The biggest challenge that many traditional media companies face isn't about giving up print for digital, or designing better websites or apps -- it's about finding ways to change their culture to be more agile and promote experimentation…
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You can make a living from a thousand true fans — Ben Thompson is proof
Ben Thompson started his blog less than two years ago, without a nationally recognized brand name or following, and launched a membership model less than six months ago -- but he's already making a comfortable living from his audience…
Read MoreThe numbers behind Jill Abramson and Steven Brill’s new media venture don’t add up
Jill Abramson, former executive editor of the New York Times, is launching a new journalism startup with media entrepreneur Steven Brill that the two say will pay writers $100,000 or more per article. But many are skeptical of the venture's economic viability…
Read MoreStoryhunter launches an Airbnb-style platform for freelance foreign correspondents
As a freelance foreign correspondent for Current TV and the New York Times' Jerusalem bureau, Jaron Gilinsky spent much of his time trying to find work and trying to get paid -- so he built an Airbnb-style marketplace for professional freelancers called Storyhunter…
Read MoreFirst Look finds the hard part isn’t the journalism, it’s reinventing how a newsroom works
The Intercept -- a magazine that is part of Pierre Omidyar's First Look Media -- has written a piece about the departure of Matt Taibbi, who was supposed to be running another of First Look's magazines, and the glimpse inside the company is not a pretty one…
Read MoreValue in the media industry is moving to the edges, and publishers are in the middle
The internet has disrupted media in much the same way it has manufacturing of smartphones or the IT business, says Ben Thompson -- value has moved to the edges, to specialized creators and to discovery platforms, leaving media companies in the middle…
Read MoreNeuze makes you wonder: What if the print newspaper had been invented after the web?
Neuze says it has developed a revolutionary product that provides an easy-to-carry news summary curated by journalists that requires no power. It's an inside joke on newspapers -- but it still makes you think about what benefits print media had over the web…
Read MoreThree things traditional media could learn from a crowdfunded Dutch news site
De Correspondent, the Dutch crowdfunding success story, has built a $2-million base of subscribers in just a year -- and it has also learned a lot about how being open with readers and seeing them as partners can change the way that journalism works…
Read MoreThe New York Times needs to rethink its strategy — untargeted mini paywalls aren’t the answer
The NYT is laying off more staff and shutting down one of its new mobile apps, saying it failed to gain enough of an audience -- but the paper needs to think differently about how it connects with its audience, not just launch more micro-paywalls…
Read MoreA look inside the rapidly-expanding world of New York’s new-media stars
New-media companies like BuzzFeed, Gawker, VICE Media and Tumblr are all expanding rapidly both in New York itself and around the world -- almost all are moving into new buldings or taking over more of the ones they are in…
Read MoreWhy the Guardian is smart to bet on live events and a membership model instead of paywalls
Like the music industry, the Guardian has realized that the value in media isn't in selling access to a specific product or unit of content, but in creating a deep relationship with readers and fans who want access…
Read MoreWhen does giving the reader what they want turn into clickbait? It’s complicated
The outrage over clickbait is really just a symptom of the change from a one-way, broadcast model of journalism to one in which we actually know what readers want to read -- and it's not always what we think they should…
Read MoreJournalism and the internet: Is it the best of times? No — but it’s not the worst of times either
Writer David Sessions argues in a piece at Patrol magazine that journalism is worse because of the effects of the internet -- but most of the things that he and others complain about have been a part of the media business for hundreds of years, including clickbait…
Read MoreStartup lessons from the Knight News Challenge: Make damn sure you fill a market need
The Knight Foundation looked at the 28 media-focused startups it funded as part of its News Challenge competition in 2010 and 2011 and came up with some useful lessons for those who might want to follow in their footsteps…
Read MoreJournalism is doing just fine, thanks — it’s mass-media business models that are ailing
Some argue that the rise of the internet has destroyed -- or severely crippled -- journalism, but all it has really done is disrupted traditional mass-media business models. Journalism itself has never been healthier, and new players are finding new models…
Read MoreReddit isn’t just for arguments about duck-sized horses — it’s a resource more journalists should pay attention to
Many journalists probably see Reddit as an internet sideshow filled with nerds discussing video games, but GM Erik Martin makes the point that it's also a great way to find people who care about the stories journalists are writing about, and that's a useful resource…
Read MorePromiscuous media: News needs to go where the people are, not the other way around
Media companies like BuzzFeed, NowThis News and Fusion are increasingly creating content that is designed to live on other apps and services rather than just including links to their websites. This promiscuous approach to media is a smart strategy in an increasingly crowded environment…
Read MoreIs BuzzFeed’s deletion of articles an ethical lapse or the growing pains of a new-media entity?
BuzzFeed has come under fire for deleting thousands of old articles, which founder Jonah Peretti says didn't live up to the kinds of standards the site wants to adhere to now. Should the company be criticized for doing this because it's a journalistic no-no, or congratulated for evolving?…
Read MoreCan a billion-dollar media entity be run like a startup? BuzzFeed gets $50M to find out
BuzzFeed has closed a new financing round led by Andreessen Horowitz that values the company at close to a billion dollars. But can founder Jonah Peretti make BuzzFeed a globe-spanning media entity without losing the new-media DNA that got it to where it is?…
Read MoreThe New York Times’ new app strategy seems lackluster at best — so what does it do now?
The new mobile apps from the New York Times have so far failed to make much of an impact, and the paper's existing paywall is peaking in terms of its reach. So what does the company do now in order to find new readers and revenue?…
Read MoreIceberg rescues Titanic: Content marketer launches fund for investigative journalism
Contently, a New York-based startup that specializes in content marketing, has launched a non-profit foundation that will use some of the revenue from its marketing business to fund investigative journalism…
Read MoreFirst Look Media revises its focus, wants to be more of a journalism lab than a standalone news site
Billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar says First Look Media, the new journalistic venture he is backing with a $250-million investment, will now be focusing more on a series of experiments aimed at figuring out how journalism can serve small communities of interested readers…
Read MoreSocial media has changed the way that war reporting works — and that’s a good thing
We no longer have to rely solely on reports from a handful of mainstream media outlets when news breaks in places like Ukraine or Gaza, and while that has made the news environment more chaotic it has also led to some significant benefits for journalism…
Read MoreDespite a history of dismal failures, hyperlocal news continues to attract believers
Hyperlocal news has attracted -- and ultimately disappointed -- hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years, including the CEO of AOL, but that hasn't stopped former Project Thunderdome head Jim Brady or the founders of Brooklyn's Corner Media from betting on their success…
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