Articles
When Taking the Check Is a Bad Idea
What happens when a company approaches you with a check to create content? Imagine you’re a young creator or a newer media…
Look Where We Are Now
It’s been thirteen months since the world for many of us here in the United States changed. And during those 13 months,…
Tribune Takeover Drama & What Comes Next
The saga of Alden Global Capital acquiring Tribune Publishing looked to be headed toward the same destination as many other papers over…
Two Big Numbers to Look At For 2022 Event Planning
With every jab of a vaccine, we get just a tiny bit closer to returning to a semblance of normalcy here in…
Does the Rumored Axios/Athletic Merger Make Sense?
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that there were talks between Axios and The Athletic about a possible merger. If Axios…
Early Audience Development Doesn’t Scale and That’s Okay
When I think about some of the media companies I respect the most, I admire how loyal their audiences are and how…
The Trump Slump is Here
We are starting to get some signs of the slump that has followed the four years of Trump’s presidency. And as you…
Is The Telegraph Onto Something With Its STARS?
Normally, Friday pieces are reserved for premium members, but I decided to open this up for a couple of reasons. The first…
Naomi Shah on Building Meet Cute One 15-Minute Romcom Episode At a Time
Naomi Shah is the founder and CEO of Meet Cute, an audio romcom media company. With a focus on creating consistent 15-minute…
Tying Journalist Pay To Performance Is a Recipe for Bad Reporting
Every once in a while, a debate starts over whether financially incentivizing journalists depending on whether their content drives subscriptions is a…
Should We Consider Slowing Down Our Publishing?
Two weeks ago, I opened my mailbox and pulled out a magazine. I had recently subscribed to MIT Technology Review (after interviewing…
Do Events Companies Regret Selling Media Assets?
In the years prior to Covid, there was a major effort by events brands to shed digital assets. Events were in their…
Crypto Is a Distraction to 99% of Media
With all the rage around NBA Top Shot and people collecting digital moments of basketball players, there has been more discussion about…
Jesse Jacobs and Mike Kerns on Building The Chernin Group
Jesse Jacobs and Mike Kerns are co-founders of The Chernin Group, an investment firm known for their involvement in companies including Barstool…
Publishers Are Beginning to Think About Post-Covid Events
Things are starting to feel a little different. Every time I talk to someone, there’s this sense of optimism. The United States…
Becoming a Data Business Has To Be a Company-Wide Endeavor
One of the core reasons startups are able to disrupt larger companies is because of their ability to quickly shift focus if…
Facebook Rejects Extortion Attempt While Google Acquiesces
Update: While this newsletter was preparing to send, news broke that Facebook would once again allow Australians to share news articles after…
Clubhouse and Twitter’s Spaces Are Great Opportunities For Engagement
It still amazes me that our reaction to sitting on far too many Zoom calls during quarantine was to rush onto an…