This week we spoke to John Burn-Murdoch, a Senior Data-Visualisation Journalist for the Financial Times who has been at the forefront of their famous coronavirus trajectory trackers. He talked about the challenges of working with data this complex, how the FT’s approach to trajectory charts has evolved as the crisis has continued, and why the dynamics around the role of data journalists has shifted.
In the news roundup the team takes a look at how publishers are adapting to evaporated ad spend due to Covid-19, a horrendous week of media layoffs, and Apple’s plans to produce audio versions of Apple News Plus articles. For some reason.
Key stories:
- Global brands to freeze ad spend for at least 6 months amid Covid-19 crunch
- IAB said this week publishers have relied too heavily on advertising revenue
- DTC ads, delivery services etc may be one bright spot, especially with audio and direct response
- Hearst reports significant ecommerce upturn during Covid-19 lockdown
- Politico editor-in-chief interview: Coronavirus cuts? No, we’re still thinking about expansion
News in brief:
- A huge raft of cuts this week have been announced at Vice, Quartz, The Economist, Buzzfeed, and Conde Nast, with an estimated 350 media jobs now eliminated
- Rupert Murdoch has given up his entire bonus as News Corp loses $1bn in three months. The loss has been driven primarily by a slashed valuation of its Australian subscription TV business Foxtel, but ad revenue declines also aren’t helping
- Apple has been asking the publishers participating in Apple News+ for permission to produce audio versions of the stories there
- NME magazine has announced the launch of a new gaming channel on its website, as well as a new Australian print edition
- Singapore Press Holdings – one of the largest media owners in the region – and Google have created a joint business plan to grow digital advertising revenue, grow subscription audiences and develop their digital video content business
- Facebook has agreed to pay $52 million to current and former moderators to compensate them for mental health issues developed on the job
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