News Take
The News Take podcast is a series of interviews with thought leaders and other influencers in the news and magazine media space sharing insights and perspectives with News/Media Alliance staff on timely events topics of interest.
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News Take: Free Press Focus: How Do We Ensure Protections for the Press After Shocking Police Raid?
07/09/2024
News Take: Free Press Focus: How Do We Ensure Protections for the Press After Shocking Police Raid?
Guests: Eric Meyer, Publisher, Marion County Record and Gabe Rottman, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) In August 2023, the Marion County Record, a small local newspaper in Marion, Kansas, drew national headlines when it was the target of a police raid that has been harshly criticized as an attack on the free press. In the raid, Marion County police, without just cause, seized newsroom equipment and documents from the newspaper’s office and the homes of Publisher Eric Meyer and his mother, Co-Owner Joan Meyer. In this episode of News Take: Free Press Focus, a subseries of the News Take podcast, Eric Meyer shares the story of that fateful day and the events leading up to it and why it was preventable, and Gabe Rottman, a senior attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), talks to us about the dire implications for a free press when journalists’ rights are violated and the importance of a federal shield law, such as the PRESS Act, that would protect journalists’ confidential sources. Music from #Uppbeat -
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News Take: Free Press Focus - Episode 1: Preventing Another Capital Gazette Shooting: Why We Need The Journalist Protection Act
11/14/2023
News Take: Free Press Focus - Episode 1: Preventing Another Capital Gazette Shooting: Why We Need The Journalist Protection Act
Guests: Paul Gillespie, Capital Gazette and Dan Shelley, RTDNA In this first episode of News Take: Free Press Focus, a subseries of the News Take podcast, we hear from RTDNA CEO Dan Shelley and Capital Gazette Photojournalist Paul Gillespie about the dangers that journalists face on the job and what can be done to combat the threat of violence. Gillespie is one of six survivors of the 2018 shooting at the Capital Gazette in Maryland and speaks on his experience and the importance of shielding journalists from harm. Dan Shelley speaks to RTDNA’s major priority in passing the Journalist Protection Act, a law that would make assaulting a journalist a federal crime. With extensive experience in the media industry, both Gillespie and Shelley illustrate the significance of journalists as a whole and what we, as a community, can do to support them.
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News Take Episode 204: Navigating the Digital Media Transition: Lessons from the Music Industry
06/13/2023
News Take Episode 204: Navigating the Digital Media Transition: Lessons from the Music Industry
Guest: Cherie Hu, Founder, Water & Music How is the way the music industry and musicians are compensated similar to and different from the way publishers are compensated? What lessons has the music industry learned to help them better protect against unauthorized use of their content? How could web3/blockchain play a role in compensation models for the music and publishing industries? What are the potential roles AI could play in music creation and/or distribution? In this episode of News Take, Cherie Hu, founder of music collaboration and research firm , joins News Take host Rebecca Frank for a fascinating discussion about how the music industry has navigated changes to the ways music is distributed and consumed. Hu draws parallels, as well as distinctions, between how musical content is protected and compensated, and those same aspects of publishing. She shares insights on how emerging technologies, including web3/blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged by content creators now and possibly down the road, and breaks down the two camps of AI users from a philosophical and business perspective. Finally, she touches on the work Water & Music is doing to bring new industry innovators together, as well as her take on trends in music innovation that translate to the publishing world.
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News Take Episode 203: Pioneering Innovation at Legacy Magazine and News Media Brands
05/09/2023
News Take Episode 203: Pioneering Innovation at Legacy Magazine and News Media Brands
Guest: Lisa Hughes, Publisher, The Philadelphia Inquirer How can magazines and newspapers innovate to attract and keep subscribers in an increasingly competitive landscape? What must news and magazine publishers do to continue to keep their readers engaged over the long-term? In this episode of News Take, Lisa Hughes, the first female Publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer, joins News/Media Alliance VP, Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank, for an insightful conversation about the evolution of magazine and newspaper media during a time of rapid change, and how she's led with innovation at top magazine and news publications to introduce successful new products and brands that have kept readers and subscribers coming back for more. Hughes talks about her very first experiences working in the magazine publishing business, and how she rose through the ranks to become a top executive at The New Yorker and Condé Nast Traveler before making the transition to Philadelphia's flagship newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, where four weeks in she found herself brand new and having to adapt and respond amid a nationwide shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She shares how innovative strategies and products, including live blogs, newsletters and gamification have been successful in driving audience engagement, as well as the potential of new platforms such as TikTok for meeting audiences where they are. She also talks about the risks and opportunities that come with new technologies such as generative AI and where she sees the technology having the most potential to optimize the reader experience.
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News Take Episode 202: How the American Press Institute is Inspiring Cultural Transformation in News Media
04/11/2023
News Take Episode 202: How the American Press Institute is Inspiring Cultural Transformation in News Media
Guests: Samantha Ragland and Elite Truong, American Press Institute What is cultural transformation, and how do publishers know if they're doing it right? How can publishers cultivate real and lasting cultural change in newsrooms? How does cultural transformation in the newsroom translate to the content produced and thereby the relationships newsrooms have with members of their communities? In this episode of News Take, News/Media Alliance VP, Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank sits down with Samantha Ragland, Vice President of Journalism Programs and Elite Truong, Vice President of Product Strategy, both at the American Press Institute, for a candid and fascinating conversation about the work API is doing with news publishers to help them look at their organizations with a critical eye and evolve to better reflect the communities they serve and respond to their needs. They talk about their work with newsroom leaders on DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), promoting and fostering a sustainable news organization from the inside out, and encouraging a culture of experimentation in the newsroom. Finally, they share lessons learned from API's Table Stakes program and Inclusion Index, as well as their data centric tools for publishers, Metrics for News and Source Matters, and offer tips for how other news publishers can use data and related guidance at their own organizations to spark transformation.
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News Take Episode 201: News Nutrition Labels: How NewsGuard is Helping Fight Misinformation Online
02/14/2023
News Take Episode 201: News Nutrition Labels: How NewsGuard is Helping Fight Misinformation Online
Guest: Gordon Crovitz, NewsGuard What are the dangers of an open Web where anyone can be a publisher? How do misinformation sites harm reputable news publishers? How are current economic and geopolitical conditions impacting the online information ecosystem? What is a News Nutrition Label and, if consumers can't tell the difference, how are publishers of quality journalism distinguished from misinformation, hoax and pink slime news sites? How has programmatic advertising contributed to the misinformation crisis and how can advertisers ensure site integrity when buying ad space? In this episode of News Take, News/Media Alliance VP, Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank sits down with Gordon Crovitz, co-founder and co-CEO of NewsGuard, about how his company is working to mitigate threats from online misinformation sites, which are often indistinguishable from real news sites. Gordon explains how the online environment has enabled the rampant spread of fake news and mis- and disinformation via hoax, pink slime and other sites that publish false and potentially harmful misinformation. He then shares how publishers, consumers, advertisers and other businesses, and government agencies can improve their awareness and identification of these sites to minimize their impact. In addition, he describes how news publishers can use NewsGuard's Nutrition Labels to promote their credibility, both with readers as sources of accurate and trustworthy information, as well as with marketers as brand safe environments for their advertising.
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News Take Episode 112: Lessons in Practicality from The Daily Memphian: "A Lot of People Don't Know We're a Nonprofit"
12/13/2022
News Take Episode 112: Lessons in Practicality from The Daily Memphian: "A Lot of People Don't Know We're a Nonprofit"
Guest: Eric Barnes, The Daily Memphian What are some of the things to consider when starting a local newspaper? How can you be nonprofit and still operate like a for-profit newspaper? How did you attract subscribers in a competitive market? What went better than you expected and what didn't go as well? What have you learned about finding the best revenue mix? What should someone thinking about starting a local newspaper know before they get started? In this episode of News Take, News/Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern talks with Eric Barnes, CEO of The Daily Memphian, a nonprofit local newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee, about his experience over the last four years launching a nonprofit local newspaper. Eric walks takes us from the very initial discussions and fundraising steps, to deciding whether to publish a print edition or be a purely a digital news publication, to how they decided what to charge for subscriptions and how they structure their organization to allow them to employ 40 newsroom staff (Hint: It's not on pure philanthropy!) He shares everything from how they took cues from the community to chart a practical course for advertising, fundraising, and reporting; to why they don't do sponsored content and scaled back on podcasts; to how they found a balance that is working for them. This must-listen primer on launching a nonprofit digital news publication is full of practical tips and takeaways for anyone wanting to run a news publishing business!
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News Take Episode 111: Outsmarting Google and Facebook: Helping Publishers Grow Their Audience Outside the Dominant Platforms
11/15/2022
News Take Episode 111: Outsmarting Google and Facebook: Helping Publishers Grow Their Audience Outside the Dominant Platforms
Guest: Rand Fishkin, SparkToro What can publishers do to get out from under the dominant tech platforms that control the digital advertising space? How have other industries pushed back on Google's scraping of their data and coming between them and their audience? How can publishers take back control of our audience data so that we're not having to go through Google, Facebook and the other tech platforms to reach our own audience? In this episode of News Take, News/Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern is joined by Rand Fishkin, cofounder and CEO of audience research software firm SparkToro, for a fascinating conversation about the big tech platforms, their algorithms, and how the Internet has evolved from a once equitable environment that was mutually beneficial, to now favoring only a handful of giant tech platforms today. Rand paints a picture of the digital marketing landscape businesses must navigate today, highlighting concerns with tech platforms’ walled gardens in which they intentionally try to keep you from leaving. He shares SparkToro's research on "zero click searches" that has gained attention from marketers worldwide on how few web searches now result in a click through to the original content. And he explains how his company helps marketers understand their audience’s behaviors and preferences without having to rely on Google and Facebook, and the importance of taking back ownership of your audience relationships and data.
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News Take Episode 110: Update on News Deserts and Local News Trends with Penny Muse Abernathy and Tim Franklin
10/11/2022
News Take Episode 110: Update on News Deserts and Local News Trends with Penny Muse Abernathy and Tim Franklin
Guests: Penny Muse Abernathy and Tim Franklin, the Medill Journalism School Local News Initiative at Northwestern University What is the state of local news today? What's changed, where are there still concerns? What makes a community vulnerable to becoming a news desert? What does the future hold for the print newspaper? What are the most powerful opportunities for policy to help local news grow and thrive? What are some examples of positive outcomes and how can other news publishers emulate their success? News/Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern talks with the authors of now well-known research throughout the industry on the phenomenon known as news deserts, Penny Muse Abernathy and Tim Franklin of the Medill School of Journalism's Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. In this thought-provoking conversation, Abernathy and Franklin share the findings from their latest update to The State of Local News report, released this summer. The previous edition of report by Abernathy, released by University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media in 2020, revealed startling trends on the prevalence of news deserts, finding one-quarter of U.S. newspapers have closed since 2005. But there are reasons to be optimistic, and Abernathy and Franklin provide their thoughts on how the trend could yet be reversed. The two journalists-turned-academicians discuss innovations in digital publishing, as well as the introduction of non-advertising focused revenue models, including subscriptions and membership models, nonprofit organization structures, and other revenue models, that they say could offer a path for publishers who are living in areas that are vulnerable to becoming a news desert, as well as those who want to start a newspaper in a news desert.
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News Take Episode 109: The State of Local Advertising and News
09/13/2022
News Take Episode 109: The State of Local Advertising and News
Guests: Gordon Borrell, Borrell Associates In an environment with ever-increasing advertising options, what do local advertisers want today? As everything becomes more digital, what changes are happening across media, and what are the opportunities for local news publishers to stand out? What do marketers uniquely value about local news media and how can publishers capitalize on that? News/Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern dives into these questions and more in this episode of News Take with Gordon Borrell, founder of advertising tracking firm, Borrell Associates. In this candid conversation, Borrell shares his insights on the evolving world of local advertising and what advertisers are looking for specifically from local news publishers, as well as how publishers can be more valuable by serving as advisors to advertisers how to tell their story.
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News Take Episode 108: Print, Logistics and Delivery in a Transitional Age
08/09/2022
News Take Episode 108: Print, Logistics and Delivery in a Transitional Age
Guests: Gregg Fernandes, The Washington Post and Dan Schaub, McClatchy What is the role of the print product in an age when people are increasingly consuming news digitally? What challenges are newspapers currently facing in satisfying the demand for the print product? What are the operational and/or cost pressures newspapers must contend with? How do newspapers find people to do the multiple hands-on pieces of production and delivery? How is consolidation in the print industry impacting business decision-making? What are the challenges for newspaper delivery, and what does it looks like in the not-too-distant future? How can newspapers' delivery networks and distribution knowledge be valuable on a macro scale? These questions and many more are the focus of this episode of News Take. News/Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern talks with The Washington Post's Vice President for Distribution & Customer Care, Gregg Fernandes and McClatchy's Vice President of Supply Chain Operations, Dan Schaub, about the role and value of the print newspaper product, as well as how they are innovating and evolving the product to continue to meet changing reader needs and demands. Fernandes and Schaub give their honest takes about resetting consumer expectations of the print product in a 24/7 news cycle, as well as how they have gotten creative with ways to produce and deliver the print newspaper more efficiently and cost-effectively. They also talk about how "the original gig economy" – newspaper delivery – is best positioned to capitalize on the growth of the sector as retailers and others get in on the game.
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News Take Episode 107: Committing to Product Thinking in the News Industry: Putting Readers First
07/12/2022
News Take Episode 107: Committing to Product Thinking in the News Industry: Putting Readers First
Guest: Feli Carrique, Executive Director, News Product Alliance What is news product and product thinking, and why is it important in journalism? How can newsrooms begin to incorporate product thinking into their content? What are the challenges to adopting a product mindset? On this episode of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern talks with Executive Director of the News Product Alliance, Feli Carrique, about news product and the increasingly popular practice of product thinking in journalism and news publishing. In this informative discussion, Feli explains what news product and product thinking is, as well as how having a product mindset and putting the reader first can help improve content engagement and performance. She also shares some of the biggest challenges to adopting product thinking, as well as some of the things that excite her the most about the use of product thinking and where it has the potential to make the biggest impact.
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News Take Episode 106: Tapping into the Potential of Blockchain for News Publishers with Julien Genestoux
06/07/2022
News Take Episode 106: Tapping into the Potential of Blockchain for News Publishers with Julien Genestoux
Guest: Julien Genestoux, founder and CEO, Unlock What is blockchain and how do NFTs work? How can news publishers use blockchain to grow revenue? What would a membership model based on NFTs look like, and what benefits could it offer over the traditional advertising revenue model? What is Web3 and why do we need it? On this edition of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern talks with founder and CEO of Unlock, Julien Genestoux, about the potential opportunities and uses of blockchain technology by news publishers. In this candid discussion that takes a critical look at the current state of the Web, Julien reviews the basics of blockchain and why it could offer a more secure and more exciting alternative to the attention-based, platform-driven experiences found on today’s Web. He then provides a look at what lies beyond the initial applications, to the potential of blockchain specifically for news publishers, for purposes such as monetizing content and using NFTs in membership models.
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News Take Episode 105: Protecting Journalists Reporting on Russia's War in Ukraine
05/10/2022
News Take Episode 105: Protecting Journalists Reporting on Russia's War in Ukraine
Guest: Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Program Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Typically, News Take is where we talk about the latest innovation and get into the weeds about trends taking place in the news media industry. But in this episode, we turned to a more serious topic, which is how journalists are covering the war Russia is waging against the Ukraine. Since Russia’s first attacks on Ukraine in late February, dozens of journalists have been injured or killed while reporting on the war. Journalists are risking their lives to bring the latest news and information about the war to people around the world. So while we could talk about the latest news products, the dire situation in the Ukraine is really the biggest thing happening in the world right now, and what we do as news publishers literally impacts what people know and how people perceive the war, so we felt it needed and deserved our attention here. On this special edition of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern talks with Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Program Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), who shares details about the situation on the ground in the Ukraine, including the environment for journalists, the needs of journalists and news organizations in the Ukraine as well as Russia, how they are helping everyday citizens in Ukraine, how they are staying safe, and what we can do to help. This episode was recorded on April 21, 2022.
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News Take Episode 104: News Take: Encouraging and Sustaining Diversity in News Media
04/12/2022
News Take Episode 104: News Take: Encouraging and Sustaining Diversity in News Media
Guest: Mitra Kalita, co-founder and CEO, URL Media What comes first, diversity of content or diversity in staff? How has hiring changed with the focus on diversity, and how do news publishers hire and retain diverse talent? How do we institute organization-level changes in how we think about diversity, equity and inclusion, both in our coverage and our staff? What must newsroom leaders do to ensure diversity efforts are a success? How can a small, community-focused media startup achieve scale and sustainability without sacrificing their identity? What are the benefits of a for-profit model for media startups? How can news publishers capitalize on B2B revenue streams? What should media entrepreneurs think about when they are starting a business? You know you were meant to be a journalist when, as a pre-teen, you created a newspaper to protest your parents' decision to move your family from Puerto Rico to New Jersey! That is exactly how Mitra Kalita, co-founder and CEO of URL Media, got her start in journalism. On this episode of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern and Kalita have a heartfelt discussion about her journey from being a busy CNN Digital executive to starting her own newsletter, Epicenter NYC, and media company, URL Media, in Jackson Heights, New York City amidst a pandemic and racial justice movement. During this light-hearted and honest talk, Kalita shares how she and her business partner were able to achieve instant scale, launching the URL Media network with seven million users, and how they've embraced a for-profit business model at a time when many similar groups were launching as nonprofits. In addition, she shares advice for improving diversity in content as well as in the newsroom, including ensuring changes to improve DE&I are lasting and become a part of the organization culture.
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News Take Episode 103: Leveraging Products to Connect with Your Audience
03/03/2022
News Take Episode 103: Leveraging Products to Connect with Your Audience
Guest: Kim Bui, Director of Product & Audience Innovation, Arizona Republic What comes first, the product or the user? How do we close the gap between the addressable market and market penetration? What are ways to use newsletters and text notifications to get personal with readers? How can we position ourselves now with younger readers and Gen Z readers as a useful news source? What are the "winners" in the news product space doing that we are not? On this episode of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern chatted with Kim Bui, Director of Product and Audience Innovation at the Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com, about how to leverage the latest trends in digital products to connect with your audience and be useful to them, while at the same time building trust and emphasizing community-centered journalism. The conversation flows into a discussion of the evolving workplace and how Kim's columns, "Sincerely, Leaders of Color" and "The Middles" reflect the importance of improving diversity in news media and providing education to those emerging leaders who are navigating unfamiliar management and leadership roles.
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News Take Episode 102: Tech Trends: What Publishers Need to Know
02/08/2022
News Take Episode 102: Tech Trends: What Publishers Need to Know
Ad tech, Privacy and Performance, oh my! News publishers working to adapt to a privacy-first digital landscape before the inevitable end of the third-party cookie can easily become overwhelmed and may not even know where to start. What does the shift towards privacy mean for news publishers and how they approach ad targeting? Is decreased reliance on third-party tracking a good thing for the industry? What are Core Web Vitals and why should news publishers care? How does my news site's performance tie in to reader trust? What are things publishers can do right now to improve site performance? What is W3C and how can publishers take advantage to get their voices heard? These questions and more will be discussed on this episode of News Take. News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern had an energizing conversation with Aram Zucker-Scharff, Engineering Lead for Privacy & Security Compliance at The Washington Post, that got in-the-weeds about the kitchen sink of ad tech topics, including site monetization; improving privacy and the user experience; optimizing site performance using Core Web Vitals; and more. This episode was so full of interesting facts and actionable insights, we didn't want it to end. The nuggets of wisdom will come faster than you can write them down, so it's a good thing this conversation was recorded and you can re-watch it to your heart's content!
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News Take Episode 101: Local News: Understanding What Readers Want and How to Deliver it to Them
12/13/2021
News Take Episode 101: Local News: Understanding What Readers Want and How to Deliver it to Them
Is there such a thing as a typical reader or subscriber? What role does the e-Paper play in the transition to digital (and why did our speakers initially despise the product)? Do new storytelling formats such as podcasts and social media present viable business models, and how can news publishers successfully venture into this space? What are news publishers getting right on the tech side, and where do they still need to improve? In this episode of News Take, News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern sits down with Jim Bernard, Senior Vice President for Digital at the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune and Mike Orren, Chief Product Officer at The Dallas Morning News for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities that arise from understanding your readers and subscribers and how to give them what they want (and when, where and how they want it) – all while prioritizing revenue (because at the end of the day, newspapers need to sell subscriptions). From the differences between print and digital subscribers and their desires, preferences, and behaviors, to why the e-Edition is a valuable product, to approaches to experimenting with new forms of storytelling (including audio and video), to their most exciting plans for 2022, Orren and Bernard draw from their leadership experience to offer insights on navigating the constantly changing news consumption landscape.
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