The creator boom
The Reuters Institute published its annual Digital News Report yesterday, chock full of insights about the state of the industry worldwide. The big takeaway for news organizations is that for the first time, social media is outperforming traditional media in terms of how people get their news.
In the U.S., author Nic Newman writes in an executive summary, the proportion of people accessing news via social media is “sharply up — overtaking both TV news (50%) and news websites/apps (48%) for the first time.”
While all media in 2020 experienced a “Trump bump” after the president’s first election, this time around, Newman writes, the institute’s survey backs up the sense that “traditional journalism media in the U.S. are being eclipsed by a shift towards online personalities and creators.”
In a section on local news, Richard Fletcher writes that local TV in the U.S. is “still seen as the best source of information about local politics among those that consume it,” while people see social media as “the best source for local activities and culture.”
“For the majority of local publishers…” he writes, “the task is to identify where the opportunities lie, to understand what types of information people will come to you for, and to prioritize those.”
News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.
Civic Discourse & Democracy
>> How Minnesota shooting conspiracy theories took over social media feeds (NBC News)
Before the suspect in Saturday’s shootings in Minnesota was even named, right-wing pundits and agitators posted conspiracy theories blaming their political opponents. After a suspect was identified, some said he was an associate of Gov. Tim Walz. U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), meanwhile, blamed “Marxism” for the killings. He later deleted some of his posts after facing political backlash. This is a pattern, NBC says, in which moments after a death or crime, influencers accuse political rivals ”and when their theories turn out to be unfounded or false, neither the influencers nor the social media companies are held accountable.”
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Culture & Inclusion
>> 7 standout podcasts by the next generation of journalists (International Journalists’ Network)
Jamaija Rhoades spotlighted seven podcasts produced by young journalists in an effort to show how they are using the medium. Run by college students or recent graduates, the podcasts cover a range of topics. One of them, called “Can you hear us now: Inclusivity in the Media,” from students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses and seeks to promote diversity in all forms of media.
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Community Engagement & Trust
>> Marketing intel for newsrooms (Substack, MBA Notes by Joseph Lichterman)
The Lenfest Institute’s Joseph Lichterman is working toward his MBA at the University of Michigan and is using Substack to share insights he learns that apply to journalism. His recent installment focuses on what newsrooms can learn from marketers. News audiences, he says, don’t want products, “they want to accomplish something.” That’s the framing publishers should use in talking about journalism: “the value it provides, and why it is worthy of support.”
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Revenue & Resilience
>> Detroit News and Free Press to end Joint Operating Agreement, go their separate ways (Deadline Detroit)
After 36 years, the two major Detroit papers have ended their Joint Operating Agreement, an arrangement in which the newsrooms operated independently, but had combined business operations, writes Allan Lengel. Author Bryan Gruley, a journalist who wrote a book about the JOA, told Lengel he was “a little surprised it took this long.” Gruley also said he was concerned that one of the publications will fail, as competition results in discounted rates, creating more losses.
>> Join us: Revenue AMA: How The Forward grows audience across generations
As part of a collaboration with the News Revenue Hub, we’ll hold a Q&A on June 24 at noon ET with Jake Wasserman, engagement editor for The Forward. Come hear its story, including how the team develops its voice on social platforms and uses audience personas to grow readership across generations on Instagram — and how this strategy relates to membership growth. Learn more and register here.
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What else you need to know
💵 Rebuild Local News awarded significant funding from Press Forward, Knight Foundation and MacArthur Foundation to accelerate nonpartisan journalism policy (Rebuild Local News)
🪧 LAPD sued over journalists’ treatment at Los Angeles immigration protests (USA Today)
✏️ Wordle who? The Atlantic launches a suite of new daily puzzles and games (Nieman Lab)
👀 Salvadoran journalist arrested while streaming a “No Kings” protest could face deportation (CNN)
