This week, VICE’s Executive Editor Dory Carr-Harris talks to us about the importance of knowing what resonates with your audience, from high-quality astrology content to bringing a food brand to TikTok. She also explains how VICE has been able to adapt to a tough digital landscape where other publishers have stumbled, and why they won’t be toning down their ‘VICE-ness’ for advertisers any time soon.
In the news roundup the team asks whether the Atlantic’s new news app is the second swallow of summer when it comes to news apps, and Chris asks if Netflix and Spotify are aiding news publishers grow subscriptions. Esther celebrates a birthday, Peter desperately needs to go to sleep.
News in brief:
- Facebook launched Facebook Pay in the US this week, which will let users pay other people and businesses across Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram
- Instagram is rolling out its hiding ‘likes’ test more widely, in a bid to improve mental health on the platform
- Instagram has also launched a TikTok clone in Brazil called ‘Reels’ to fight back against the rapidly rising Chinese social rival
- FT editor Lionel Barber will step down early next year, with deputy Roula Khalaf succeeding him to become the first female editor in its 131 year history
- With its merger approved, Gannett is looking to make over $400 million in cost savings
- Apple is struggling to attract new subscribers to its paid news app Apple News+. After signing on 200,000 subscribers with a free trial in the first month, that number hasn’t really grown, according to insiders
- Newspaper chain McClatchy is in financial difficulties, and is exploring options to meet its 2020 obligations, including potentially a sale of the company
- There’s a spreadsheet floating around detailing journalists’ pay at various outlets. Makes for some scary reading tbh, and really puts paid to the idea that anyone would get into this game for the cash money alone
- Newsquest has gatecrashed the Daily Mirror owner’s attempt to buy JPI Media, which owns titles including the Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post, with an offer to create a UK regional newspaper powerhouse
- Conde Nast’s Teen Vogue, which dropped its monthly print edition for a quarterly last year, is now cutting print entirely to become an online-only publication
- Women’s Health are launching their own weekly podcast on boxing day, ‘Going for Goal’, after seeing success with a month-long one about body confidence
- The Mirror did a whole issue dedicated to the climate crisis
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