Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my tech and media newsletter. If you've received it then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter camp, then you can subscribe over here. Or just click on this handy little button:
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This startup wants to solve podcasting’s monetization problem
Agnes Kozera knows a thing or two about helping content creators monetize their content. In 2013, she and a co-founder launched Famebit, a platform that helped YouTubers match with brands that were willing to sponsor their videos. The company was so successful that it was eventually acquired by YouTube in 2016.
Now, she and that same co-founder have launched a similar startup, and this one’s aimed at the podcasting industry. [link]
How we gathered an army of scientists to battle health misinformation
So I don’t typically mention my consulting work in my newsletter, but I’ve been working with an awesome startup that really aligns with my tech/media interests. It’s called Metafact, and it’s this amazing platform that has recruited an army of 11,000 scientists from around the globe to do battle with the health misinformation that plagues the internet. Think of it as Quora that only scientists can contribute to. Here’s an article on the company’s origin: [link]
Want to interact with me directly?
I have a secret Facebook group that’s only promoted to subscribers of this newsletter. I try to post exclusive commentary to it sometimes and have regular discussions with its members about the tech/media space. Go here to join. [link]
Other news:
"Despite the fact that PewDiePie’s audience had grown larger than that of any late-night talk show, many mainstream outlets still treated him like an exotic animal." [link]
A podcast that HBO produced to be listened in tandem with its hit show Chernobyl has been downloaded 10 million times. [link]
The streaming behemoths are currently engaged in an arms race to build out their children's programming. [link]
Some really good palace intrigue on how Shari Redstone finally wrestled control of CBS/Viacom away from her father and her plans to merge the two companies so she can launch a super duper streaming service. [link]
If you’re not listening to the final season of the Startup podcast, you should be. It’s probably the most intimate look we’ll ever get at what it’s like for a media company to get acquired. [link]
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