The coming paradigm shift in news media
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Hello and a big welcome to our new subscribers from the Sightline Media Group, Preqin, WFYI, NWZ Media, and many others!
Last week we at The Fix published a few must-read stories. Most notably, David Tvrdon analysed the 2023 media trends report by the Reuters Institute's Nic Newman and compared it with the same report from ten years ago.
2023 feels like a pivotal moment for news media – a year when changes we’ve talked about in recent years will actually materialise and make a visible impact. The decline of Facebook and Twitter as a source of traffic for news media is pronounced, and the rise of generative AI accentuated by ChatGPT is actually impacting newsrooms in a tangible way.
One grim but non-controversial prediction for 2023 – Russia’s war in Ukraine will drag on for a long time, and the country’s news media industry will be hard-pressed to survive amidst the hardship brought about by the war.
To that end, we have two stories about two Ukrainian outlets operating amidst the war – The Fix’s editor Anton Protsiuk profiled Babel, a national news publisher that’s been punching above its weight covering the war and other topics, and The Village’s editor-in-chief Yaroslav Druziuk shared first-hand how his team operates a city online newspaper that a year ago focused on restaurant launches and bar guides.
One common thread – financial support from the international community is one of the very few ways to keep high-quality independent media going. Both to help attract it and to make the Ukrainian voice heard internationally, Babel, The Village and many other Ukrainian publishers have taken up reporting in English for audiences in Europe and beyond.
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The latest journalism and media trend report from Reuters Institute hints at a paradigm shift
David Tvrdon
In ten years, we might be looking back at this report and see how many of the changes started materialising, from the end of social media dominance to introduction of AI generative tools
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“From gaming to journalism” – Twitch’s benefits for journalists
The Fix
Key points from Emilio Doménech López’s session at the News Impact Summit: The Future of Editorial
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How Babel is building an upscale national news publisher in Ukraine during the war
Anton Protsiuk
Sales managers had to become fundraising specialists, and Russian-language version made way for the English one
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How we are running a city online newspaper amidst the war
Yaroslav Druziuk
Leading The Village Ukraine is like running TimeOut or Curbed, except your nation is fighting a full-scale war
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Media literacy is an important tool in combating the dangers of misinformation, and Finland is taking this more seriously than most countries. The New York Times reports on how the Nordic country is teaching school students to spot fake news. |
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In 2021, the UK got another news channel with the launch of GB News, a right-leaning TV and radio channel that has frequently been compared to American Fox News. Bloomberg looks into how the company operates two years on, including its success in building the audience while struggling with retaining staff and attracting advertisers.
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Among the many issues raised by ChatGPT, one fascinating question is – should the tool be used to write Wikipedia articles? Early experiments suggest ChatGPT is a useful tool for overcoming writer’s block, but quite a dangerous one to rely on without extensive editing. Slate’s Stephen Harrison reports on the discussions happening within the wiki community.
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Independent Russian TV channel Dozhd (TV Rain) received a five-year broadcasting permit in the Netherlands. The Dutch Media Authority granted the channel a licence to broadcast its content on cable networks across the EU countries. As DW reports, the permit is dated December 22, but first media reports about the news appeared last week.
Dozhd relaunched outside Russia in the summer of 2022 amidst the Kremlin’s crackdown on free press following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In December the organisation saw its licence in Latvia revoked as a result of multiple occasions where Dozhd mistakenly broadcast content seemingly supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine ( Dozhd apologised for the errors and says it firmly opposes Russia’s invasion).
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Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ( RFE/RL) opened a new office in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, to provide better coverage of Belarus and Russia and counter Russian disinformation. The office will house staff displaced from the two countries controlled by authoritarian regimes, including Current Time, a Russian-language video platform.
The US-government-funded broadcaster has a long history of breaking through state propaganda in Eastern Europe in the times of the Soviet Union. In recent years, as the region has seen growing crackdowns on free press, RFE/RL has invested more resources in coverage there.
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UK publisher Reach will cut 200 jobs – about 5% of its workforce – in an effort to cut costs amid the decline in print and digital ads. The company is trying to save £30 million (€34 million) in the wake of the underwhelming results of the season typically most conducive to ad sales – the World Cup, Black Friday and Christmas. The UK’s largest newspaper publisher that owns Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Star, and numerous regional newspapers “reported a slump of 20.2% in print advertising and 5.9% in digital ads in the traditionally strong fourth quarter”, The Guardian writes. |
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Opportunities and deadlines
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One World Media Awards. Submit your stories focused on low- and middle-income countries from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. The award’s 15 categories are open to entrants from anywhere in the world.
More info: http://bit.ly/3ZC9CE3
Deadline: February 9
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Webinar: How to 'debirdify': Are Post, Mastodon and other Twitter alternatives fit for purpose? Reuters Institute invites you to their Global Journalism Seminars series. For this online event, join Financial Times’ Dave Lee to discuss possible alternatives to Twitter.
More info: http://bit.ly/3ZLVkkD
When: January 25
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UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2023. Member states of UNESCO and journalism NGOs are invited to nominate candidates for the 2023 prize. The prize is awarded to a person, organisation or institution that promotes press freedom. The winner will receive a monetary prize of $25,000 (€23,100).
More info: http://bit.ly/3IHaQrL
Deadline: February 15
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Executive Director. Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) invites candidates to apply to the position of Executive Director. You will oversee GIJN operations, manage finances and lead a remote team. The position is fully remote.
More info: http://bit.ly/3ZxhV47
Deadline: March 30
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Impact Producer. Lighthouse Reports is looking for an Impact Producer to work on projects related to food systems. You will be responsible for developing the nonprofit newsroom’s journalism, generating engagement, and developing partnerships. The location is flexible, but a European timezone is preferred.
More info: http://bit.ly/3GZV366
Deadline: January 31
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Business Development Manager. Politico Europe will hire a person for a position of Business Development Manager to join the Media Solutions Sales team. You will oversee and grow new and existing relationships within the EU market, develop outreach strategies and manage clients. The position is based in Brussels.
More info: http://bit.ly/3XwF595
Deadline: Open till filled
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