Matt Larson, Author at

Apple fires warning shot at Facebook and Google on privacy, pledges fight against “data-industrial complex” [Apple’s senior VP of software Craig Federighi] made it clear that despite Apple delaying the release of new privacy features in its mobile operating system – a decision made shortly after Facebook publicly attacked the idea – it will now roll out in early 2021 and “we’ll begin requiring all apps that want to do […]

This week I discovered the Editor & Publisher Podcast, hosted by Mike Blinder, the new publisher of Editor & Publisher Magazine. I love listening to podcasts, but this is the first one that I have discovered (besides the Our Hometown News Podcast) that focuses specifically on the local newspaper industry. The podcast has many excellent episodes available,  but one that has stood out to me as especially on-point in much […]

Last Thursday I had a great time talking with Kevin Slimp, the New Guru, about strategies for increasing print circulation (see the full recording here). Overall, Kevin focused on the importance of getting to know your readers.  The “Big Idea” of the session was his recommendation that newspapers hold annual focus groups with the public to ask questions about the paper. Page by page, column by column, these focus group […]

News Corp Profits Q3, Podcast Subscriptions on Spotify, and Subscriber Retention Strategies. #1 – News Corp Stock Surges on better-than-expected quarterly profits “It is clear that the digital landscape is changing fundamentally, and the company has been an important catalyst for that change.  The principle of a premium for premium content is now recognized, and there will inevitably be further developments in algorithmic transparency and the digital advertising marketing, two […]

We come across a lot of interesting articles in our research on the local news industry. Here are some of the articles we are enjoying this week: #1 – New York Times Hits 7 Million Subscribers as Digital Revenue Rises “Our strategy for journalism worth paying for continues to prove itself out,” said CEO Meredith Kopit Levin. “Digital subscriptions would not only be the central driver of the publisher’s growth, […]

Session 2 for the day. June 9 at 3pm EST “Smarter Ways to Use Email with Quizzes, Polls, Ballots, and More” Speakers: Jennifer Williams Tim D’Avis LIVE UPDATES: Email and Promotions Work Together 87% of new email opt ins come from promotions The Cycle: Run Promotions. Send Emails. Repeat. Follow-up promotions by moving your audience to the next digital action. Feature promotions and interactive content in newsletters to capture valuable […]