-owner Eric Spitz and their 2100 Trust bought Freedom in summer 2012.
“One of our biggest challenges – and one that our industry continues to wrestle with – is to evaluate our opportunity costs,” Kushner and Spitz wrote in a memo Monday night to the staff. “In other words, we must make difficult decisions on where we should invest our time and resources to grow.”
BY LILY LEUNG / STAFF WRITER
Published: Sept. 23, 2014 Updated: 6:39 p.m.
Freedom Communications, the owner of the Orange County Register, has ended the print run of the Los Angeles Register and will redirect its focus to covering Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the company said Tuesday.
The Los Angeles daily, which launched in April, will continue to have an online presence at losangelesregister.com.
The company’s latest restructuring also resulted in the elimination of 29 newsroom positions.
With those departures, the Orange County Register’s editorial staffing is at 220, still higher than 2011 levels before Register publisher Aaron Kushner, co-owner Eric Spitz and their 2100 Trust bought Freedom in summer 2012.
“One of our biggest challenges – and one that our industry continues to wrestle with – is to evaluate our opportunity costs,” Kushner and Spitz wrote in a memo Monday night to the staff. “In other words, we must make difficult decisions on where we should invest our time and resources to grow.”
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
What Does the Rise in Brand Journalism Mean?
The rise of native advertising, and what some are calling “brand journalism,” has triggered a wave of revulsion and horror in media circles. A feature-length piece in the Financial Times is just the latest in a series of such pieces bemoaning the fact that PR people outnumber journalists 4 to 1, and companies are publishing their own newspapers. There’s no question the web has allowed brands to become media entities — so what should traditional media do about it?
As painful as it may be to hear, the only real answer is: try harder. In other words, traditional journalists need to step up their game, and try to give readers something extra — something unique, whether it’s insight or joy or whatever they feel is their unique selling proposition. Rewriting press releases isn’t going to work when companies live-stream and live-blog their own product launches.
To read the entire article, click here:
As painful as it may be to hear, the only real answer is: try harder. In other words, traditional journalists need to step up their game, and try to give readers something extra — something unique, whether it’s insight or joy or whatever they feel is their unique selling proposition. Rewriting press releases isn’t going to work when companies live-stream and live-blog their own product launches.
To read the entire article, click here:
Saturday, September 6, 2014
'Bloodbath' at USA Today
Here's an excerpt from a really sad story about USA Today.
Korina Lopez was preparing to get a tooth pulled when the call came from USA Today’s human relations office on Wednesday morning. She couldn’t talk, but returned the call as soon as she got home and learned her job as an entertainment writer for the media giant was over.
“They gave me all of five minutes and dismantled 11 years of work,” she said. “I had 15 minutes before they locked me out of my computer. I was trying like crazy to copy all of my contacts before I got locked out. “
Lopez was one of 60 to 70 employees laid off this week at USA Today in a move the company attributed to a need to cut costs in the face of declining print advertising revenue.
Gannett Co. recently announced it was spinning off its flagship national paper and 81 other newspapers into a company separate from its broadcast properties. The company said about half of those laid off worked in the newsroom, amounting to 8 percent of the total editorial staff.
Lopez and several others whose positions were slashed said they weren’t totally surprised that the company was downsizing, but were shocked at how it took place.
Scott Bowles, 49, a film reporter and critic for USA Today’s Los Angeles bureau and 20-year-veteran of Gannett Co., got the layoff call at 8:20 that morning.
“They told me, we are letting you go. You are out and your email is down,” he recalled. “It was cold, it was quick and it was final. Perhaps that is fitting for what is happening in the news era.”
Others in the newsroom were escorted out by security after losing their jobs, Bowles said. “It was so disrespectful. These people were treated like shoplifters.”
Bowles said veteran newsroom employees who had worked there for decades almost immediately lost access to their business email accounts.
“It was a total bloodbath,” Lopez said.
To read the entire article, click here.
Korina Lopez was preparing to get a tooth pulled when the call came from USA Today’s human relations office on Wednesday morning. She couldn’t talk, but returned the call as soon as she got home and learned her job as an entertainment writer for the media giant was over.
“They gave me all of five minutes and dismantled 11 years of work,” she said. “I had 15 minutes before they locked me out of my computer. I was trying like crazy to copy all of my contacts before I got locked out. “
Lopez was one of 60 to 70 employees laid off this week at USA Today in a move the company attributed to a need to cut costs in the face of declining print advertising revenue.
Gannett Co. recently announced it was spinning off its flagship national paper and 81 other newspapers into a company separate from its broadcast properties. The company said about half of those laid off worked in the newsroom, amounting to 8 percent of the total editorial staff.
Lopez and several others whose positions were slashed said they weren’t totally surprised that the company was downsizing, but were shocked at how it took place.
Scott Bowles, 49, a film reporter and critic for USA Today’s Los Angeles bureau and 20-year-veteran of Gannett Co., got the layoff call at 8:20 that morning.
“They told me, we are letting you go. You are out and your email is down,” he recalled. “It was cold, it was quick and it was final. Perhaps that is fitting for what is happening in the news era.”
Others in the newsroom were escorted out by security after losing their jobs, Bowles said. “It was so disrespectful. These people were treated like shoplifters.”
Bowles said veteran newsroom employees who had worked there for decades almost immediately lost access to their business email accounts.
“It was a total bloodbath,” Lopez said.
To read the entire article, click here.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Bezos Changes WaPo Leadership
Everybody has been watching to see what the new owner, entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, will do with the iconic Washington Post. Here is his latest move in change of leadership.
Washington Post owner Jeffrey P. Bezos is replacing Publisher Katharine Weymouth with Frederick J. Ryan Jr., a former Reagan administration official who was part of the founding leadership team of Politico, a primarily digital news organization that competes with The Post on political coverage, the company announced Tuesday.
The departure of Weymouth, 48, ends eight decades of Graham family leadership of The Post, which her great-grandfather bought in 1933. Bezos, who acquired The Post for $250 million in a sale announced in August 2013, initially kept the senior leadership team intact. He told Weymouth during a visit to Washington, on Aug. 18, that he had selected a new publisher, according to people familiar with the decision. She will remain on the company payroll as an adviser through the end of the year.
To read the entire article, click here.
Washington Post owner Jeffrey P. Bezos is replacing Publisher Katharine Weymouth with Frederick J. Ryan Jr., a former Reagan administration official who was part of the founding leadership team of Politico, a primarily digital news organization that competes with The Post on political coverage, the company announced Tuesday.
The departure of Weymouth, 48, ends eight decades of Graham family leadership of The Post, which her great-grandfather bought in 1933. Bezos, who acquired The Post for $250 million in a sale announced in August 2013, initially kept the senior leadership team intact. He told Weymouth during a visit to Washington, on Aug. 18, that he had selected a new publisher, according to people familiar with the decision. She will remain on the company payroll as an adviser through the end of the year.
To read the entire article, click here.
Why Freelance Reporting is so Dangerous
James Foley is a reminder why freelance reporting is so dangerous
By Tina Carr, Special to CNN
updated 7:47 AM EDT, Thu August 21, 2014
Editor's note: Tina Carr is the Director of the Rory Peck Trust, a London-based NGO dedicated to the support, safety and welfare of freelance newsgatherers around the world. The trust is named after freelance war cameraman Rory Peck who was killed while on assignment in Moscow in 1993. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Freelance journalist James Foley was brutally killed yesterday after being held for 21 months by Islamic militants in Syria. Despite the increasing dangers of working in the region, despite the many journalists who have been kidnapped or are still missing, and despite dreading this news, it has taken us all by surprise and we are deeply, deeply shocked.
Freelance journalists, photographers and video journalists have always played a vital role in newsgathering, and their contribution today is more important than ever. They make a crucial contribution to the free flow of information that is an essential part of a democratic society and fully deserve our support and protection.
Our Trust works with freelancers on a daily basis -- helping them, helping their families, and sometimes working with them to help other freelancers. And James was one of these. We worked with him, helping him financially as he and his colleagues searched for missing colleagues in Syria. We stayed in touch.
James' kidnap and death is yet another tragic reminder of the very real dangers facing journalists today. Over the past two years, around 70 journalists have been killed covering the conflict in Syria, and a further 20 journalists currently remain missing, including freelancer Austin Tice.
The Committee to Protect Journalists say that the last two years have been the most dangerous for journalists on record, with 174 confirmed deaths since 2012. Not only this, but threats, intimidation, assaults and kidnappings are becoming every day challenges for journalists working around the world. Reuters columnist David Rohde writes: "Syria today is the scene of the single largest wave of kidnappings in modern journalism, more than in Iraq during the 2000s or Lebanon during the 1980s."
These are terrible facts.
So, what of the freelancers? Who negotiates for them? Who sends in security consultants to try and get them out? Who helps their families?
Freelance journalists like James often work alone without the resources and support of large news organizations behind them -- they are always the most vulnerable to these dangers. The Rory Peck Trust has been supporting and assisting freelancers for almost two decades, and we've never seen a demand for our assistance like this before.
It's not just freelancers travelling to conflict zones who are at risk. The majority of newsgatherers killed each year are journalists working in their own countries.
Freelance photographers, fixers and camera operators covering and reporting on conflicts that are affecting their own communities are often the most vulnerable. They're unable to leave areas when it becomes too dangerous, or when their reporting is exposed, and are frequently threatened, attacked and accused of being traitors for working with international news organizations.
So, how to protect freelancers? How to help them work securely? Our organization gives financial and other practical support to freelancers in trouble. We offer online resources on safety & security for those reporting from dangerous environments, and run a Training Fund that provides bursaries for freelancers to enable them to undergo hostile environments training before travelling to a conflict zone. This training can teach freelancers how to assess risk and spot danger, handle a crisis, support others and give vital first aid. The right training can save lives.
Although our focus is specifically on freelancers, we are only one of the many organizations that exist to support journalists worldwide. Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and IFJ all have security guides that can help freelancers be more prepared in situations of crisis. The International News Safety Institute offers up-to-date information about the security situation on the ground for journalists, and RISC offers vital first-aid training.
There's no question that conflict journalism has always been a dangerous occupation -- and how very wrong that is! So when we talk about protection, when we talk about security, we are talking about every sector of the news industry, whether news employers, staff or freelancers. In this brutal new world, everyone must be prepared to take responsibility -- for themselves and for others.
James Foley was a freelancer in the truest and most honorable sense -- a talented journalist and an exceptional human being. Our thoughts are with his family at this tragic time, and with the families of all other journalists currently being held in Syria.
By Tina Carr, Special to CNN
updated 7:47 AM EDT, Thu August 21, 2014
Editor's note: Tina Carr is the Director of the Rory Peck Trust, a London-based NGO dedicated to the support, safety and welfare of freelance newsgatherers around the world. The trust is named after freelance war cameraman Rory Peck who was killed while on assignment in Moscow in 1993. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Freelance journalist James Foley was brutally killed yesterday after being held for 21 months by Islamic militants in Syria. Despite the increasing dangers of working in the region, despite the many journalists who have been kidnapped or are still missing, and despite dreading this news, it has taken us all by surprise and we are deeply, deeply shocked.
Freelance journalists, photographers and video journalists have always played a vital role in newsgathering, and their contribution today is more important than ever. They make a crucial contribution to the free flow of information that is an essential part of a democratic society and fully deserve our support and protection.
Our Trust works with freelancers on a daily basis -- helping them, helping their families, and sometimes working with them to help other freelancers. And James was one of these. We worked with him, helping him financially as he and his colleagues searched for missing colleagues in Syria. We stayed in touch.
James' kidnap and death is yet another tragic reminder of the very real dangers facing journalists today. Over the past two years, around 70 journalists have been killed covering the conflict in Syria, and a further 20 journalists currently remain missing, including freelancer Austin Tice.
The Committee to Protect Journalists say that the last two years have been the most dangerous for journalists on record, with 174 confirmed deaths since 2012. Not only this, but threats, intimidation, assaults and kidnappings are becoming every day challenges for journalists working around the world. Reuters columnist David Rohde writes: "Syria today is the scene of the single largest wave of kidnappings in modern journalism, more than in Iraq during the 2000s or Lebanon during the 1980s."
These are terrible facts.
So, what of the freelancers? Who negotiates for them? Who sends in security consultants to try and get them out? Who helps their families?
Freelance journalists like James often work alone without the resources and support of large news organizations behind them -- they are always the most vulnerable to these dangers. The Rory Peck Trust has been supporting and assisting freelancers for almost two decades, and we've never seen a demand for our assistance like this before.
It's not just freelancers travelling to conflict zones who are at risk. The majority of newsgatherers killed each year are journalists working in their own countries.
Freelance photographers, fixers and camera operators covering and reporting on conflicts that are affecting their own communities are often the most vulnerable. They're unable to leave areas when it becomes too dangerous, or when their reporting is exposed, and are frequently threatened, attacked and accused of being traitors for working with international news organizations.
So, how to protect freelancers? How to help them work securely? Our organization gives financial and other practical support to freelancers in trouble. We offer online resources on safety & security for those reporting from dangerous environments, and run a Training Fund that provides bursaries for freelancers to enable them to undergo hostile environments training before travelling to a conflict zone. This training can teach freelancers how to assess risk and spot danger, handle a crisis, support others and give vital first aid. The right training can save lives.
Although our focus is specifically on freelancers, we are only one of the many organizations that exist to support journalists worldwide. Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and IFJ all have security guides that can help freelancers be more prepared in situations of crisis. The International News Safety Institute offers up-to-date information about the security situation on the ground for journalists, and RISC offers vital first-aid training.
There's no question that conflict journalism has always been a dangerous occupation -- and how very wrong that is! So when we talk about protection, when we talk about security, we are talking about every sector of the news industry, whether news employers, staff or freelancers. In this brutal new world, everyone must be prepared to take responsibility -- for themselves and for others.
James Foley was a freelancer in the truest and most honorable sense -- a talented journalist and an exceptional human being. Our thoughts are with his family at this tragic time, and with the families of all other journalists currently being held in Syria.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Journalism's Risks Have Never Been More Intense
Editorial from Saturday's Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (August 30, 2014):
Published: August 30, 2014 3:00 a.m.
Journalism's risks have never been more intense
Our friend Gary Pruitt, the president of the Associated Press, was on a recent Sunday news show and made a few points that in this day of anti-media sentiment are worth noting.
Pruitt naturally emphasized the AP. But what he says can be broadened to include all the Western media. Pruitt appeared on CNN's “Reliable Sources.” What prompted his comments was the beheading of James Foley of the Global Post by an Islamist nicknamed Jihadi John.
“It has been a difficult year, and a more dangerous time for journalists,” Pruitt told host Brian Stelter. “It's the most dangerous we've ever seen it, in part because journalists are being targeted now.
“It wasn't too many years ago that journalists would have emblazoned on their vests – press – or they'd be riding in vehicles that would have 'press' written on the vehicle, to provide a degree of more safety because combatants typically wouldn't target the media.”
Pruitt said the AP had lost 33 journalists in its history, beginning with the Battle of the Little Big Horn (in 1876) and with the latest death about two weeks ago. An AP video journalist, Simone Camilli, was killed Aug. 13 along with a freelance Palestinian translator working with him when ordnance left from Israeli-Hamas fighting exploded as they were reporting on the aftermath of the war in the Gaza Strip.
The excesses of the media are major topics on other TV and radio shows. Gasbags are frequently critical of what this reporter or that photographer did. But some of our colleagues, like Foley, pay the ultimate price in trying to cover the news.
Published: August 30, 2014 3:00 a.m.
Journalism's risks have never been more intense
Our friend Gary Pruitt, the president of the Associated Press, was on a recent Sunday news show and made a few points that in this day of anti-media sentiment are worth noting.
Pruitt naturally emphasized the AP. But what he says can be broadened to include all the Western media. Pruitt appeared on CNN's “Reliable Sources.” What prompted his comments was the beheading of James Foley of the Global Post by an Islamist nicknamed Jihadi John.
“It has been a difficult year, and a more dangerous time for journalists,” Pruitt told host Brian Stelter. “It's the most dangerous we've ever seen it, in part because journalists are being targeted now.
“It wasn't too many years ago that journalists would have emblazoned on their vests – press – or they'd be riding in vehicles that would have 'press' written on the vehicle, to provide a degree of more safety because combatants typically wouldn't target the media.”
Pruitt said the AP had lost 33 journalists in its history, beginning with the Battle of the Little Big Horn (in 1876) and with the latest death about two weeks ago. An AP video journalist, Simone Camilli, was killed Aug. 13 along with a freelance Palestinian translator working with him when ordnance left from Israeli-Hamas fighting exploded as they were reporting on the aftermath of the war in the Gaza Strip.
The excesses of the media are major topics on other TV and radio shows. Gasbags are frequently critical of what this reporter or that photographer did. But some of our colleagues, like Foley, pay the ultimate price in trying to cover the news.
The End of the Printed Newspaper?
Here are three paragraphs from a very stimulating story on the future of newspapers. Be sure to click through to the entire article using the link at the end of this excerpt.
The Roanoke Times, the local paper in my family home, is a classic metro daily, with roots that go back to the 1880s. Like most such papers, it ran into trouble in the middle of last decade, as print advertising revenue fell, leaving a hole in the balance sheet that digital advertising couldn’t fill. When the 2008 recession accelerated those problems, the Times’ parent company, Landmark, began looking for a buyer, eventually selling it to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Media Group in 2013. The acquisition was greeted with relief in the newsroom, as Buffett had famously assured the employees at his earlier purchases “Your paper will operate from a position of financial strength.” Three months after acquiring the Times, BH Media fired 31 employees, a bit over a tenth of the workforce.
Many people have lamented the unpredictability in the media environment occasioned by the arrival of digital devices and networks, but the slow implosion of newspapers has been widely and correctly predicted for some time now. Print ad revenues have fallen 65% in a decade, 2013 saw the lowest ever recorded, and 2014 will be worse. Even a company like BH Media, with deep pockets and a long term outlook, can’t make a profit without cutting expenses, and can’t cut expenses without cutting jobs.
What happened in Roanoke — gradual financial decay punctuated by bouts of firing — is the normal case at papers all over the country, and more is coming. The next wave of consolidation is already upon us; big media firms like Tribune and Gannett are abandoning their newspapers (“spinning them off”, in bloodless business parlance.) If you are a journalist at a print publication, your job is in danger. Period. Time to do something about it.
To read the full article, click here.
The Roanoke Times, the local paper in my family home, is a classic metro daily, with roots that go back to the 1880s. Like most such papers, it ran into trouble in the middle of last decade, as print advertising revenue fell, leaving a hole in the balance sheet that digital advertising couldn’t fill. When the 2008 recession accelerated those problems, the Times’ parent company, Landmark, began looking for a buyer, eventually selling it to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Media Group in 2013. The acquisition was greeted with relief in the newsroom, as Buffett had famously assured the employees at his earlier purchases “Your paper will operate from a position of financial strength.” Three months after acquiring the Times, BH Media fired 31 employees, a bit over a tenth of the workforce.
Many people have lamented the unpredictability in the media environment occasioned by the arrival of digital devices and networks, but the slow implosion of newspapers has been widely and correctly predicted for some time now. Print ad revenues have fallen 65% in a decade, 2013 saw the lowest ever recorded, and 2014 will be worse. Even a company like BH Media, with deep pockets and a long term outlook, can’t make a profit without cutting expenses, and can’t cut expenses without cutting jobs.
What happened in Roanoke — gradual financial decay punctuated by bouts of firing — is the normal case at papers all over the country, and more is coming. The next wave of consolidation is already upon us; big media firms like Tribune and Gannett are abandoning their newspapers (“spinning them off”, in bloodless business parlance.) If you are a journalist at a print publication, your job is in danger. Period. Time to do something about it.
To read the full article, click here.
Why You Might Want to Ditch Your E-Reader
Why you might want to ditch your e-reader and go back to printed books
By Caitlin Dewey August 21
If you’re one of those Luddites who still clings, technophobically, to the printed page, then a team of European researchers has some good news for you:
You have again been vindicated.
This latest study on the differences between e-readers and printed books — which was presented at an Italian conference last month and reported this week in Britain’s Guardian newspapaer — asked 50 people to read a short story and take a comprehension test afterwards. Half the readers got the story on a Kindle; the other half got paperbacks; everybody got the same story. But when it came to the test, results diverged: The Kindle readers, it turned out, were far worse at remembering the story’s plot than were the print readers.
To read the full article, click here.
By Caitlin Dewey August 21
If you’re one of those Luddites who still clings, technophobically, to the printed page, then a team of European researchers has some good news for you:
You have again been vindicated.
This latest study on the differences between e-readers and printed books — which was presented at an Italian conference last month and reported this week in Britain’s Guardian newspapaer — asked 50 people to read a short story and take a comprehension test afterwards. Half the readers got the story on a Kindle; the other half got paperbacks; everybody got the same story. But when it came to the test, results diverged: The Kindle readers, it turned out, were far worse at remembering the story’s plot than were the print readers.
To read the full article, click here.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The Value of an Internship
Here's some great perspective for journalism students on the value of having an internship with a publication:
http://www.freeportpress.com/how-to-succeed-in-magazines-without-really-trying/
http://www.freeportpress.com/how-to-succeed-in-magazines-without-really-trying/
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
USA Today Owner Spins Off Newspaper Business
USA Today owner spins off newspaper biz
By Brian Stelter @brianstelter August 5, 2014: 11:22 AM ET
Gannett, the owner of USA Today, joins the long line of TV-focused media companies to split off its newspaper business.
The spin-off plan, announced Tuesday morning, means the newspaper company will go it alone in a challenging print environment.
The television stations and websites currently owned by Gannett (GCI) will be operated under a new name, while the publishing company will retain the Gannett name. But make no mistake: it's the papers that are being shed.
"Gannett's newspapers are a drag on its earnings," news industry analyst Ken Doctor wrote in a blog post ahead of Tuesday's announcement. He said Gannett is "now alone among the big newspaper companies" -- all of its peers have already enacted similar spin-offs.
Tribune (TRBAA) was the most recent. The spin-off of its publishing unit took effect Monday, which means newspapers like The Los Angeles Times are now separate from Tribune's more lucrative television assets.
Through a complex transaction announced just last week, two owners of both newspapers and TV stations, E.W. Scripps and Journal Communications, agreed to combine their stations and spin off their papers.
Time Warner (TWX), the parent of CNN, spun off its magazine unit, Time Inc., earlier this year.
Doctor wrote Monday that "the standard three-word explanation for all these splits is the desire to 'maximize shareholder value.'"
Indeed. Gannett also said its spin-off would give each company a "more competitive position" in the marketplace.
Gannett CEO Gracia Martore, who will run the broadcasting company, said, "The bold actions we are announcing today are significant next steps in our ongoing initiatives to increase shareholder value by building scale, increasing cash flow, sharpening management focus, and strengthening all of our businesses to compete effectively in today's increasingly digital landscape."
By Brian Stelter @brianstelter August 5, 2014: 11:22 AM ET
Gannett, the owner of USA Today, joins the long line of TV-focused media companies to split off its newspaper business.
The spin-off plan, announced Tuesday morning, means the newspaper company will go it alone in a challenging print environment.
The television stations and websites currently owned by Gannett (GCI) will be operated under a new name, while the publishing company will retain the Gannett name. But make no mistake: it's the papers that are being shed.
"Gannett's newspapers are a drag on its earnings," news industry analyst Ken Doctor wrote in a blog post ahead of Tuesday's announcement. He said Gannett is "now alone among the big newspaper companies" -- all of its peers have already enacted similar spin-offs.
Tribune (TRBAA) was the most recent. The spin-off of its publishing unit took effect Monday, which means newspapers like The Los Angeles Times are now separate from Tribune's more lucrative television assets.
Through a complex transaction announced just last week, two owners of both newspapers and TV stations, E.W. Scripps and Journal Communications, agreed to combine their stations and spin off their papers.
Time Warner (TWX), the parent of CNN, spun off its magazine unit, Time Inc., earlier this year.
Doctor wrote Monday that "the standard three-word explanation for all these splits is the desire to 'maximize shareholder value.'"
Indeed. Gannett also said its spin-off would give each company a "more competitive position" in the marketplace.
Gannett CEO Gracia Martore, who will run the broadcasting company, said, "The bold actions we are announcing today are significant next steps in our ongoing initiatives to increase shareholder value by building scale, increasing cash flow, sharpening management focus, and strengthening all of our businesses to compete effectively in today's increasingly digital landscape."
Thursday, July 17, 2014
The Newspaper Crisis, By the Numbers
Here's a sobering--but realistic--look at what's happening in the newspaper industry. These are the first few paragraphs -- to read the entire article, click here.
The newspaper crisis, by the numbers
Roughly a decade after the commercial debut of the Internet, America’s newspapers posted record high advertising sales of $49.4 billion in 2005, leading many publishers to think their businesses would not be seriously affected by the digital revolution. But they were wrong.
Since hitting that high note in 2005, the industry has undergone a dramatic and traumatic contraction, losing nearly half of its print readership and more than a third of its revenues. With the pre-tax profits of the publicly held publishers cut by 39% since 2003, newsroom staffing has dropped to a historically low level. In spite of the declared determination of most publishers to pivot from print to pixels, the industry's share of the digital advertising market has plunged by more than 50%.
The newspaper crisis, by the numbers
Roughly a decade after the commercial debut of the Internet, America’s newspapers posted record high advertising sales of $49.4 billion in 2005, leading many publishers to think their businesses would not be seriously affected by the digital revolution. But they were wrong.
Since hitting that high note in 2005, the industry has undergone a dramatic and traumatic contraction, losing nearly half of its print readership and more than a third of its revenues. With the pre-tax profits of the publicly held publishers cut by 39% since 2003, newsroom staffing has dropped to a historically low level. In spite of the declared determination of most publishers to pivot from print to pixels, the industry's share of the digital advertising market has plunged by more than 50%.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Charging for the Campus Newspaper?
University newspaper gains 500 subscribers after implementing paywall
With many campus newspapers struggling with the same challenges as their mainstream counterparts, one university newspaper has succeeded in charging for its content, signing up 500 paying online subscribers.
In 2011, Oklahoma State University’s Daily O’Collegian became the first university publication to begin charging for its content, instituting a metered paywall for readers who were not university students or employees. For $10, readers outside these categories could access unlimited content on the paper’s website.
At the time, newspaper general manager Ray Catalino said that the value of the content produced by the student journalists extended beyond the paper’s free distribution.
While a revolutionary move in the college media industry, critics were not optimistic about the paper’s approach.
According to Dan Reimold, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, United States), campus newspapers have the advantage of low staffing costs combined with the lack of expectations to generate profits.
“Along with potentially turning away readers without generating much revenue, paywalls at heart also go against the purpose of the student press. For the moment, campus media are still learning vehicles more than moneymaking ventures,” Reimold wrote on his blog College Media Matters. “In that spirit, students must be able to share, share, share their work with others, without restriction, enabling them to join a larger conversation and learn firsthand about reporting and interacting with the public beyond the classroom or campus.”
The goal for the first year was a paid subscription base of 100. The newspaper exceeded expectations, picking up 173 paying readers.
However, three years later, the newspaper’s landmark strategy is continuing to pay dividends. In an interview with WAN-IFRA, Catalino said that there are now approximately 500 paying customers.
The price of the subscription has also increased.
“We have raised new subscribers' fee from $10 the first year, $15 the second, and now $20 for the year,” Catalino said. “Subscriptions are automatically renewed each year, unless cancelled by the customer. Renewal costs remain the same as the initial year the customer signed up.”
The draw for readers is that campus newspapers cover their universities far better than other publications.
“Campus newspaper like ours cover the campus better than commercial newspapers in almost every college market I am familiar with. We do not use any wire service, so we generate all content ourselves,” Catalino continued.
Catalino said that there are no plans to charge students.
Thus far, the three year experiment has proved to be a success, but as WAN-IFRA detailed in December 2013, The Daily O’Collegian isn’t the only student newspaper finding innovative solutions to the challenges facing all print media.
George Washington University’s The Hatchet began offering sponsorship opportunities in its facilities, while the University of Oregon Daily Emerald rebranded itself as the Emerald Media Group, updating its student media offerings.
As these publications have proven, some forms of student media are thriving in the changing digital environment.
This post has been updated to correct that The Daily O'Collegian is the newspaper at Oklahoma State University, not the University of Oklahoma
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
5,000 New Media Jobs in Six Years!
How many reporting jobs have new online news organizations created?
Pew Research Center has tried to put a number on it: 5,000.
The center's annual State of the News Media report, released on Wednesday, includes a first-of-its-kind tally of jobs at 30 big websites, like Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post, and 438 smaller startups.
"In a significant shift in the editorial ecosystem, most of these jobs have been created in the past half dozen years, and many have materialized within the last year alone," write the authors of the 2014 report, who credit the startups with bringing "a level of energy to the news industry not seen for a long time."
To read the entire article, click here.
Pew Research Center has tried to put a number on it: 5,000.
The center's annual State of the News Media report, released on Wednesday, includes a first-of-its-kind tally of jobs at 30 big websites, like Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post, and 438 smaller startups.
"In a significant shift in the editorial ecosystem, most of these jobs have been created in the past half dozen years, and many have materialized within the last year alone," write the authors of the 2014 report, who credit the startups with bringing "a level of energy to the news industry not seen for a long time."
To read the entire article, click here.
Monday, March 24, 2014
New Christian Women's Magazine Launches
New Christian Women’s Magazine Launch
A team of AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) members under the banner of Right to the Heart Ministries, has launched a new online magazine for Christian women called Leading Hearts. The magazine launched online to an audience of 60,000 and has been met with excitement and praise from women around the globe, garnering thousands of hits in the first few days of its release.
Best-selling Baker Revell prayer author Linda Evans Shepherd, the magazine’s publisher explains, “I’m delighted by the response. This magazine meets a real need because it reaches out with Godly advice as it encourages women who lead hearts at home, church, work, and community.”
The magazine’s pages are filled with articles from bestselling Christian authors including Pam Farrel, Lisa Troyer, Karen Whiting, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, Dr. Edna Ellison, Andrea Breidenbach, Rebekah Montgomery, Kathy Collard Miller, Sharon Elliott, Michelle Cox, and Rhonda Rhea who write on the topics of mentoring, marriage, mothering, community, ministry, time management, health, book and music reviews, bible study and prayer.
Amber Weigand-Buckley, an award-winning magazine editor, serves as editor for the publication. In addition, several CBA publishers are acting sponsors including Baker Revell, New Hope, Leafwood Publishers and Bold Vision Press. The magazine is free and is available to read on PC, Mac, iPad and Android.
For more information about the magazine, sponsorships, or to view it online, go to: www.LeadingHearts.com
A team of AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) members under the banner of Right to the Heart Ministries, has launched a new online magazine for Christian women called Leading Hearts. The magazine launched online to an audience of 60,000 and has been met with excitement and praise from women around the globe, garnering thousands of hits in the first few days of its release.
Best-selling Baker Revell prayer author Linda Evans Shepherd, the magazine’s publisher explains, “I’m delighted by the response. This magazine meets a real need because it reaches out with Godly advice as it encourages women who lead hearts at home, church, work, and community.”
The magazine’s pages are filled with articles from bestselling Christian authors including Pam Farrel, Lisa Troyer, Karen Whiting, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, Dr. Edna Ellison, Andrea Breidenbach, Rebekah Montgomery, Kathy Collard Miller, Sharon Elliott, Michelle Cox, and Rhonda Rhea who write on the topics of mentoring, marriage, mothering, community, ministry, time management, health, book and music reviews, bible study and prayer.
Amber Weigand-Buckley, an award-winning magazine editor, serves as editor for the publication. In addition, several CBA publishers are acting sponsors including Baker Revell, New Hope, Leafwood Publishers and Bold Vision Press. The magazine is free and is available to read on PC, Mac, iPad and Android.
For more information about the magazine, sponsorships, or to view it online, go to: www.LeadingHearts.com
What's Behind the Plateau in e-book Sales?
BISG members respond to the "e-book sales plateau"
As part of BISG’s single-question surveys, members responded to "What is behind the plateau in e-book sales?"
• 20% -- "E-books have found their level; the market is saturated for now"
• 25% -- "Current e-readers are too limited in terms of rendering design and illustrations"
• 55% -- "E-reader acquisition has slowed as the market has matured, so the customer base for e-books has slowed as well"
• 20% - "What plateau?"
As part of BISG’s single-question surveys, members responded to "What is behind the plateau in e-book sales?"
• 20% -- "E-books have found their level; the market is saturated for now"
• 25% -- "Current e-readers are too limited in terms of rendering design and illustrations"
• 55% -- "E-reader acquisition has slowed as the market has matured, so the customer base for e-books has slowed as well"
• 20% - "What plateau?"
Money is the Bug That Crashes Hyperlocal News Sites
The story behind why boutique and hyperlocal digital journalism efforts fail is simple: The money is never enough, and it runs out.
That's what happened to DeadlineDetroit.com, which announced last week it would lay off its entire staff April 4 as it seeks new investors — a development that comes on the heels of Patch.com in January idling most of its staff around the country.
To read the entire article, click here.
That's what happened to DeadlineDetroit.com, which announced last week it would lay off its entire staff April 4 as it seeks new investors — a development that comes on the heels of Patch.com in January idling most of its staff around the country.
To read the entire article, click here.
Monday, March 17, 2014
What's "Explanatory Journalism?"
From Digiday:
Explaining what’s behind the sudden allure of explanatory journalism
John McDermott | March 17, 2014
You might have been hearing a lot about the increasing popularity of explanatory journalism in the digital publishing industry. But, ironically, there is a dearth of good explanations as to what exactly explanatory journalism is all about. After all, isn’t all journalism about explaining stuff?
Here, then, is the Digiday explainer for explanatory journalism.
What it is
Explanatory journalism is a form of reporting that attempts to present nuanced, ongoing news stories in a more accessible manner. Many high-profile news events — such as the Edward Snowden leaks about the U.S. government’s surveillance apparatus, or the current showdown between Ukraine and Russia — develop over the course of weeks, months or, sometimes, even years. An article about the latest incremental development in such a situation may thus be inscrutable to readers who haven’t been following the issue from the beginning. Explanatory journalism aims to demystify those complex topics by providing that context. A good example is what you’re reading right now. Also, this, this and this entire series.
The players
The New York Times announced on Thursday it will soon be launching an explanatory journalism vertical called The Upshot, and it published this article on Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell as an example of what to expect. Bloomberg launched a similar section last October called QuickTake. QuickTake has published 78 stories to date, according to its editor Jonathan Landman, including recent explainers on Bitcoin, legalized marijuana and the Russia-Ukraine showdown. BuzzFeed publishes numerous explanatory stories a day. Slate has the aptly titled vertical The Explainer. Nate Silver came to fame by taking a data-driven approach to explanatory journalism with 538, an election blog that will soon launch as its own digital media property. And, of course, Ezra Klein left The Washington Post to start explanatory journalism site Vox, whose tagline is simply “understand the news.”
The history
Explanatory journalism may be having a moment, but it’s certainly nothing new. Magazines and newspapers have long used an array of photos, sidebars, charts, graphs and bullet points to make otherwise sprawling stories easier to digest. Explanatory journalism was a Pulitzer Prize category from 1985 to 1997. Since 1998, there has been a Pulitzer given out each year for excellence in explanatory reporting. Publications are now applying these content-packaging techniques to the Web, the latest instance of digital media’s maturation.
Why now?
The resurgence is driven by the Internet, albeit for two seemingly contradictory reasons. One of the many seismic changes the Web has unleashed on the written word is a fundamental change in tone. Whereas print media was decidedly authoritative, the Internet is a more colloquial medium. “For a long time, there was a notion that a conversational tone was inappropriate for serious subjects,” Upshot editor David Leonhardt said. “That’s certainly changed in the last decade.”
But the newfound interest in Web-based explanatory journalism is also aimed at making the Web more authoritative. The Internet has given rise to numerous digital publications and, for better or worse, voice to anyone with a dial-up and a keyboard. The downside of the Web’s democratic design is it allows for the quick dissemination of misinformation. Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, for instance, members of link-sharing site reddit wrongly accused several people of having committed the crime. Reddit general manager Erik Martin apologized for the “online witch hunts.” These new efforts in explanatory reporting aim to take advantage of the Web’s wealth of information while being reliable. Landman called it a “reaction to the shattering of the package that the Internet has caused. What you get now is a kind of machine-gun barrage of news. It’s harder to find the context.”
The audience
Explanatory reporting is meant to appeal to more casual news consumers. The stories are written for people who have heard about Bitcoin, but might be unfamiliar with the name Satoshi Nakamoto. “I think this kind of journalism can appeal to experts,” Leonhardt said. “But we don’t want to appeal only to current Times readers. We want to write about health policy for teachers, Wall Street policy for carpenters, education policy for doctors and housing issues for people on Wall Street.”
The commercial promise
“It’s a fairly difficult category to monetize,” Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter, said. “The reader who’s seeking out perspective may not be as dedicated and motivated to come back time after time.” The Times is still evaluating how Upshot stories will work within its paywall.
The optimistis view is that the inherently broad appeal of explanatory stories will translate into real traffic (and thus ad impressions). Whether or not there’s a large enough audience to sate the business needs of all these sites remains to be seen. Edmonds said the market will likely play out like any other; some will succeed, others won’t. Leonhardt, however, is optimistic not just for The Times but for the entire category. “There’s a huge pent-up or latent demand for this,” he said. It’s completely rational to think that they can help grow the overall audience for this kind of work. I can guarantee you you will find frequent links on our site to 538 and to Vox.”
Explaining what’s behind the sudden allure of explanatory journalism
John McDermott | March 17, 2014
You might have been hearing a lot about the increasing popularity of explanatory journalism in the digital publishing industry. But, ironically, there is a dearth of good explanations as to what exactly explanatory journalism is all about. After all, isn’t all journalism about explaining stuff?
Here, then, is the Digiday explainer for explanatory journalism.
What it is
Explanatory journalism is a form of reporting that attempts to present nuanced, ongoing news stories in a more accessible manner. Many high-profile news events — such as the Edward Snowden leaks about the U.S. government’s surveillance apparatus, or the current showdown between Ukraine and Russia — develop over the course of weeks, months or, sometimes, even years. An article about the latest incremental development in such a situation may thus be inscrutable to readers who haven’t been following the issue from the beginning. Explanatory journalism aims to demystify those complex topics by providing that context. A good example is what you’re reading right now. Also, this, this and this entire series.
The players
The New York Times announced on Thursday it will soon be launching an explanatory journalism vertical called The Upshot, and it published this article on Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell as an example of what to expect. Bloomberg launched a similar section last October called QuickTake. QuickTake has published 78 stories to date, according to its editor Jonathan Landman, including recent explainers on Bitcoin, legalized marijuana and the Russia-Ukraine showdown. BuzzFeed publishes numerous explanatory stories a day. Slate has the aptly titled vertical The Explainer. Nate Silver came to fame by taking a data-driven approach to explanatory journalism with 538, an election blog that will soon launch as its own digital media property. And, of course, Ezra Klein left The Washington Post to start explanatory journalism site Vox, whose tagline is simply “understand the news.”
The history
Explanatory journalism may be having a moment, but it’s certainly nothing new. Magazines and newspapers have long used an array of photos, sidebars, charts, graphs and bullet points to make otherwise sprawling stories easier to digest. Explanatory journalism was a Pulitzer Prize category from 1985 to 1997. Since 1998, there has been a Pulitzer given out each year for excellence in explanatory reporting. Publications are now applying these content-packaging techniques to the Web, the latest instance of digital media’s maturation.
Why now?
The resurgence is driven by the Internet, albeit for two seemingly contradictory reasons. One of the many seismic changes the Web has unleashed on the written word is a fundamental change in tone. Whereas print media was decidedly authoritative, the Internet is a more colloquial medium. “For a long time, there was a notion that a conversational tone was inappropriate for serious subjects,” Upshot editor David Leonhardt said. “That’s certainly changed in the last decade.”
But the newfound interest in Web-based explanatory journalism is also aimed at making the Web more authoritative. The Internet has given rise to numerous digital publications and, for better or worse, voice to anyone with a dial-up and a keyboard. The downside of the Web’s democratic design is it allows for the quick dissemination of misinformation. Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing, for instance, members of link-sharing site reddit wrongly accused several people of having committed the crime. Reddit general manager Erik Martin apologized for the “online witch hunts.” These new efforts in explanatory reporting aim to take advantage of the Web’s wealth of information while being reliable. Landman called it a “reaction to the shattering of the package that the Internet has caused. What you get now is a kind of machine-gun barrage of news. It’s harder to find the context.”
The audience
Explanatory reporting is meant to appeal to more casual news consumers. The stories are written for people who have heard about Bitcoin, but might be unfamiliar with the name Satoshi Nakamoto. “I think this kind of journalism can appeal to experts,” Leonhardt said. “But we don’t want to appeal only to current Times readers. We want to write about health policy for teachers, Wall Street policy for carpenters, education policy for doctors and housing issues for people on Wall Street.”
The commercial promise
“It’s a fairly difficult category to monetize,” Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter, said. “The reader who’s seeking out perspective may not be as dedicated and motivated to come back time after time.” The Times is still evaluating how Upshot stories will work within its paywall.
The optimistis view is that the inherently broad appeal of explanatory stories will translate into real traffic (and thus ad impressions). Whether or not there’s a large enough audience to sate the business needs of all these sites remains to be seen. Edmonds said the market will likely play out like any other; some will succeed, others won’t. Leonhardt, however, is optimistic not just for The Times but for the entire category. “There’s a huge pent-up or latent demand for this,” he said. It’s completely rational to think that they can help grow the overall audience for this kind of work. I can guarantee you you will find frequent links on our site to 538 and to Vox.”
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Free Train Rides for Writers
(CNN) -- Tweet it and it may come true.
In the world of travel, anyway.
Sending under-appreciated scribes into a frenzy of ecstasy across the United States, Amtrak is launching an official residency program for writers on its long-distance routes.
The best part?
It's free.
That minor earthquake you just felt was the rumble of several million freelancers scrambling for their computers.
Writers are now able to submit applications to drop everything in their lives to focus on their writing while getting gratis rides on Amtrak's most scenic routes.
All thanks to a playful tweet from a freelance writer.
Brilliant move
It's the most positive wave of publicity Amtrak has had at least since Joe Biden's last railroad rhapsody.
The residency ball began rolling when New York-based writer Jessica Gross tweeted a quote from Pen America's interview with novelist Alexander Chee.
The writer said he'd written his novels on trains and enjoyed doing so.
"I wish Amtrak had residencies for writers," Chee said.
Gross and a friend promptly tweeted the quote at Amtrak.
In a shocking plot turn, Amtrak tweeted back: "We'd need a test run. You two up for a trip to Chicago and back?"
The stunned Gross quickly agreed and Amtrak soon arranged a free writing trip for her from New York to Chicago and back.
Writers nearly broke their keyboards with excitement once the news hit social media after Gross tweeted out about the ride at Amtrak's request.
Who knew so many writers did their best work on trains?
Or like free trips?
In the world of travel, anyway.
Sending under-appreciated scribes into a frenzy of ecstasy across the United States, Amtrak is launching an official residency program for writers on its long-distance routes.
The best part?
It's free.
That minor earthquake you just felt was the rumble of several million freelancers scrambling for their computers.
Writers are now able to submit applications to drop everything in their lives to focus on their writing while getting gratis rides on Amtrak's most scenic routes.
All thanks to a playful tweet from a freelance writer.
Brilliant move
It's the most positive wave of publicity Amtrak has had at least since Joe Biden's last railroad rhapsody.
The residency ball began rolling when New York-based writer Jessica Gross tweeted a quote from Pen America's interview with novelist Alexander Chee.
The writer said he'd written his novels on trains and enjoyed doing so.
"I wish Amtrak had residencies for writers," Chee said.
Gross and a friend promptly tweeted the quote at Amtrak.
In a shocking plot turn, Amtrak tweeted back: "We'd need a test run. You two up for a trip to Chicago and back?"
The stunned Gross quickly agreed and Amtrak soon arranged a free writing trip for her from New York to Chicago and back.
Writers nearly broke their keyboards with excitement once the news hit social media after Gross tweeted out about the ride at Amtrak's request.
Who knew so many writers did their best work on trains?
Or like free trips?
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Hope for Women Magazine
Erica Campbell Covers Hope for Women Magazine's 'Fresh Start' Issue
Hope for Women Magazine Gives Readers What They Need
Magazine Celebrates Eighth Year with Stellar and Grammy- Recording Artist and Reality TV Star Erica Campbell
Contact: Chama St. Louis, 309-340-0054,chama@homeforwomenmag.com
MUNCIE, Ind., March 4, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- The new issue of Hope for Women magazine with Erica Campbell will be available in print beginning the first week of March.
CEO and Publisher Angelia White has worked diligently with her editorial staff and the many contributors who have come together to make this print issue "Fresh Start" literally a fresh start for the New Year with engaging content and a brand new HOPE logo. This also includes full-color photos and interviews with Erica Campbell of the Gospel Duo Mary Mary, and Alfre Woodard from the new movie "12 Years a Slave" sharing their inspiring messages with Hope readers. Our cover feature Erica Campbell shares over a four-page spread how she balances her music, with a release of a new CD on March 25, 2014, being the mother of five, and the role of faith in her marriage
The upcoming issue also includes:
Interviews with Cynda Williams Plummer, who has enjoyed a career in the film industry for over 20 years, 3 features, one of Alexis Bellino of The Real Housewives of Orange County, who shares how she maintains living, looking, and being a fabulous mom, an article entitled "The Long Awakening" by author Lindsey O'Connor, and an article by Dr. Cindy Trim, entitled "Fresh Start." Also included are tips on natural beauty and maintaining a "Fresh Face" with a product guide to radiant skin, the latest in winter fashion with how you can "Kick Start Winter with Sassy Boots." Motivational speaker Christen Cashen gives tips on how you can reach your goals and be happier in 2014.
We're giving you a "Fresh Start" in 2014, whether you enjoy stories about people, fashion, health, or financial advice -- this winter issue has it all!
This issue will be available at Barnes & Noble, Book World and MARSH Supermarkets throughout the United States. They are also available to users who subscribe online. Subscribe now by visitinghopeforwomenmag.com and don't miss our Fresh Start Spring 2014 issue!
About Hope for Women magazine: Hope for Women magazine was created to exemplify the fellowship of women. They aim to inspire and support women through the experiences of other women, news and innovation, industry, faith, and opportunities through providing an engaging, educational, and uplifting format where women learn, grow and prosper.
For interview requests or more information contact Chama St. Louis chama@homeforwomenmag.com
Hope for Women Magazine Gives Readers What They Need
Magazine Celebrates Eighth Year with Stellar and Grammy- Recording Artist and Reality TV Star Erica Campbell
Contact: Chama St. Louis, 309-340-0054,chama@homeforwomenmag.com
MUNCIE, Ind., March 4, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- The new issue of Hope for Women magazine with Erica Campbell will be available in print beginning the first week of March.
CEO and Publisher Angelia White has worked diligently with her editorial staff and the many contributors who have come together to make this print issue "Fresh Start" literally a fresh start for the New Year with engaging content and a brand new HOPE logo. This also includes full-color photos and interviews with Erica Campbell of the Gospel Duo Mary Mary, and Alfre Woodard from the new movie "12 Years a Slave" sharing their inspiring messages with Hope readers. Our cover feature Erica Campbell shares over a four-page spread how she balances her music, with a release of a new CD on March 25, 2014, being the mother of five, and the role of faith in her marriage
The upcoming issue also includes:
Interviews with Cynda Williams Plummer, who has enjoyed a career in the film industry for over 20 years, 3 features, one of Alexis Bellino of The Real Housewives of Orange County, who shares how she maintains living, looking, and being a fabulous mom, an article entitled "The Long Awakening" by author Lindsey O'Connor, and an article by Dr. Cindy Trim, entitled "Fresh Start." Also included are tips on natural beauty and maintaining a "Fresh Face" with a product guide to radiant skin, the latest in winter fashion with how you can "Kick Start Winter with Sassy Boots." Motivational speaker Christen Cashen gives tips on how you can reach your goals and be happier in 2014.
We're giving you a "Fresh Start" in 2014, whether you enjoy stories about people, fashion, health, or financial advice -- this winter issue has it all!
This issue will be available at Barnes & Noble, Book World and MARSH Supermarkets throughout the United States. They are also available to users who subscribe online. Subscribe now by visitinghopeforwomenmag.com and don't miss our Fresh Start Spring 2014 issue!
About Hope for Women magazine: Hope for Women magazine was created to exemplify the fellowship of women. They aim to inspire and support women through the experiences of other women, news and innovation, industry, faith, and opportunities through providing an engaging, educational, and uplifting format where women learn, grow and prosper.
For interview requests or more information contact Chama St. Louis chama@homeforwomenmag.com
Monday, March 3, 2014
Newsweek is Back From the Dead!
Tiny Digital Publisher to Put Newsweek Back in Print
By LESLIE KAUFMANMARCH 2, 2014
The Graham family, longtime newspaper publishers, gave up and sold it for a dollar. The media mogul Barry Diller spent tens of millions trying to revive it, only to throw in the towel. Even Mr. Diller’s star editor, Tina Brown, could not stop it from going out of print.
But where giants failed, IBT Media, a small digital publishing company, sees a growth path for Newsweek, the struggling newsweekly magazine it bought for a pittance last summer.
Etienne Uzac, 30, and Johnathan Davis, 31, founders of IBT Media, believed they could recreate Newsweek as a vibrant and profitable web-only magazine. But now, having tripled Newsweek’s online traffic, they plan to punctuate the magazine’s comeback by turning on the printing presses again. Hard copies are expected to hit newsstands on Friday.
Break out the banner headline: Newsweek Is Back From the Dead!
to read the rest of the article, click here.
By LESLIE KAUFMANMARCH 2, 2014
The Graham family, longtime newspaper publishers, gave up and sold it for a dollar. The media mogul Barry Diller spent tens of millions trying to revive it, only to throw in the towel. Even Mr. Diller’s star editor, Tina Brown, could not stop it from going out of print.
But where giants failed, IBT Media, a small digital publishing company, sees a growth path for Newsweek, the struggling newsweekly magazine it bought for a pittance last summer.
Etienne Uzac, 30, and Johnathan Davis, 31, founders of IBT Media, believed they could recreate Newsweek as a vibrant and profitable web-only magazine. But now, having tripled Newsweek’s online traffic, they plan to punctuate the magazine’s comeback by turning on the printing presses again. Hard copies are expected to hit newsstands on Friday.
Break out the banner headline: Newsweek Is Back From the Dead!
to read the rest of the article, click here.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Newsweek Comes Back
On March 7, one year and two months from the publication of what was to be its final print issue, copies of Newsweek will once again hit newsstands. There will just be a lot fewer of them—several hundred thousand in the U.S. and abroad.
For some context, at the end of 2012, right before editor Tina Brown and IAC chairman Barry Diller turned the iconic but money-bleeding newsweekly into a digital-only proposition, its print circulation was a little under 1.5 million..
For some context, at the end of 2012, right before editor Tina Brown and IAC chairman Barry Diller turned the iconic but money-bleeding newsweekly into a digital-only proposition, its print circulation was a little under 1.5 million..
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
NRB Panel: People No Longer Trust Traditional Media
NASHVILE, Tenn. – By way of of social media, people look more to their friends and family for reliable information, including shared links to news stories, a Facebook manager for policy told Christian media professionals during the opening session of the National Religious Broadcasters Convention on Saturday.
"People no longer trust, I'm sorry to say, TV, radio, newspapers, campaigns, organizations – they don't trust them as much," said Katie Harbath, during the conferences first keynote session. Her work at Faceback focuses on political outreach. "But what they do trust is when that information comes from a friend or family member."
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Harbath explained, "Facebook is increasingly becoming a place for people to find new information and new organizations because yes, it's true that they are going there to see my cat pictures or baby pictures or vacation pictures of their friends, but while they are doing that they are getting news and information, too. They are seeing the headlines, they are clicking on links."
She pointed out that during this new technological era, an organization's website homepage might not be the place that gets the most traffic.
"It's going to be the stories [dealing] with issues, the back pages, that you (media and ministries) are driving people to on social media, that friends are sharing with friends, that they are having these conversations on them," Harbath said.
She made her comments during a panel discussion on social media led by filmmaker and media consultant Phil Cooke, who opened the conversation by saying it was important to know what Christian media should be focusing on this year "when it comes to your web presence, blogging, when it comes to digital media of all kinds."
"People no longer trust, I'm sorry to say, TV, radio, newspapers, campaigns, organizations – they don't trust them as much," said Katie Harbath, during the conferences first keynote session. Her work at Faceback focuses on political outreach. "But what they do trust is when that information comes from a friend or family member."
Free Sign Up CP Newsletter!
Harbath explained, "Facebook is increasingly becoming a place for people to find new information and new organizations because yes, it's true that they are going there to see my cat pictures or baby pictures or vacation pictures of their friends, but while they are doing that they are getting news and information, too. They are seeing the headlines, they are clicking on links."
She pointed out that during this new technological era, an organization's website homepage might not be the place that gets the most traffic.
"It's going to be the stories [dealing] with issues, the back pages, that you (media and ministries) are driving people to on social media, that friends are sharing with friends, that they are having these conversations on them," Harbath said.
She made her comments during a panel discussion on social media led by filmmaker and media consultant Phil Cooke, who opened the conversation by saying it was important to know what Christian media should be focusing on this year "when it comes to your web presence, blogging, when it comes to digital media of all kinds."
Friday, February 21, 2014
Digital Revenue Jumps to 32% for Magazine Publishers
From MediaWeek:
Digital revenue jumps to 32% for magazine publishers
by Louise Ridley
Digital's share of revenue at magazine publishers more than doubled last year, according to the Professional Publishers Association's Publishing Futures survey, although print still dominates the income model.
Income from digital activities at publishers leapt to 32 per cent in 2013, up from 15 per cent the year, according to the annual survey of senior magazine publishers.
It now represents nearly a third of total revenues across both consumer and business magazine publishers, indicating that generating income from digital platforms such as websites and apps.
Print still dominates the model for publishers, generating 53 per cent of revenue across consumer, business and customer publications.
Print is a far more significant driver of revenue for consumer publishers than for B2B publishers. In the consumer sector, print accounted for 73.1 of revenues, while digital's share of revenue now accounts for 18 per cent, compared with eight per cent in the 2012 survey.
Meanwhile business saw a strong digital revenues, with 41 per cent on average coming from paid-for digtial content and 17 per cent from live events.
Industry turnover grew by 6 per cent year on year, with B2B publishers experiencing a growth of 11 per cent. The consumer publishing sector remains "volatile" with 2 per cent turnover growth, according to the report.
Headcount at publishers also rose again in 2013. There was a sharp drop in 2010 but headcount climbed again in 2011 and 2012.
Barry McIlheney, the chief executive of the PPA, said: "This year's survey contains encouraging signs for the industry as a whole: turnover, profit and headcount are all on the rise, and there is a continued trend towards an increasingly multi-platform, international future, driven by growth in digital, mobile and live events.
"However, it is clear that this growth is being matched by a need for sustained cost control; careful management of a shifting revenue base; and the need to prioritise investment in the right skills and technology for the future."
Among the 106 survey respondents, a net of 74 per cent of companies forecast turnover growth for 2014, and 89 per cent of companies expect to be in profit in 2014, up from 74 per cent in 2013.
This is the fifth annual Publishing Futures report, commissioned by the PPA and produced by Wessenden Marketing. This year's survey contains data from 106 UK consumer, business and customer publishers that are responsible for a combined average turnover of £3.5 billion.
Digital revenue jumps to 32% for magazine publishers
by Louise Ridley
Digital's share of revenue at magazine publishers more than doubled last year, according to the Professional Publishers Association's Publishing Futures survey, although print still dominates the income model.
Income from digital activities at publishers leapt to 32 per cent in 2013, up from 15 per cent the year, according to the annual survey of senior magazine publishers.
It now represents nearly a third of total revenues across both consumer and business magazine publishers, indicating that generating income from digital platforms such as websites and apps.
Print still dominates the model for publishers, generating 53 per cent of revenue across consumer, business and customer publications.
Print is a far more significant driver of revenue for consumer publishers than for B2B publishers. In the consumer sector, print accounted for 73.1 of revenues, while digital's share of revenue now accounts for 18 per cent, compared with eight per cent in the 2012 survey.
Meanwhile business saw a strong digital revenues, with 41 per cent on average coming from paid-for digtial content and 17 per cent from live events.
Industry turnover grew by 6 per cent year on year, with B2B publishers experiencing a growth of 11 per cent. The consumer publishing sector remains "volatile" with 2 per cent turnover growth, according to the report.
Headcount at publishers also rose again in 2013. There was a sharp drop in 2010 but headcount climbed again in 2011 and 2012.
Barry McIlheney, the chief executive of the PPA, said: "This year's survey contains encouraging signs for the industry as a whole: turnover, profit and headcount are all on the rise, and there is a continued trend towards an increasingly multi-platform, international future, driven by growth in digital, mobile and live events.
"However, it is clear that this growth is being matched by a need for sustained cost control; careful management of a shifting revenue base; and the need to prioritise investment in the right skills and technology for the future."
Among the 106 survey respondents, a net of 74 per cent of companies forecast turnover growth for 2014, and 89 per cent of companies expect to be in profit in 2014, up from 74 per cent in 2013.
This is the fifth annual Publishing Futures report, commissioned by the PPA and produced by Wessenden Marketing. This year's survey contains data from 106 UK consumer, business and customer publishers that are responsible for a combined average turnover of £3.5 billion.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Amy Foundation Offers Writers Opportunity, Rewards
The Amy Foundation Writing Awards program offers an annual first prize of $10,000. Second prize is $5,000, third prize is $4,000, fourth prize is $3,000, and fifth prize is $2,000. Up to 10 more awards of outstanding merit are for $1,000 each.
The Awards are designed to recognize creative, skillful journalism that applies biblical principles to stories about issues and lives. The goal is for non-Christian readers to see the relevance of biblical truth and for Christian readers to become disciples.
Background
The Amy Foundation, founded in 1976 by Jim and Phyllis Russell and named after their daughter, is best known for its Amy Writing Awards, which are incentives to present biblical truth in secular publications. Writing professionals like Cal Thomas and dozens of gifted amateurs have won awards over the years. In 2013 the Amy Foundation continues to offer prize money and World News Group takes over administration of the Awards.
Eligibility
A submitted article needs to have been published in a secular journalistic outlet such as a city or college newspaper, a local or national magazine, or a news website. Articles from personal blogs, newsletters, or religious publications are ineligible, as are books, manuscripts, and works of poetry or fiction. World News Group is the final determiner of eligibility.
Columns and opinion pieces are eligible, but news or feature articles that include original reporting receive preference. Submissions must be published during 2013 and must contain at least one verse of Scripture quoted from an accepted and popular edition of the Bible such as the English Standard Version, the New International Version, or the King James Version. The Bible must be acknowledged as the source. Verse(s) can come from a person quoted in the article, or from the author.
Examples of acceptable ways of acknowledgment include "the Bible says," "biblical documents indicate," "a biblical perspective," "a first-century follower of Jesus wrote," "Jesus' close friends reported," "Paul, an early Christian, wrote in a letter," "a first-century witness to the events stated," "an ancient Israelite said. …"
For more information, log onto: http://www.worldmag.com/amyawards/
The Awards are designed to recognize creative, skillful journalism that applies biblical principles to stories about issues and lives. The goal is for non-Christian readers to see the relevance of biblical truth and for Christian readers to become disciples.
Background
The Amy Foundation, founded in 1976 by Jim and Phyllis Russell and named after their daughter, is best known for its Amy Writing Awards, which are incentives to present biblical truth in secular publications. Writing professionals like Cal Thomas and dozens of gifted amateurs have won awards over the years. In 2013 the Amy Foundation continues to offer prize money and World News Group takes over administration of the Awards.
Eligibility
A submitted article needs to have been published in a secular journalistic outlet such as a city or college newspaper, a local or national magazine, or a news website. Articles from personal blogs, newsletters, or religious publications are ineligible, as are books, manuscripts, and works of poetry or fiction. World News Group is the final determiner of eligibility.
Columns and opinion pieces are eligible, but news or feature articles that include original reporting receive preference. Submissions must be published during 2013 and must contain at least one verse of Scripture quoted from an accepted and popular edition of the Bible such as the English Standard Version, the New International Version, or the King James Version. The Bible must be acknowledged as the source. Verse(s) can come from a person quoted in the article, or from the author.
Examples of acceptable ways of acknowledgment include "the Bible says," "biblical documents indicate," "a biblical perspective," "a first-century follower of Jesus wrote," "Jesus' close friends reported," "Paul, an early Christian, wrote in a letter," "a first-century witness to the events stated," "an ancient Israelite said. …"
For more information, log onto: http://www.worldmag.com/amyawards/
Monday, February 10, 2014
Wesleyan Writer's Conference to Re-Open
Wesleyan transfers Writer's Conference to Anderson professor
Wesleyan Publishing House is pleased to announce that after eleven successful conferences, the Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference (ICWC) has transferred leadership to Heather Gemmen Wilson, an experienced author, editor, and professor of writing. In partnership with Anderson University (AU), Wilson will be carrying on the vision of ICWC founder, Donald Cady, to provide opportunities for encouraging those communicating the good news of Jesus Christ through the written word.
Indiana Faith and Writing Conference 2014 will convene on October 31 – November 1 at AU’s state-of-the-art York Performance Hall. For more information, contact Heather at http://www.anderson.edu/IFWC or hlwilson@anderson.edu.
Wesleyan Publishing House is grateful for the opportunity to partner with gifted writers and communicators in our effort to communicate the life-transforming message of hope and holiness to the world
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Marc Andreessen on Local News: 'Most People Don't Care'
From Poynter.org:
Marc Andreessen: The ‘problem with local news is most people don’t care’
Published Feb. 5, 2014 4:35 pm Updated Feb. 5, 2014 4:39 pm
Internet pioneer and investor Marc Andreessen spun out some thoughts about the news business on Twitter Wednesday. 2005 was the last year of an era that lasted since World War II, he said — one in which news was a monopoly business that profited from controlling distribution. But just because the Internet found a way around the old system doesn’t mean there’s no future for news: The industry “Will grow 10x-100x,” Andreessen predicted.
He doesn’t, however, see local news riding that wave. On Monday, Steve Waldman wrote about the existential crisis facing local news, as more investment money flows to outlets with a national outlook: “News is tough enough to make money on but at least if you’re national you can generate massive numbers of ad impressions and the possibility of Amazonian reach,” Waldman wrote. “Venture capital investors can only get 5x return or more for businesses that promise national or global scale.”
Read the tweets here.
Marc Andreessen: The ‘problem with local news is most people don’t care’
Published Feb. 5, 2014 4:35 pm Updated Feb. 5, 2014 4:39 pm
Internet pioneer and investor Marc Andreessen spun out some thoughts about the news business on Twitter Wednesday. 2005 was the last year of an era that lasted since World War II, he said — one in which news was a monopoly business that profited from controlling distribution. But just because the Internet found a way around the old system doesn’t mean there’s no future for news: The industry “Will grow 10x-100x,” Andreessen predicted.
He doesn’t, however, see local news riding that wave. On Monday, Steve Waldman wrote about the existential crisis facing local news, as more investment money flows to outlets with a national outlook: “News is tough enough to make money on but at least if you’re national you can generate massive numbers of ad impressions and the possibility of Amazonian reach,” Waldman wrote. “Venture capital investors can only get 5x return or more for businesses that promise national or global scale.”
Read the tweets here.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Amazon Creates Christian Publishing Imprint
From Warren Cole Smith at World magazine:
Christian publishing’s new player.
Amazon has created a Christian publishing imprint. Waterfall Press is the company’s foray into the $1.4 billion Christian publishing market. As Larry David said: “There’s big money in the god racket. Big money.” And that’s why secular publishers are diving in.
But what happens when industry and ministry collide, or have different goals? With new imprints like Waterfall, and HarperCollins’ purchase of Thomas Nelson, we’ll likely get a chance to find out.
Christian publishing’s new player.
Amazon has created a Christian publishing imprint. Waterfall Press is the company’s foray into the $1.4 billion Christian publishing market. As Larry David said: “There’s big money in the god racket. Big money.” And that’s why secular publishers are diving in.
But what happens when industry and ministry collide, or have different goals? With new imprints like Waterfall, and HarperCollins’ purchase of Thomas Nelson, we’ll likely get a chance to find out.
70 Journalists Died Last Year in the Line of Duty
From World magazine:
In the line of fire.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 70 journalists died last year in the line of duty. Syria was the deadliest country, with 28 journalist deaths. Adding insult to injury has been the growing number of journalists who have been detained or censored for doing their work. The most recent example is the terror charge leveled against Al-Jazerra in Egypt.
Imprisonment of journalists worldwide reached a record high in 2012, with 232 individuals behind bars on Dec. 1, an increase of 53 over its 2011 tally. Last year was the second-worst year on record, with 211 journalists imprisoned. Turkey was the worst offender.
In the line of fire.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 70 journalists died last year in the line of duty. Syria was the deadliest country, with 28 journalist deaths. Adding insult to injury has been the growing number of journalists who have been detained or censored for doing their work. The most recent example is the terror charge leveled against Al-Jazerra in Egypt.
Imprisonment of journalists worldwide reached a record high in 2012, with 232 individuals behind bars on Dec. 1, an increase of 53 over its 2011 tally. Last year was the second-worst year on record, with 211 journalists imprisoned. Turkey was the worst offender.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Fixing the Paywall Model--One Suggestion
How I Would Fix the Paywall Model
By Joe Wikert | Posted on February 03, 2014, from BookBusiness
The digital content industry is infatuated with a paywall pendulum that keeps swinging back and forth, from one extreme to the other. Remember when paywalls were considered a roadblock to achieving the broadest reach possible and all the revenue problems could be solved with advertising?
That didn't work, so now a lot of publishers and pundits are saying paywalls are the future (again). Paywalls are rapidly going up around content that used to be freely accessible with no limits. On the one hand, I think this makes sense. After all, how can newspapers expect consumers to pay a monthly subscription when the exact same content is available for free on the publisher's website?
I don't think the paywall concept is inherently bad. I just think the way it's being implemented (again) follows the same faulty logic that caused publishers to abandon it earlier.
Here's how I'd fix the paywall model: Make it like the I-Pass system.
If you're not familiar with the Illinois highway toll system you might not know how the I-Pass model works. Other states have similar systems and they all feature a dashboard transponder device allowing drivers to avoid the stop-and-go tollbooth delays.
Imagine an I-Pass-like subscription that lets you get behind the paywalls of all your favorite news sites. Rather than one paywall for this paper and another paywall for that paper, one monthly fee grants you access to everything. Your monthly payment is then pro-rated across publishers based on whose content you consume.
Newspapers will hate this because each one believes they should keep 100% of your subscription. They'll also hate the idea of having to split a subscription fee with the competition. There are two factors that need to be considered here though: total reach and born-digital alternatives.
Publishers might be content to have 100% of the revenue from X subscribers. But what if X could become 2X, 10X, 100X or more? Even if the resulting subscription is shared with other publishers it's quite possible every publisher will earn more than they can by building their own paywall. A federation of newspapers supporting one common paywall would be much more appealing to consumers than today's model where every site has its own paywall.
For those publishers who don't buy into this logic, I suggest they consider reading The Innovator's Dilemma. There they'll quickly discover that the startups they're competing with aren't focused on keeping 100% of the revenue and they're not tied to yesterday's revenue models. These startups are all about disruption and the smart ones will pool their resources (and paywalls), causing more of yesterday's market leaders to tumble.
The digital content world continues to evolve but the paywall model has remained static. I'm reminded of Einstein's definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It's time to modify the paywall model before it's once again deemed a failure.
By Joe Wikert | Posted on February 03, 2014, from BookBusiness
The digital content industry is infatuated with a paywall pendulum that keeps swinging back and forth, from one extreme to the other. Remember when paywalls were considered a roadblock to achieving the broadest reach possible and all the revenue problems could be solved with advertising?
That didn't work, so now a lot of publishers and pundits are saying paywalls are the future (again). Paywalls are rapidly going up around content that used to be freely accessible with no limits. On the one hand, I think this makes sense. After all, how can newspapers expect consumers to pay a monthly subscription when the exact same content is available for free on the publisher's website?
I don't think the paywall concept is inherently bad. I just think the way it's being implemented (again) follows the same faulty logic that caused publishers to abandon it earlier.
Here's how I'd fix the paywall model: Make it like the I-Pass system.
If you're not familiar with the Illinois highway toll system you might not know how the I-Pass model works. Other states have similar systems and they all feature a dashboard transponder device allowing drivers to avoid the stop-and-go tollbooth delays.
Imagine an I-Pass-like subscription that lets you get behind the paywalls of all your favorite news sites. Rather than one paywall for this paper and another paywall for that paper, one monthly fee grants you access to everything. Your monthly payment is then pro-rated across publishers based on whose content you consume.
Newspapers will hate this because each one believes they should keep 100% of your subscription. They'll also hate the idea of having to split a subscription fee with the competition. There are two factors that need to be considered here though: total reach and born-digital alternatives.
Publishers might be content to have 100% of the revenue from X subscribers. But what if X could become 2X, 10X, 100X or more? Even if the resulting subscription is shared with other publishers it's quite possible every publisher will earn more than they can by building their own paywall. A federation of newspapers supporting one common paywall would be much more appealing to consumers than today's model where every site has its own paywall.
For those publishers who don't buy into this logic, I suggest they consider reading The Innovator's Dilemma. There they'll quickly discover that the startups they're competing with aren't focused on keeping 100% of the revenue and they're not tied to yesterday's revenue models. These startups are all about disruption and the smart ones will pool their resources (and paywalls), causing more of yesterday's market leaders to tumble.
The digital content world continues to evolve but the paywall model has remained static. I'm reminded of Einstein's definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It's time to modify the paywall model before it's once again deemed a failure.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Dr. OZ Magazine Launch Set for Feb. 4
Dr. Oz magazine launch set for Feb. 4
January 27, 2014
Hearst's joint-venture magazine with Dr. Mehmet Oz , one of the biggest magazine launches of 2014, will debut on newsstands Feb. 4 with a respectable 66 ad pages in a 148-page issue.
The popular syndicated talk show host, sometimes dubbed America's Doctor, is the cover boy, as The Post first reported.
With the industry only slowly coming out of its long malaise, it may be the only big bet from a major publisher this year.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Amazon Launches Christian Imprint
Amazon Publishing launches Christian imprint
Amazon Publishing today announced the launch of Waterfall Press, a new Christian fiction and nonfiction imprint.
Waterfall Press nonfiction will aim to provide spiritual refreshment and inspiration to today's Christian reader, while the imprint's fiction will include stories in the romance, mystery and suspense genres.
2:19PM EST 1/23/2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Facebook Losing Its Edge Among College-Aged Adults
From Digiday.com. Does this square with your experience?
Facebook Losing its Edge Among College-Aged Adults
John McDermott | January 21, 2014
You know that the “Facebook isn’t cool anymore” storyline has hit its pinnacle once the leader of the free world starts talking about it.
“It seems like they don’t use Facebook anymore,” President Obama recently told a group of millennials over coffee, according to The Atlantic . The “they” in question? Young adults.
New data obtained exclusively by Digiday shows that the president was not entirely wrong. Facebook’s penetration among U.S. college-aged adults (age 18 to 24) decreased by three percentage points to 88.6 percent in Nov. 2013 from Feb. 2013. Facebook — which initially became popular by solely catering to college students – remained the most widely used social network on campus, but it’s cool factor among college-aged adults has indeed diminished. Facebook did not immediately return calls for a comment.
The numbers, which are part of a larger comScore report to be released later this week, also point to which platforms have increased their traction with younger users. Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat and Vine all gained users over this time period. Snapchat’s reach among 18- to 24-year-olds increased eightfold, to 25.9 percent in Nov. 2013 from 3.2 percent in Feb. 2013. Vine — which was launched in late Jan. 2013 — grew like a weed over that nine-month period; its reach went from not even registering with comScore in Feb. 2013 to 25 percent penetration that November.
And there are plenty of other contenders vying for the social throne. Blend, a new social networking app entirely focused on serving college students, has attracted 75,000 daily active users just three months after launch, co-founders Matt Geiger and Akash Nigam told Digiday. Some of that growth can be attributed to the company’s promotional video of a University of Colorado party so debauched that it drew the ire of Bill O’Reilly.
What follows is a Digiday breakdown of social utilities that examines how popular they are among this age group and why:
Facebook (used by 88.6 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in Nov. 2013, down from 91.5 in Feb. 2013)
“’Young adults aren’t using Facebook’ is a fun story that some lazy people like to tell,” Jason Stein, president of social media agency Laundry Service, said. Still, there’s a difference between utility and appeal. Stein added that Facebook certainly isn’t cool anymore, but it has transformed into a useful Internet service like Google. Dave Marsey, evp at digital agency DigitasLBi, echoed Stein’s sentiments, saying that the popularity of Facebook’s photo features and Facebook Connect — an authentication system that allows people to use their Facebook information to create profiles on other websites — will keep young users locked in. “The degree and depth of their engagement, however, will continue to soften,” he said.
Instagram (51.5 percent in Nov. 2013, 44 percent in Feb. 2013)
Stein attributed Instagram’s success among young adults to the relative ease with which it allows them to express themselves. “It’s the visual version of Twitter. In particular for that age group, Twitter may be a little more uncomfortable,” he said. “Instagram is just photos, so it’s easier to express yourself than through copy.” Marsey said Instagram has tapped into millennials’ endless need to assert their individuality. “You can have two photos snapped from the same vantage point, but they’re different because of the filters and the blurring effects,” he said. Facebook owns Instagram of course, so its popularity ultimately benefits Facebook.
Twitter (43.7 percent in Nov. 2013, 40.1 percent in Feb. 2013)
Marsey said Twitter has caught on with college-aged adults because it allows them to comment on shows, concerts, parties and sporting events in real time. Stein said it’s popular, but used differently from adults and tech and media junkies. “Using it as a way to consume information but not necessarily outside of their peer groups,” he said. “There’s a lot of back and forth at messaging.”
Tumblr (35.5 percent in Nov. 2013, 31 percent in Feb. 2013)
Tumblr is slightly less popular than Instagram and Twitter because it’s a more laborious medium, Stein said. Rather than being solely for photos (like Instagram) or mostly text (like Twitter), Tumblr’s combination of text, GIFs, photos, links, audio and video makes it harder to master. “Instagram is lightweight in many ways,” Marsey said. “With Tumblr, you register and you have more possibilities, but you have to think a little bit deeper about.”
Snapchat (25.9 percent in Nov. 2013, 3.2 percent in Feb. 2013)
On the other hand, college-aged students in the U.S. are nearly four times more likely to be on Snapchat than the general populace, according to comScore, and that meteoric rise is almost entirely due to its emphasis on ephemerality. You Snapchat your friend, and then it’s (hopefully) scrubbed from the Internet. “The allure is the sense that it’s private and fleeting,” Marsey said. That kind of value proposition makes Snapchat’s recent security breach all the more glaring, however.
Vine (25 percent in Nov. 2013, NA in Feb. 2013)
Vine has quietly become popular in its short existence by appealing to college-aged adults’ creative drives and short attention spans, Stein said. (By comparison, only 9.7 percent of the total digital population uses it.) “Six seconds is just perfect in terms of the amount of time. It’s the 140-character version of video,” Marsey said about Vine’s popularity among young adults. “It’s the same thing I’d say about Instagram; it’s lightweight. It’s very easy and quick to do.”
Facebook Losing its Edge Among College-Aged Adults
John McDermott | January 21, 2014
You know that the “Facebook isn’t cool anymore” storyline has hit its pinnacle once the leader of the free world starts talking about it.
“It seems like they don’t use Facebook anymore,” President Obama recently told a group of millennials over coffee, according to The Atlantic . The “they” in question? Young adults.
New data obtained exclusively by Digiday shows that the president was not entirely wrong. Facebook’s penetration among U.S. college-aged adults (age 18 to 24) decreased by three percentage points to 88.6 percent in Nov. 2013 from Feb. 2013. Facebook — which initially became popular by solely catering to college students – remained the most widely used social network on campus, but it’s cool factor among college-aged adults has indeed diminished. Facebook did not immediately return calls for a comment.
The numbers, which are part of a larger comScore report to be released later this week, also point to which platforms have increased their traction with younger users. Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat and Vine all gained users over this time period. Snapchat’s reach among 18- to 24-year-olds increased eightfold, to 25.9 percent in Nov. 2013 from 3.2 percent in Feb. 2013. Vine — which was launched in late Jan. 2013 — grew like a weed over that nine-month period; its reach went from not even registering with comScore in Feb. 2013 to 25 percent penetration that November.
And there are plenty of other contenders vying for the social throne. Blend, a new social networking app entirely focused on serving college students, has attracted 75,000 daily active users just three months after launch, co-founders Matt Geiger and Akash Nigam told Digiday. Some of that growth can be attributed to the company’s promotional video of a University of Colorado party so debauched that it drew the ire of Bill O’Reilly.
What follows is a Digiday breakdown of social utilities that examines how popular they are among this age group and why:
Facebook (used by 88.6 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in Nov. 2013, down from 91.5 in Feb. 2013)
“’Young adults aren’t using Facebook’ is a fun story that some lazy people like to tell,” Jason Stein, president of social media agency Laundry Service, said. Still, there’s a difference between utility and appeal. Stein added that Facebook certainly isn’t cool anymore, but it has transformed into a useful Internet service like Google. Dave Marsey, evp at digital agency DigitasLBi, echoed Stein’s sentiments, saying that the popularity of Facebook’s photo features and Facebook Connect — an authentication system that allows people to use their Facebook information to create profiles on other websites — will keep young users locked in. “The degree and depth of their engagement, however, will continue to soften,” he said.
Instagram (51.5 percent in Nov. 2013, 44 percent in Feb. 2013)
Stein attributed Instagram’s success among young adults to the relative ease with which it allows them to express themselves. “It’s the visual version of Twitter. In particular for that age group, Twitter may be a little more uncomfortable,” he said. “Instagram is just photos, so it’s easier to express yourself than through copy.” Marsey said Instagram has tapped into millennials’ endless need to assert their individuality. “You can have two photos snapped from the same vantage point, but they’re different because of the filters and the blurring effects,” he said. Facebook owns Instagram of course, so its popularity ultimately benefits Facebook.
Twitter (43.7 percent in Nov. 2013, 40.1 percent in Feb. 2013)
Marsey said Twitter has caught on with college-aged adults because it allows them to comment on shows, concerts, parties and sporting events in real time. Stein said it’s popular, but used differently from adults and tech and media junkies. “Using it as a way to consume information but not necessarily outside of their peer groups,” he said. “There’s a lot of back and forth at messaging.”
Tumblr (35.5 percent in Nov. 2013, 31 percent in Feb. 2013)
Tumblr is slightly less popular than Instagram and Twitter because it’s a more laborious medium, Stein said. Rather than being solely for photos (like Instagram) or mostly text (like Twitter), Tumblr’s combination of text, GIFs, photos, links, audio and video makes it harder to master. “Instagram is lightweight in many ways,” Marsey said. “With Tumblr, you register and you have more possibilities, but you have to think a little bit deeper about.”
Snapchat (25.9 percent in Nov. 2013, 3.2 percent in Feb. 2013)
On the other hand, college-aged students in the U.S. are nearly four times more likely to be on Snapchat than the general populace, according to comScore, and that meteoric rise is almost entirely due to its emphasis on ephemerality. You Snapchat your friend, and then it’s (hopefully) scrubbed from the Internet. “The allure is the sense that it’s private and fleeting,” Marsey said. That kind of value proposition makes Snapchat’s recent security breach all the more glaring, however.
Vine (25 percent in Nov. 2013, NA in Feb. 2013)
Vine has quietly become popular in its short existence by appealing to college-aged adults’ creative drives and short attention spans, Stein said. (By comparison, only 9.7 percent of the total digital population uses it.) “Six seconds is just perfect in terms of the amount of time. It’s the 140-character version of video,” Marsey said about Vine’s popularity among young adults. “It’s the same thing I’d say about Instagram; it’s lightweight. It’s very easy and quick to do.”
Thursday, January 16, 2014
E-Books Not Replacing Print Reading
Here is a short excerpt from an article Pew published on the relative growth of e-books. To read the entire article, click here.
Most American adults read a print book in the past year, even as e-reading continues to grow
The proportion of Americans who read e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions.
The percentage of adults who read an e-book in the past year has risen to 28%, up from 23% at the end of 2012. At the same time, about seven in ten Americans reported reading a book in print, up four percentage points after a slight dip in 2012, and 14% of adults listened to an audiobook.
Though e-books are rising in popularity, print remains the foundation of Americans’ reading habits. Most people who read e-books also read print books, and just 4% of readers are “e-book only.” Audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits overall, while fewer print readers consume books in other formats.
Most American adults read a print book in the past year, even as e-reading continues to grow
The proportion of Americans who read e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions.
The percentage of adults who read an e-book in the past year has risen to 28%, up from 23% at the end of 2012. At the same time, about seven in ten Americans reported reading a book in print, up four percentage points after a slight dip in 2012, and 14% of adults listened to an audiobook.
Though e-books are rising in popularity, print remains the foundation of Americans’ reading habits. Most people who read e-books also read print books, and just 4% of readers are “e-book only.” Audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits overall, while fewer print readers consume books in other formats.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
2013 A Growth Year For Magazine Media Across Platforms
2013 A Growth Year For Magazine Media Across Platforms
January 9, 2014
2013 A GROWTH YEAR FOR MAGAZINE MEDIA ACROSS PLATFORMS
New York, NY (January 9, 2014) - The final numbers for 2013 indicate it was a growth year for magazine media across platforms. The preliminary 2013 results, reported by MPA- The Association of Magazine Media on December 30, 2013, have now been corroborated by the year-end magazine print ad page and iPad magazine edition unit results. An exclusive analysis conducted by MPA, using Kantar Media’s PIB data for magazine ad pages and their tablet edition ad unit data base, shows a 5% increase in the magazine media advertising “footprint” of print pages and tablet units.
For the full year 2013, tablet magazine advertising units increased 16% with print pages essentially flat at -0.2%. The total footprint of print pages and tablet edition units’ healthy 5% increase reflects a marked uptick. This data*, which analyzed the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print ad page and iPad unit advertising, affirms that 2013 was a successful year, with magazine media strongly resonating with consumers and advertisers.
Mary G. Berner, MPA’s president and CEO noted, “It’s gratifying to see these positive trends in magazine media. We look forward to lots of good news in the year ahead.”
A look at all PIB-measured magazines for print versions only reveals print ad revenue of $19.7 billion dollars, a 1% increase for 2013 over 2012. Print ad pages were slightly down (-4%) for the full year, however, it is important to note that this is an improvement over 2012 YTD, which showed an 8% decline in ad pages and ad revenue loss of 3% versus the prior year. Analyzing print magazines with full year information for both periods, a more accurate picture emerges. Print magazines’ full year data for both periods shows ad revenue climbed 3%, with ad pages flat at -0.7%.**
Print category gainers for 2013 include: “Food and Food Products” up in revenue (+6.7%) and up in pages (+1.2%), “Drugs and Remedies” up in revenue (+6.0%) and up in pages (+2.1%), “Home Furnishings and Supplies” up in revenue (+5.6%) and up in pages (+1.9%) and “Toiletries and Cosmetics” up in revenue (+5.5%) and up in pages (+1.2%).
The positive advertising trend was also supported by SMI Dataminer which reports agency spending on print magazines was up 9% through November 2013 – more than television (3%), newspapers (3%), radio (2%) and out-of-home (2%).
Additionally, the latest Fall MRI 2013 release shows print audiences up 1% and magazine media (print plus tablet) up 2% versus the Fall MRI 2012 study, with 5% growth among 18-24-year-olds. Tablet edition audiences increased an impressive 49% during the same time period. Circulation data also shows dramatic tablet edition increases, with the AAM reporting 85% growth for digital magazine editions in the first half of 2013 versus the first half of last year.
________________________________________
* Jan.-Dec. 2013 versus 2012. Tablet ad units are based on a study conducted by PIB using data collected by Kantar Media of the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print and iPad advertising.
**Note: An “apples-to-apples” comparison of 2013 versus 2012 will exclude publications with partial information for either year.
- See more at: http://www.magazine.org/industry-news/press-releases/mpa-press-releases/mpa/2013-growth-year-magazine-media-across-platforms#sthash.Z9kk0tjp.wpiss6so.dpuf
January 9, 2014
2013 A GROWTH YEAR FOR MAGAZINE MEDIA ACROSS PLATFORMS
New York, NY (January 9, 2014) - The final numbers for 2013 indicate it was a growth year for magazine media across platforms. The preliminary 2013 results, reported by MPA- The Association of Magazine Media on December 30, 2013, have now been corroborated by the year-end magazine print ad page and iPad magazine edition unit results. An exclusive analysis conducted by MPA, using Kantar Media’s PIB data for magazine ad pages and their tablet edition ad unit data base, shows a 5% increase in the magazine media advertising “footprint” of print pages and tablet units.
For the full year 2013, tablet magazine advertising units increased 16% with print pages essentially flat at -0.2%. The total footprint of print pages and tablet edition units’ healthy 5% increase reflects a marked uptick. This data*, which analyzed the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print ad page and iPad unit advertising, affirms that 2013 was a successful year, with magazine media strongly resonating with consumers and advertisers.
Mary G. Berner, MPA’s president and CEO noted, “It’s gratifying to see these positive trends in magazine media. We look forward to lots of good news in the year ahead.”
A look at all PIB-measured magazines for print versions only reveals print ad revenue of $19.7 billion dollars, a 1% increase for 2013 over 2012. Print ad pages were slightly down (-4%) for the full year, however, it is important to note that this is an improvement over 2012 YTD, which showed an 8% decline in ad pages and ad revenue loss of 3% versus the prior year. Analyzing print magazines with full year information for both periods, a more accurate picture emerges. Print magazines’ full year data for both periods shows ad revenue climbed 3%, with ad pages flat at -0.7%.**
Print category gainers for 2013 include: “Food and Food Products” up in revenue (+6.7%) and up in pages (+1.2%), “Drugs and Remedies” up in revenue (+6.0%) and up in pages (+2.1%), “Home Furnishings and Supplies” up in revenue (+5.6%) and up in pages (+1.9%) and “Toiletries and Cosmetics” up in revenue (+5.5%) and up in pages (+1.2%).
The positive advertising trend was also supported by SMI Dataminer which reports agency spending on print magazines was up 9% through November 2013 – more than television (3%), newspapers (3%), radio (2%) and out-of-home (2%).
Additionally, the latest Fall MRI 2013 release shows print audiences up 1% and magazine media (print plus tablet) up 2% versus the Fall MRI 2012 study, with 5% growth among 18-24-year-olds. Tablet edition audiences increased an impressive 49% during the same time period. Circulation data also shows dramatic tablet edition increases, with the AAM reporting 85% growth for digital magazine editions in the first half of 2013 versus the first half of last year.
________________________________________
* Jan.-Dec. 2013 versus 2012. Tablet ad units are based on a study conducted by PIB using data collected by Kantar Media of the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print and iPad advertising.
**Note: An “apples-to-apples” comparison of 2013 versus 2012 will exclude publications with partial information for either year.
- See more at: http://www.magazine.org/industry-news/press-releases/mpa-press-releases/mpa/2013-growth-year-magazine-media-across-platforms#sthash.Z9kk0tjp.wpiss6so.dpuf
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Salem Communications Purchases Eagle Publishing
Salem Communications Corp. today announced the acquisition of the assets of Eagle Publishing, including Regnery Publishing, HumanEvents.com and Redstate.com, as well as sister companies Eagle Financial Publications and Eagle Wellness. The acquisition allows Salem to strengthen and deepen its presence in the conservative market.
"Eagle is one of the most influential companies in the conservative media space," said Edward G. Atsinger III, president and CEO of Salem. "Its addition to Salem brings together a unique portfolio of conservative media properties and fits with our strategy of integrating traditional media and new media assets all serving the same target audience. The opportunity we like most about this acquisition is that each of Eagle's businesses matches up so well with Salem's extensive media platform. With 102 radio stations and a dozen major national websites all targeting the conservative community, this provides a perfect marketing platform to promote Eagle's products to a wider audience."
"It is hard to believe more than 20 years have passed since I started Eagle Publishing," said Tom Phillips, owner and chairman of Eagle Publishing. "Our dedicated employees can be proud they built Eagle Publishing into a company that has helped shape American public discourse through hard-hitting news, dozens of best-selling books, popular political websites, profitable investment advice and leading-edge health solutions."
Salem's syndicated programming, radio stations and websites reach millions of listeners and readers across the country, while Regnery Publishing, RedState.com and Human Events provide conservative content to millions online and in print. Salem is known in the Christian market as the owner of self-publisher Xulon Press and several magazines, including Homecoming, The Singing News and Preaching. Salem also owns such sites as Crosswalk.com, Christianity.com and GodTube.com.
Regnery has published best-selling books by leading authors, including Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, David Limbaugh and Dinesh D'Souza.
"Eagle is one of the most influential companies in the conservative media space," said Edward G. Atsinger III, president and CEO of Salem. "Its addition to Salem brings together a unique portfolio of conservative media properties and fits with our strategy of integrating traditional media and new media assets all serving the same target audience. The opportunity we like most about this acquisition is that each of Eagle's businesses matches up so well with Salem's extensive media platform. With 102 radio stations and a dozen major national websites all targeting the conservative community, this provides a perfect marketing platform to promote Eagle's products to a wider audience."
"It is hard to believe more than 20 years have passed since I started Eagle Publishing," said Tom Phillips, owner and chairman of Eagle Publishing. "Our dedicated employees can be proud they built Eagle Publishing into a company that has helped shape American public discourse through hard-hitting news, dozens of best-selling books, popular political websites, profitable investment advice and leading-edge health solutions."
Salem's syndicated programming, radio stations and websites reach millions of listeners and readers across the country, while Regnery Publishing, RedState.com and Human Events provide conservative content to millions online and in print. Salem is known in the Christian market as the owner of self-publisher Xulon Press and several magazines, including Homecoming, The Singing News and Preaching. Salem also owns such sites as Crosswalk.com, Christianity.com and GodTube.com.
Regnery has published best-selling books by leading authors, including Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, David Limbaugh and Dinesh D'Souza.
Hardcover Sales Better than Softcover in October
Faith-based publishers reported a modest bump in hardcover sales for October, though net paperback sales fell by 32% compared to the previous October, according to the latest figures available from the Association of American Publishers (AAP).
Net paperback sales from religious presses fell from $10.7 million in October 2012 to $7.3 million in October a year later. That drop resulted in the total net paperback sales for the first 10 months of 2013 declining 4% over the same period in 2012—$106.9 million and $111.3 million, respectively.
Meanwhile, net hardcover sales from religious presses grew by 8.3% in October, with sales of $36.4 million surpassing October 2012’s $33.6 million. This growth helped to somewhat offset an overall downward slump in hardcover sales for the first 10 months of 2013, with year-to-date hardcover sales at the end of October down 6.6% versus the same period in 2012—$235.1 million, from $251.7 million a year before.
Religious presses’ net sales of all titles, including ebooks, shrank from $60 million in October 2012 to $59.7 million in October 2013, a 0.4% decrease. Total net sales from the first 10 months of 2013 fell by 3.7% compared to the same period in 2012—$462.5 million versus $480.4 million, respectively.
Religious presses’ e-books continue to show slight gains—$5 million in October 2013 versus $4.9 million in October 2012, a 1.8% increase, helping to boost e-book sales for first 10 months of 2013 to $52.4 million, a 2.5% increase over the $51.1 million sold in the same period of 2012.
With nearly 1,200 publishers reporting, AAP's Monthly StatShot report includes data from Crossway, Gospel Light, Moody Publishers, David C Cook, Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers, among others represented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
Net paperback sales from religious presses fell from $10.7 million in October 2012 to $7.3 million in October a year later. That drop resulted in the total net paperback sales for the first 10 months of 2013 declining 4% over the same period in 2012—$106.9 million and $111.3 million, respectively.
Meanwhile, net hardcover sales from religious presses grew by 8.3% in October, with sales of $36.4 million surpassing October 2012’s $33.6 million. This growth helped to somewhat offset an overall downward slump in hardcover sales for the first 10 months of 2013, with year-to-date hardcover sales at the end of October down 6.6% versus the same period in 2012—$235.1 million, from $251.7 million a year before.
Religious presses’ net sales of all titles, including ebooks, shrank from $60 million in October 2012 to $59.7 million in October 2013, a 0.4% decrease. Total net sales from the first 10 months of 2013 fell by 3.7% compared to the same period in 2012—$462.5 million versus $480.4 million, respectively.
Religious presses’ e-books continue to show slight gains—$5 million in October 2013 versus $4.9 million in October 2012, a 1.8% increase, helping to boost e-book sales for first 10 months of 2013 to $52.4 million, a 2.5% increase over the $51.1 million sold in the same period of 2012.
With nearly 1,200 publishers reporting, AAP's Monthly StatShot report includes data from Crossway, Gospel Light, Moody Publishers, David C Cook, Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers, among others represented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
Writing for Impact
Here is a nice testimony posted by a local author, Dr. Larry McCall, pastor of Christ's Covenant Church in Winona Lake and a BMH author.
Larry McCall
Jerry Bridges had a huge impact on me years ago when he encouraged me to use my word gifts by writing books. He said, "Larry, you'll have the privilege of being able to serve people who you haven't even met." I've heard a couple of stories in the last day or two that have been confirming Jerry's counsel. I thank the Lord for giving me friends like Mr. Bridges to encourage me along the way. And, I thank God for using these feeble efforts of mine in helping others reflect Christ in their lives and marriages.
Larry McCall
Jerry Bridges had a huge impact on me years ago when he encouraged me to use my word gifts by writing books. He said, "Larry, you'll have the privilege of being able to serve people who you haven't even met." I've heard a couple of stories in the last day or two that have been confirming Jerry's counsel. I thank the Lord for giving me friends like Mr. Bridges to encourage me along the way. And, I thank God for using these feeble efforts of mine in helping others reflect Christ in their lives and marriages.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Print Starts to Settle Into Its Niches
Here's a fascinating piece from the New York Times. This is a short excerpt -- to read the entire article click here.
Kevin Kelly is not a dumb guy — far from it actually. As the founding executive editor of Wired and one of the people who helped build The Well, among the earliest online communities, he has done a good job of seeing what is coming next for decades.
But last year, he had what sounded to me like a dumb idea. Mr. Kelly edits and owns Cool Tools, a website that writes about neat stuff and makes small money off referral revenue from Amazon when people proceed to buy some of those things. He decided to edit the thousands of reviews that had accrued over the last 10 years into a self-published print catalog — also called “Cool Tools” — which he would then sell for $39.99.
So, to review, his idea was to manufacture a floppy 472-page catalog that would weigh 4.5 pounds, full of buying advice that had already appeared free on the web, essentially turning weightless pixels into bulky bundles of atoms. To make it happen, he crowdsourced designs from all over the world, found a printer in China and then arranged for shipping and distribution. It all seemed a little quixotic and, well, beside the point.
Kevin Kelly self-published a collection of reviews accrued from a website over the years, and it sold extremely well.
Except the first printing of 10,000 copies, just in time for Christmas, sold out immediately, a second printing of 12,000 will go on sale at Amazon next week and a third printing of 20,000 copies is underway. So, not so dumb after all. . . At a time when e-book sales seem to be flattening, there is something to be learned from Mr. Kelly’s self-published curio. Print continues to be a remarkable technology, if not as lucrative as it used to be, with its own durable glories.
Kevin Kelly is not a dumb guy — far from it actually. As the founding executive editor of Wired and one of the people who helped build The Well, among the earliest online communities, he has done a good job of seeing what is coming next for decades.
But last year, he had what sounded to me like a dumb idea. Mr. Kelly edits and owns Cool Tools, a website that writes about neat stuff and makes small money off referral revenue from Amazon when people proceed to buy some of those things. He decided to edit the thousands of reviews that had accrued over the last 10 years into a self-published print catalog — also called “Cool Tools” — which he would then sell for $39.99.
So, to review, his idea was to manufacture a floppy 472-page catalog that would weigh 4.5 pounds, full of buying advice that had already appeared free on the web, essentially turning weightless pixels into bulky bundles of atoms. To make it happen, he crowdsourced designs from all over the world, found a printer in China and then arranged for shipping and distribution. It all seemed a little quixotic and, well, beside the point.
Kevin Kelly self-published a collection of reviews accrued from a website over the years, and it sold extremely well.
Except the first printing of 10,000 copies, just in time for Christmas, sold out immediately, a second printing of 12,000 will go on sale at Amazon next week and a third printing of 20,000 copies is underway. So, not so dumb after all. . . At a time when e-book sales seem to be flattening, there is something to be learned from Mr. Kelly’s self-published curio. Print continues to be a remarkable technology, if not as lucrative as it used to be, with its own durable glories.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Recent Panic Has Calmed in Publishing
Recent panic has calmed in publishing
By DAVID L. ULIN Los Angeles Times
Toward the end of September, I found myself in a meeting room at Brooklyn Borough Hall in New York with planners from a variety of book fairs (Miami, Trinidad, Texas, Australia) discussing audience and cooperation and outreach. It was the morning after the Brooklyn Book Festival, which had drawn tens of thousands, and the atmosphere was upbeat, marked by excitement, even relief.
Economics remained an issue (how to attract and pay for writers, how to advertise and promote) but there was no lamenting, no sense that things might be shutting down. Rather, with a number of new festivals represented, the conversation was expansive, peppered with optimism about the future of reading and books.
This is the story, for me, of 2013: that there is no story, or more accurately, that the panic that’s defined publishing for the last several years has calmed. Yes, uncertainties linger — about the relationship between print and electronics, about how writers get paid in an increasingly digital economy — but there is also the sense that we are settling into a tenuous new balance.
In December, Matt Pearce wrote in the Los Angeles Times about online outlets (Pitchfork, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Inquiry) that have begun to turn to print; in November, the British market research firm Voxburner conducted a survey in which more than 60 percent of respondents ages 16 to 24 preferred reading print on paper to pixels on screen.
Considered alongside information that e-book sales appear to have flattened, as Nicholas Carr has reported, at “a bit less than 25 percent of total book sales,” this suggests a more complicated story, in which it is diversity rather than dominance that resonates, and publishing starts to look more like an ecosystem than merely an industry.
What’s most compelling about such an ecosystem is that it is not generally top-heavy but bottom-up. It begins with independent bookstores, which have seen a renaissance of sorts. According to the American Booksellers Association, sales rose by 8 percent in 2012, and similar numbers are expected in 2013.
This may seem surprising in a landscape where Amazon’s recent announcement that it intends to use delivery drones qualifies as a buzzy story, but then Amazon has never been about book culture. Sure, it offers a way to get books fast when you know what you’re after or to buy a bestseller at a cut-rate price.
Most readers, though, want more than cheap books; we want conversation, community. Hence, Amazon’s purchase of Good Reads, for $150 million or so, at the end of March. And yet, this is where independent bookstores excel organically, in their relationship to neighborhood clientele.
“This bookstore was kind of a steppingstone to … integrate myself into the local community,” a customer named Jessica Brown told NPR in November, describing Seattle’s Mockingbird Books. There’s something touching about the interaction she describes.
Call it local, call it artisanal, call it slow reading: I call it a mechanism by which we are enlarged. That, in turn, goes back to why we read in the first place: not to be entertained or distracted but to be connected, to experience a world, a life, a set of emotions we might not otherwise get to know.
At the heart of this is, again, diversity — of voices, venues, points of view. That’s the promise of a digital universe, although a recent report from Digital Book World offers sobering perspective, noting that 19 percent of self-published authors “reported no annual income from their writing” and that as a group they “earned a median writing income of $1 to $4,999” — lower than their traditionally published counterparts, who “had a median writing income of $5,000 to $9,999.”
The good news is that, in a bottom-up infrastructure, independent publishers are increasingly able to break through. I think of D.A. Powell and Mary Szybist, both published by Minneapolis’ Graywolf Press, who won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award in poetry, respectively. I think of Pulitzer finalist Lore Segal publishing her new novel, “Half the Kingdom,” with Brooklyn’s Melville House, or Hilton Als, whose magnificent “White Girls” came out from McSweeney’s in the fall.
That’s not a new development; indies have taken advantage of territory ceded by the majors for nearly two decades, and this has really exploded in the last five years.
But in the context of 2013, with its relative (dare we say it?) stability, it feels like a bit of reassurance, the whisper of a new normal, in which there may be room for everything, after all.
By DAVID L. ULIN Los Angeles Times
Toward the end of September, I found myself in a meeting room at Brooklyn Borough Hall in New York with planners from a variety of book fairs (Miami, Trinidad, Texas, Australia) discussing audience and cooperation and outreach. It was the morning after the Brooklyn Book Festival, which had drawn tens of thousands, and the atmosphere was upbeat, marked by excitement, even relief.
Economics remained an issue (how to attract and pay for writers, how to advertise and promote) but there was no lamenting, no sense that things might be shutting down. Rather, with a number of new festivals represented, the conversation was expansive, peppered with optimism about the future of reading and books.
This is the story, for me, of 2013: that there is no story, or more accurately, that the panic that’s defined publishing for the last several years has calmed. Yes, uncertainties linger — about the relationship between print and electronics, about how writers get paid in an increasingly digital economy — but there is also the sense that we are settling into a tenuous new balance.
In December, Matt Pearce wrote in the Los Angeles Times about online outlets (Pitchfork, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Inquiry) that have begun to turn to print; in November, the British market research firm Voxburner conducted a survey in which more than 60 percent of respondents ages 16 to 24 preferred reading print on paper to pixels on screen.
Considered alongside information that e-book sales appear to have flattened, as Nicholas Carr has reported, at “a bit less than 25 percent of total book sales,” this suggests a more complicated story, in which it is diversity rather than dominance that resonates, and publishing starts to look more like an ecosystem than merely an industry.
What’s most compelling about such an ecosystem is that it is not generally top-heavy but bottom-up. It begins with independent bookstores, which have seen a renaissance of sorts. According to the American Booksellers Association, sales rose by 8 percent in 2012, and similar numbers are expected in 2013.
This may seem surprising in a landscape where Amazon’s recent announcement that it intends to use delivery drones qualifies as a buzzy story, but then Amazon has never been about book culture. Sure, it offers a way to get books fast when you know what you’re after or to buy a bestseller at a cut-rate price.
Most readers, though, want more than cheap books; we want conversation, community. Hence, Amazon’s purchase of Good Reads, for $150 million or so, at the end of March. And yet, this is where independent bookstores excel organically, in their relationship to neighborhood clientele.
“This bookstore was kind of a steppingstone to … integrate myself into the local community,” a customer named Jessica Brown told NPR in November, describing Seattle’s Mockingbird Books. There’s something touching about the interaction she describes.
Call it local, call it artisanal, call it slow reading: I call it a mechanism by which we are enlarged. That, in turn, goes back to why we read in the first place: not to be entertained or distracted but to be connected, to experience a world, a life, a set of emotions we might not otherwise get to know.
At the heart of this is, again, diversity — of voices, venues, points of view. That’s the promise of a digital universe, although a recent report from Digital Book World offers sobering perspective, noting that 19 percent of self-published authors “reported no annual income from their writing” and that as a group they “earned a median writing income of $1 to $4,999” — lower than their traditionally published counterparts, who “had a median writing income of $5,000 to $9,999.”
The good news is that, in a bottom-up infrastructure, independent publishers are increasingly able to break through. I think of D.A. Powell and Mary Szybist, both published by Minneapolis’ Graywolf Press, who won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award in poetry, respectively. I think of Pulitzer finalist Lore Segal publishing her new novel, “Half the Kingdom,” with Brooklyn’s Melville House, or Hilton Als, whose magnificent “White Girls” came out from McSweeney’s in the fall.
That’s not a new development; indies have taken advantage of territory ceded by the majors for nearly two decades, and this has really exploded in the last five years.
But in the context of 2013, with its relative (dare we say it?) stability, it feels like a bit of reassurance, the whisper of a new normal, in which there may be room for everything, after all.
Why Tablets Won't Replace PCs Anytime Soon
From Mashable.com:
The tablet has had a remarkable run the past few years. But it is important to note that in the majority of use cases tablet are not replacing PCs but rather are extending the life of PCs.
We know from our data as well as a number of other firms' research that over 90% of tablets sold today have been sold to existing PC owners. And in nearly every supporting data point I have, those tablets are being used to accompany the PC not to replace it. (By PC, I generally mean notebooks).
So it begs the question whether the PC-killing tablet is a valid narrative or not. I'd contend that this is not a valid narrative and, more importantly, it could affect tablet sales to a degree in 2014.
A key point about tablet sales is that the vast majority sold are 8" or smaller. Which means that the vast number of tablets bought by consumers are not even contenders to replace the PC. In fact, when you look at tablet usage data you notice that they are used heavier during the evening hours while PCs are used heavier during the day time/work hours.
Think of it this way: PC by day, tablet by night. Oh sure, lots of people use their tablets during the day for both entertainment and business reasons (e.g. sales people and other road warriors), but I think this sums up the use case for most tablet owners.
Now, if we acknowledge the point that the vast majority of tablets on the market are used in conjunction with PCs, then we acknowledge that the PC is still used and valued by a large number of consumers. If this is true, those PCs will still need to replaced. So the question then becomes: When will this happen and could it have an effect on the tablet market?
The evidence is clear that 2013 was the lost year for the PC. One of the steepest declines on record, as it has been a stable growth market since the early 2000s. We believe that 2014 could mark a turnaround for the PC sector and catch many by surprise.
Part of the logic for this is the number of PCs in the market being used that are 4 years or older. Depending on whose estimates you use, the number is around 300-350 million. A good percentage of these customers got away with not refreshing their PCs due to their tablet purchases. Those who have not refreshed their PC for school, work, home, etc., simply can't wait much longer. A PC refresh is coming and it could impact tablet sales.
The tablet/PC hybrid
A caveat to this thinking is that consumers will find the idea of a tablet and PC combined together as an attractive option. Perhaps when a consumer looks to replace their PC they will find something like Microsoft's Surface an attractive offering. Many in the PC ecosystem are hoping this is the case but I am still skeptical.
I think what corporate employees, small business workers, and even consumers want is the best PC for their needs and the best tablet for their needs. This means they will continue to buy two separate devices that are each best for all the things they want.
While I applaud the efforts of Microsoft, Intel, and others in the PC ecosystem to work to build 2-in-1 PCs and tablets, I'm not optimistic that they will appeal to the masses. I believe some segments of both business and consumer customers will gravitate to these form factors but I don't believe they will make up the majority of sales of either PCs or tablets.
I believe the market for PCs and tablets will swing like a pendulum. The years that PCs aren't being refreshed as much tablets sales will boom higher and vice-versa. For everyone who cares about hardware, from IT to the OEMs who make the devices, managing refresh rates and building products that take advantage of refresh years will be critical.
But of course truly innovative products and lower price points could produce a hot seller in either camp regardless of refresh cycles. Given the product maturity on the PC side, I think another breakout tablet is far more likely.
Ben Bajarin is Director of the Consumer Technology Practice at Creative Strategies, a strategy consulting firm in Silicon Valley.
The tablet has had a remarkable run the past few years. But it is important to note that in the majority of use cases tablet are not replacing PCs but rather are extending the life of PCs.
We know from our data as well as a number of other firms' research that over 90% of tablets sold today have been sold to existing PC owners. And in nearly every supporting data point I have, those tablets are being used to accompany the PC not to replace it. (By PC, I generally mean notebooks).
So it begs the question whether the PC-killing tablet is a valid narrative or not. I'd contend that this is not a valid narrative and, more importantly, it could affect tablet sales to a degree in 2014.
A key point about tablet sales is that the vast majority sold are 8" or smaller. Which means that the vast number of tablets bought by consumers are not even contenders to replace the PC. In fact, when you look at tablet usage data you notice that they are used heavier during the evening hours while PCs are used heavier during the day time/work hours.
Think of it this way: PC by day, tablet by night. Oh sure, lots of people use their tablets during the day for both entertainment and business reasons (e.g. sales people and other road warriors), but I think this sums up the use case for most tablet owners.
Now, if we acknowledge the point that the vast majority of tablets on the market are used in conjunction with PCs, then we acknowledge that the PC is still used and valued by a large number of consumers. If this is true, those PCs will still need to replaced. So the question then becomes: When will this happen and could it have an effect on the tablet market?
The evidence is clear that 2013 was the lost year for the PC. One of the steepest declines on record, as it has been a stable growth market since the early 2000s. We believe that 2014 could mark a turnaround for the PC sector and catch many by surprise.
Part of the logic for this is the number of PCs in the market being used that are 4 years or older. Depending on whose estimates you use, the number is around 300-350 million. A good percentage of these customers got away with not refreshing their PCs due to their tablet purchases. Those who have not refreshed their PC for school, work, home, etc., simply can't wait much longer. A PC refresh is coming and it could impact tablet sales.
The tablet/PC hybrid
A caveat to this thinking is that consumers will find the idea of a tablet and PC combined together as an attractive option. Perhaps when a consumer looks to replace their PC they will find something like Microsoft's Surface an attractive offering. Many in the PC ecosystem are hoping this is the case but I am still skeptical.
I think what corporate employees, small business workers, and even consumers want is the best PC for their needs and the best tablet for their needs. This means they will continue to buy two separate devices that are each best for all the things they want.
While I applaud the efforts of Microsoft, Intel, and others in the PC ecosystem to work to build 2-in-1 PCs and tablets, I'm not optimistic that they will appeal to the masses. I believe some segments of both business and consumer customers will gravitate to these form factors but I don't believe they will make up the majority of sales of either PCs or tablets.
I believe the market for PCs and tablets will swing like a pendulum. The years that PCs aren't being refreshed as much tablets sales will boom higher and vice-versa. For everyone who cares about hardware, from IT to the OEMs who make the devices, managing refresh rates and building products that take advantage of refresh years will be critical.
But of course truly innovative products and lower price points could produce a hot seller in either camp regardless of refresh cycles. Given the product maturity on the PC side, I think another breakout tablet is far more likely.
Ben Bajarin is Director of the Consumer Technology Practice at Creative Strategies, a strategy consulting firm in Silicon Valley.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Steve Laube Acquires Marcher Lord
Steve Laube, president of The Steve Laube Agency, has agreed to purchase Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of science fiction and fantasy for the Christian market. The sale was finalized Jan. 1.
A champion of the genre going back to his days as an acquisition editor at Bethany House Publishers, Laube said: “The plan is to continue with what Jeff started and release between four and eight new titles in 2014. I have long believed that this genre has been underserved in our industry despite its inherent ability to tell ‘Fantastic’ stories of philosophical and theological depth.”
Jeff Gerke is founder of Marcher Lord Press, which has a backlist of about 40 titles with many of them nominated or winning Christy and Carol Awards.
“I could not have found a better person to buy the company I started in 2008,” said Gerke, who will now focus on his own writing and his freelance editorial and publishing service business.
Laube will run the new Marcher Lord Press as a separate company from his literary agency. Founded in 2004, the agency (www.stevelaube.com) has four agents and more than 150 active authors with contracts for nearly 1,000 new books.
A champion of the genre going back to his days as an acquisition editor at Bethany House Publishers, Laube said: “The plan is to continue with what Jeff started and release between four and eight new titles in 2014. I have long believed that this genre has been underserved in our industry despite its inherent ability to tell ‘Fantastic’ stories of philosophical and theological depth.”
Jeff Gerke is founder of Marcher Lord Press, which has a backlist of about 40 titles with many of them nominated or winning Christy and Carol Awards.
“I could not have found a better person to buy the company I started in 2008,” said Gerke, who will now focus on his own writing and his freelance editorial and publishing service business.
Laube will run the new Marcher Lord Press as a separate company from his literary agency. Founded in 2004, the agency (www.stevelaube.com) has four agents and more than 150 active authors with contracts for nearly 1,000 new books.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Crowdsourcing and Book Publishing
From BookBusiness:
The Learning Curve
By Ellen Harvey
Today readers have more power than ever. Not only are publishers turning to their audiences to fund major projects, but they also look to consumers for feedback and help in creating the next bestseller. It's called crowdsourcing, and it has been growing in popularity as social publishing sites continue to thrive. For example, on Scribd, readers discover and discuss books from a massive digital library of bestsellers and self-published works, while on Medium, shorter articles are published by users, collaboratively edited, and ranked by popularity. Both platforms allow users to make comments on the work. Crowdsourcing gives readers a voice, but it also creates a buzz for the author's work and an audience ready to receive it.
The latest crowdsourced project generating buzz is Walter Isaacson 's latest book on the origins of the personal-computing era. Over the weekend, Isaacson posted excerpts of his book on LiveJournal, Scribd, and Medium to gather reader feedback. Quoted in BloomsbergBusinessweekOpens in a new window, the Steve Jobs biographer says, "I got to the point of the book where people started using the internet to collaborate. It didn't take a genius to say, 'why don't I use the Internet to collaborate?'" So far the experiment has been a success with over 18,000 readers and 125 comments on Medium alone. Some of those comments are from individuals actually mentioned in the work, fact checking Isaacson's accountOpens in a new window.
A similarly ambitious project is Macmillan 's Swoon Reads, which has created a platform for users to post their manuscripts. In turn, readers and Macmillan editors can critique the works and vote for their favorites. And in 2013, Harlequin partnered with WattpadOpens in a new window to help host it's New Adult Contest, and selected six winners this December from over 600 manuscripts submitted via Wattpad.
Beyond the book, crowdsourcing and user-generated content is influencing mainstream media in important ways. Newsrooms look to Twitter for breaking news, magazines create discussions around hashtags that morph into print content, and cell phone videos bring us dangerous stories when a camera crew cannot.
Crowdsourcing is thriving, but when it comes to the book, most often one individual creates the content alone and then shares it for public critique. Few authors seek chapter submissions from their readers or even plot suggestions. But I suspect that with consumers' growing expectation of participation, this will begin to change.
Projects like J.K. Rowling's PottermoreOpens in a new window, an interactive online community that allows users to embark on their own wizarding adventures, and Sourcebooks' Put Me In The Story product, which personalizes bestselling children's books, are early steps in this evolution.
Considering it is New Year's Eve, I think it's fair that I make one prediction for the future. Although I think there will always be a place for the traditional novel, one that is written alone and read alone, user-generated content will begin influencing the format and content of books. Consumers are getting used to having their say, and I don't think that expectation will stop at the book.
The Learning Curve
By Ellen Harvey
Today readers have more power than ever. Not only are publishers turning to their audiences to fund major projects, but they also look to consumers for feedback and help in creating the next bestseller. It's called crowdsourcing, and it has been growing in popularity as social publishing sites continue to thrive. For example, on Scribd, readers discover and discuss books from a massive digital library of bestsellers and self-published works, while on Medium, shorter articles are published by users, collaboratively edited, and ranked by popularity. Both platforms allow users to make comments on the work. Crowdsourcing gives readers a voice, but it also creates a buzz for the author's work and an audience ready to receive it.
The latest crowdsourced project generating buzz is Walter Isaacson 's latest book on the origins of the personal-computing era. Over the weekend, Isaacson posted excerpts of his book on LiveJournal, Scribd, and Medium to gather reader feedback. Quoted in BloomsbergBusinessweekOpens in a new window, the Steve Jobs biographer says, "I got to the point of the book where people started using the internet to collaborate. It didn't take a genius to say, 'why don't I use the Internet to collaborate?'" So far the experiment has been a success with over 18,000 readers and 125 comments on Medium alone. Some of those comments are from individuals actually mentioned in the work, fact checking Isaacson's accountOpens in a new window.
A similarly ambitious project is Macmillan 's Swoon Reads, which has created a platform for users to post their manuscripts. In turn, readers and Macmillan editors can critique the works and vote for their favorites. And in 2013, Harlequin partnered with WattpadOpens in a new window to help host it's New Adult Contest, and selected six winners this December from over 600 manuscripts submitted via Wattpad.
Beyond the book, crowdsourcing and user-generated content is influencing mainstream media in important ways. Newsrooms look to Twitter for breaking news, magazines create discussions around hashtags that morph into print content, and cell phone videos bring us dangerous stories when a camera crew cannot.
Crowdsourcing is thriving, but when it comes to the book, most often one individual creates the content alone and then shares it for public critique. Few authors seek chapter submissions from their readers or even plot suggestions. But I suspect that with consumers' growing expectation of participation, this will begin to change.
Projects like J.K. Rowling's PottermoreOpens in a new window, an interactive online community that allows users to embark on their own wizarding adventures, and Sourcebooks' Put Me In The Story product, which personalizes bestselling children's books, are early steps in this evolution.
Considering it is New Year's Eve, I think it's fair that I make one prediction for the future. Although I think there will always be a place for the traditional novel, one that is written alone and read alone, user-generated content will begin influencing the format and content of books. Consumers are getting used to having their say, and I don't think that expectation will stop at the book.
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