Liberals are finally building out their own media channels
PLUS: Is ESPN actually obligated to do journalism?
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‘Look at the charts’: Democrats desert legacy media for new outlets
It’s good that liberals are finally acknowledging they need to build out their own independent media channels. Not only has conservative media established a direct line of communication with voters, but it’s also able to heavily influence how the mainstream media covers political issues. The irony is that liberals actually dominated the blogosphere in the early 2000s and then failed to invest in these channels once we entered the 2010s. Better late than never, I guess. [Semafor]
Gen Z Only Watches TV Through Social Clips. Hollywood is Scrambling
Some Hollywood studios are devoting a portion of their marketing budgets to “clippers,” which are social media creators who specialize in chopping up clips from TV shows and films and then disseminating them on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. The idea is that these clips could generate buzz around a new show, though some in the industry believe they merely devalue IP. [Like & Subscribe]
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Marie Claire publisher Future launches creator program
Many legacy publishers are now partnering with creators, but the deals vary widely. Future’s approach stands out: it pays creators—who usually specialize in image and video content—a flat fee to write columns for its magazine websites. This lets the publications tap into the creator’s expertise and personal brand without having to overhaul their existing business models. [Axios]
As Wired Turns Its Journalists Into Influencers, Subscriptions Surge
Publishers are getting more and more comfortable with leaning into the personal brands of their individual journalists. The media brand still matters, but individual personalities can drive a deeper level of audience loyalty. Of course, there’s always the risk that those journalists will leave for competitors, but they’re most likely to choose outlets that support the growth of their personal followings—since that’s what ultimately sustains their careers. [Adweek]
ICYMI: Was Randy Cassingham the first member of the Creator Economy?
In 1994, he launched This is True, one of the first email newsletters, and grew it into a thriving business.
For Fox News Authors, the Path to the Best-Seller List Is Fox News
Fox News’s book imprint regularly signs its on-air personalities and then leverages TV appearances to drive sales. I’ve often wondered why other media companies don’t try this. For instance, why does the New York Times allow its journalists to go on book leave to write for other publishers, when it could conceivable publish all their books in-house? It could then run book excerpts and author podcast interviews to generate buzz. It just seems like such a natural extension of what it already does. [NYT]
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MrBeast on His Quest to Turn YouTube Fame Into an Entertainment Empire
MrBeast built his YouTube empire in part by outspending his earnings—pouring so much into production that his videos have at times lost up to $60 million a year. Now, he’s hired a veteran CEO tasked not only with cutting costs, but also with transforming Beast Industries into the next Disney by diversifying revenue streams and building a full-fledged “Beast cinematic universe” that can thrive without relying solely on its central star. [Bloomberg]
(BTW, I used a gift link so you can access that article for free.)
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Is ESPN actually obligated to do journalism?
The Democratic politician bypassing legacy media
Why the VCs who invest in YouTube creators are different from the VCs who invested in companies like Buzzfeed and Vice
How a UK newspaper is partnering with creators
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