The November / December 2024 issue of InPublishing magazine was published last week. Here are some of my takeaways from it:
- Media ownership: former Observer Editor Will Hutton would like to see the introduction of a residency requirement for being able to hold majority stakes in the British media.
- Ageism #1: 57 is the average age at which candidates find themselves considered ‘too old’ for job roles.
- Ageism #2: The average age of most companies is getting younger. This is bringing in new skills (essential) and new attitudes (a real mix of the positively challenging and the negatively disruptive). There are clear downsides to this greening process, one of them being the loss of corporate memory and valuable experience. ‘Re-inventing the wheel’ is a common danger.
- AI’s limitations: ChatGPT can’t turn up to a premiere, stand in a huddled press pen, and grab those bitesize interviews with the stars.
- AI’s potential: AI isn’t a universal fix — it’s a tool that, when thoughtfully applied to the right challenges, can drive real value. Strategic deployment and clear success metrics are essential. Publishers should avoid assuming AI can magically solve complex issues and invest in understanding the technology to ensure a sound approach.
- Work-life balance: former Good Housekeeping Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Nicholson gave up everything in pursuit of career excellence and advancement. She worked too long, too hard and completely forgot there was a world beyond work. But, she says, this approach doesn’t make you a better journalist ... because you’re not really living your life; you’ll be a better journalist if you also have a life.
- Becoming indispensable: moving beyond basic descriptive analytics, publishers should prioritise prescriptive intelligence — data that doesn’t just describe trends but recommends specific actions.
- Sustainability initiatives: success depends on a three-pronged approach: being transparent, continually improving and measuring (and reporting on) the right things.
- Readers know best: newsletter formats continuously evolve and, often the best people to drive this are your readers, because they are best placed to tell you what works... and what doesn’t.
- Trust as a USP: Our Media’s Andy Marshall says: “We believe trust is a commodity which is becoming scarcer in the world of disinformation. We believe it will become more valuable.”
- Subs success: Many consumer and B2B media-insiders are looking at, and copying, the successful subscription marketing techniques of newsbrands like the Telegraph.
- Search: The question of how best to rank in generative AI search interfaces is now a top priority for publishers.
- One of our media quotes of the year: Andrew Neil: “Relations between journalists — all media — and government should always be bad. And never, on any account, allowed to get better.”
If you want to read the full issue, then please register here. Once you’ve completed your registration, you’ll be provided with a link to the digital edition.
You can catch James Evelegh’s regular column in the InPubWeekly newsletter, which you can register to receive here.
