Good morning! Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Esther.
How Fleet Street covered the disappearance and search for Nicola Bulley
I’m sure by now most of you will have seen the statement from Nicola Bulley’s family after her body was found earlier this week. It’s a tragic case which has made headlines most days since her disappearance a few weeks ago. But for the family to explicitly name specific media outlets and call out their behaviour is very unusual.
Is it reasonable? Here, media commentator Liz Gerard analyses the coverage of Bulley’s disappearance, the fallout from the police statements and eventual discovery of the body, as well as how papers reported on criticism of themselves.
It’s a fascinating analysis, and vital reading if you think the press had done a decent job for the most part. I rarely see print headlines or engage in coverage from certain outlets these days, so to see what others have been exposed to was quite eye-opening. Lots to think about here for all of us.
Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson charged with fraud
Remember Ozy, the site that announced in October last year they would close after it emerged Watson and others had grossly exaggerated their audience size? They didn’t actually close (that was turned around within days) but have struggled since, with Watson planning a big comeback. Well, he may have to put a pin in those plans now…
Course: LinkedIn for Humans
Freelancer Magazine are opening enrolment for their LinkedIn for Humans course hosted by Sophie Cross. This course is for you if you want to raise your personal profile, grow truly valuable connections, open yourself up to new business leads and more. Our own Peter Houston did it last year and highly recommends it.
The course has 10 chapters that you can complete online in your own time. You can find out more here*.
How 100-year-old Good Housekeeping is meeting the needs of modern audiences
We had Good Housekeeping’s Editor in Chief Gaby Huddart on the podcast a few weeks back to talk about how they were celebrating their centenary. Here’s a write-up of another important aspect she talked about: keeping a 100 year old magazine relevant. I especially love how modern their initial mission statement sounds today.
Publishers grapple with increasingly complex subscription renewal laws
Operating subscription products legally in the U.S. is becoming more challenging as states across the country pass new laws and amend existing ones to regulate subscription businesses more closely. The growing patchwork of laws and regulations is proving increasingly complicated for publishers and other companies to navigate, and some are finding themselves potentially exposed to legal action as a result. A useful overview of the situation from Toolkits.
NEW EPISODE: The Ankler CEO Janice Min on turning a newsletter into a media business
On this week’s episode we hear from Janice Min, co-owner and CEO of The Ankler, a newsletter-first media brand covering Hollywood and the world of entertainment. She tells us how The Ankler’s revenue streams have evolved over the last twelve months, the potential she sees in lean, newsletter-first businesses, and what lessons she’s applying from her time at big-name legacy publications like the Hollywood Reporter.
