Did you miss our recent webinar on advanced Block Editor layouts? The replay is now available.

Our session, “Block Editor Basics: More Text, Plus Grids & Groups,” explored how to create sophisticated content arrangements directly within WordPress. Christopher from Our-Hometown guided attendees through leveraging the Block Editor’s powerful layout tools. If you weren’t able to join us live, this is an opportunity to review the key techniques.

In this replay, you’ll learn about:

• Utilizing Grids: Discover how to construct dynamic image and text grids using the Grid block, including the application of column and row span settings for flexible designs.
• Organizing with Groups: Understand how Group blocks can be used to keep related content together and maintain structure within complex layouts.
• Beyond Standard Lists: Learn about the Details block as an alternative for presenting collapsible content, suitable for citations or expandable information.
• Refining Visuals with Covers: See how Cover blocks can be used to enhance the presentation and fit of individual elements within your grid layouts.
• The session also covered nested lists and the distinct functionalities of Rows and Stacks.

This webinar replay offers practical demonstrations and insights to help you create more sophisticated and visually appealing content in the Block Editor.

The post Block Editor Basics: More Text, Plus Grids and Groups | OHT Webinar Replay first appeared on Our-Hometown.

• Staff Directory
• Article Sponsor
• Platform Features
• Testimonials

Audio
Articles

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Listen to the news anywhere

Improved website accessibility

Monetize with pre-roll ads

No app or download required

Digital
Subscriptions

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Print subscriber integration

Several payment options

Multiple paywall types

Customized subscription plans

PDF to HTML
Extraction

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Full content extraction

Print ad conversion & analytics

Quality control system

Customizable publish schedule

WordPress Block Patterns can be incredibly versatile, serving a wide range of purposes across various website sections. Here are some examples of commonly used and effective patterns:

• Headers and Footers: These patterns provide a quick way to establish the top and bottom sections of your website. Examples include simple headers with a logo and navigation menu, more elaborate headers featuring hero images and calls to action, and footers containing contact information, social media links, and copyright details.
• Call-to-Action Sections: Designed to encourage specific user actions, these patterns often include compelling text and prominent buttons. They can be used as banners to grab attention or as dedicated sections to promote sign-ups for newsletters or events.
• Testimonial Layouts: These patterns are ideal for showcasing customer reviews and building trust. They typically include styled quotes along with author information and can be presented as single testimonials or as sliders or grids for multiple reviews.
• Service or Feature Grids: For businesses and individuals offering services or highlighting key features, these patterns provide organized layouts with icons, descriptions, and often links to more detailed information.
• Contact Forms and Maps: Patterns combining contact forms with embedded maps make it easy for visitors to get in touch and find your physical location.
• Blog Post Grids and Banners: These patterns help display recent blog posts in visually appealing grid formats or create engaging banners to highlight featured content.
• Content Sections: Versatile patterns for creating various types of content sections, such as “About Us” sections with text and images, portfolio layouts showcasing projects, FAQ sections with expandable answers, and team member profiles with photos and biographies.

Each of these pattern types serves a specific purpose. For instance, testimonial layouts are crucial for building social proof and credibility, while call-to-action patterns are designed to drive user engagement and conversions. Understanding the intent behind different pattern categories allows editor-level users to strategically choose and customize patterns to achieve their specific website goals.

The post Inspiration Hub — Examples of Effective Block Patterns first appeared on Our-Hometown.

• Image Block
• Gallery Block
• Cover Block

Image Block

Once you add the Image block, you will be presented with three methods to select your image: Upload an image file, pick one from your media library, or add one with a URL.

Once the image has been added, you can change the size directly in the editor. Click the image to reveal the resize handles that look like dots around the image. Then, click on a resize handle and drag the image to your desired size

Otherwise the settings panel in the sidebar provides many sizing options via the Aspect Ratio dropdown.

Aspect Ratio Options

• Original – The same aspect ratio as when you uploaded the image.
• Square – 1:1
• Standard – 4:3
• Portrait – 3:4
• Classic – 3:2
• Classic Portrait – 2:3
• Wide – 16:9
• Tall – 9:16

When an aspect ratio other than the original is selected, the Scale option will be available. Scale refers to how your image fits within your selected aspect ratio with the following options:

• Cover: Your image will scale larger within the space to fill it completely. You will lose content from the image.
• Contain: Your image will scale to ensure the entire content of the image is displayed within the space. The image will resize smaller in order to fit.

The Resolution setting chooses which size of the original image you would like to display, although it can still be adjusted with the other options.

Gallery Block

The Gallery block contains individual Image blocks for each image and arranges them in an responsive way. Options for cropping, column layout and color options are available. Note unlike a Grid block, the Gallery block can only contain Image blocks.

Using the List View you can easily drag and drop image blocks to reorder them, as well as dragging images from into or out of the Gallery block itself as necessary. Clicking on an individual Image block reveals its settings as described above.

Cover Block

After adding the block, you will have the following options to set an image or video:

• Upload: Click to upload a new image from your computer.
• Media Library: Choose from an existing image from your sites Media.
• Use featured image: Pull in the featured image of your page or post, if one is set.
• Select a color: Click on the colored circles to use that color for your cover. A few common colors are first presented, which you can later change to any other color in the block style settings.

Add Text and Other Content

Now that you’ve selected your background image or color, you can write text and add other content over it. Click the + block inserter to add other blocks to show on top of the Cover block, such as Paragraph blocks, Heading blocks, or even other layout blocks such as the Grid or Columns block. You can also drag and drop blocks into the Cover block using the List View.

Cover Block Toolbar

When you click on the Cover block, a toolbar of options will appear above it.

These options are (from left to right):

• Change block type
• Align the cover 
• Apply duotone filter
• Change content position
• Toggle full height
• Replace the current image with a new image (if a color is used for the background this option will change to Add Media)
• Advanced options (Copy, Paste, Rename, Create Pattern)

Alignment

Like many other blocks, you can align the Cover block to the left, right, and center of the page. When using the left or right alignment, you can align other content next to the Cover block.

Content Position

Use the Content Position option to adjust where the text and other content appears on the image:

Media Settings

The Media section (also labeled Settings) for the Cover block appears next in the sidebar, under the Layout section. There are several options for customizing the appearance and behavior of content in the Cover block, which are detailed in the following sections.

Fixed Background (aka Parallax Effect)

When the Fixed background setting is toggled OFF, the parallax effect is disabled, and the image scrolls with the rest of the page.

When the Fixed background setting is toggled ON, the image will remain still in the background while the foreground scrolls vertically. This behavior is called a parallax effect or parallax scrolling.

Focal Point Picker

You will see the Focal point picker if the Fixed background option is turned off. Use the Focal point picker to specify the main point of interest in the photo and highlight it. This is especially helpful if the wrong part of an image is being shown on smaller screens.

Repeated Background

The Repeated background option lets you repeat the same image to form a pattern in the Cover block. For example, if you a company logo and you want it to repeat multiple times in the Cover block, note the image needs to be small enough to repeat in the area contained by the block. In the example below the logo is 64×64 pixels.

Cover Block Styles

In the block settings sidebar, click on the Styles icon to access the design settings for the block. The Styles icon is in the shape of a circle with half of the circle filled in.

Overlay Opacity

By default, the cover adds a gray transparent overlay to darken the background image, but you can choose any color you like, or even a gradient if you prefer.

You can also set the opacity of the overlay color. Move the slider to the left to make the overlay color more transparent, or to the right to make it darker and more opaque. Set the opacity to zero for no overlay.

Duotone Filter

The Duotone Filter applies a color conversion to the background image replacing light and dark colors with a duo, most often using black and gray to create B&W or Grayscale images. There are several preset color combinations available in the sidebar settings, however you can customize the individual colors using the Duotone settings in the floating toolbar above the Cover block.

Do note the Duotone effect will interact with the Overlay color creating an interesting ‘color mix’ between the two.

Minimum Height of Cover

You can set the minimum height of the cover image in pixels or other units. By setting a minimum height, the image will always be displayed at this height no matter what size screen your visitors may be using. 

The post Block Editor Updates — Images and Media first appeared on Our-Hometown.

The Speed Revolution in News Publishing

For newspaper publishers, speed is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. In the digital news landscape, being first to publish can make the difference between capturing audience attention or losing it to competitors.

The streamlined approach of the Block Editor eliminates many of the friction points that slow down production in traditional content management systems. By removing these obstacles, stories can be published in minutes rather than hours, allowing your journalists to focus on what they do best—reporting the news.

Reducing Onboarding Time for New Journalists

The intuitive nature of the Block Editor also dramatically reduces the time needed to train new staff. Whereas an organization may have  required up to a month for new contributors to learn their CMS, many journalists now arrive with existing WordPress knowledge, significantly shortening the onboarding process.

This accessibility is particularly valuable for news organizations that frequently bring in new journalists, freelancers, or contributors to cover breaking news or special events. The drag-and-drop interface requires little or no coding skills, making content management easier for non-technical users.

Enhanced Content Creation for Today’s News Formats

Block-Based Editing for Visual Storytelling

The Block Editor transforms how journalists assemble stories by breaking content into modular components or “blocks.” This approach enables journalists to create visually rich content that meets readers’ expectations for engaging digital news experiences.

Rather than struggling with HTML or complex shortcodes, reporters can simply drag and drop elements such as:

This block-based system makes it substantially easier to break up text with relevant media, improving article readability and visual appeal. For news organizations producing content that competes with social media feeds for attention, this visual flexibility is invaluable.

• Text paragraphs
• Headlines and subheadings
• Images and galleries
• Embedded videos
• Social media posts
• Pull quotes
• Interactive polls and quizzes
• Layout blocks for columns and grids

Media Integration Without Technical Barriers

The Block Editor excels at simplifying media integration, allowing journalists to embed videos, photo galleries, and interactive elements without requiring technical assistance. The ability to perform inline image editing and direct media file uploads within the editor eliminates the need to switch between different interfaces during article creation.

This streamlined media handling encourages journalists to incorporate more visual elements into their stories, which can significantly improve engagement metrics. For newspaper publishers looking to enhance their digital offerings with multimedia content, this represents a major advantage over the plain text area of the Classic Editor.

Operational Benefits for News Organizations

Reusable, Brand-Compliant Components

One of the most powerful features of the Block Editor for newspaper publishers is the ability to create and reuse branded content components. Leading WordPress agencies specialize in building “suites of reusable, brand-compliant components” that empower journalists to publish on-brand content quickly.

These pre-designed blocks ensure visual consistency across all articles while speeding up the content creation process. Reporters can focus on crafting the story rather than worrying about formatting or design elements, knowing that their article will maintain the publication’s established visual identity.

Reduced Plugin Dependencies

The Block Editor significantly reduces dependency on multiple plugins, as many functions previously requiring third-party solutions are now built directly into the editor[6]. Features such as tables, contact forms, and specialized layouts that once demanded additional plugins can now be created natively using shortcode blocks or dedicated Gutenberg blocks.

This consolidation of functionality not only streamlines the publishing process but also improves site performance by reducing the number of plugins that need to be maintained and updated.

Case Study: News UK’s Transformation

News UK’s experience with the Block Editor offers compelling evidence of its benefits for newspaper publishers. As they transitioned to Gutenberg, they not only saw dramatic improvements in publishing speed but also created an internal community of shared resources that can be leveraged across sister publications.

Their success demonstrates how the Block Editor can address the unique challenges faced by news organizations:

• The need for rapid publishing of breaking news
• The requirement to produce high volumes of content daily
• The importance of maintaining consistent quality across hundreds of articles
• The challenge of onboarding new staff quickly
• The necessity of creating visually engaging content that captures reader attention

By streamlining these aspects of digital publishing, News UK positioned itself to compete more effectively in the fast-moving digital news environment.

Addressing Common Concerns About the Transition

Many newspaper teams hesitate to adopt the Block Editor due to concerns about disrupting established workflows. However, the experience of News UK and other publishers suggests that the learning curve is less steep than anticipated, especially with proper planning and training.

It’s worth noting that the Block Editor has matured significantly since its introduction in December 2018. Early limitations have been addressed through continuous development, and the editor now offers a robust set of features specifically beneficial to news organizations.

For organizations concerned about the transition, a phased approach can be effective. Start with a small team or section of your site, develop best practices, and then gradually expand usage across the newsroom. This approach minimizes disruption while allowing your team to build confidence with the new tools.

Conclusion: The Future of News Publishing

The WordPress Block Editor represents more than just a different interface—it’s a strategic advantage for newspaper publishers operating in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. With its ability to accelerate publishing workflows, simplify complex layouts, and reduce technical barriers, Gutenberg addresses many of the key challenges faced by modern news organizations.

As readers continue to demand more visually engaging and timely content, the publications that can deliver quality stories quickly will maintain a competitive edge. The Block Editor provides the tools needed to meet these demands without requiring extensive technical resources or specialized knowledge from journalists.

For newspaper publishers still using the Classic Editor, now is the time to consider making the switch. The potential gains in efficiency, content quality, and staff satisfaction make the Block Editor not just a nice-to-have, but an essential tool for news organizations committed to thriving in the digital era.

The post Embrace the Block Editor: Accelerating Your Digital News Production first appeared on Our-Hometown.

It has already been a busy summer, and I’m not sure summer has officially begun yet (It’s June 1 as I write this). Upon returning from my latest trip – to Pennsylvania – yesterday, I was greeted by a stack of packages from publishers – most containing newspapers to critique – and an email folder with plenty of messages from editors, designers, and publishers. To keep all the newspapers I receive from getting wet, I purchased a waterproof container about the size of a pirate’s treasure chest, which I placed on the porch by my front door. The mail deliverers and UPS drivers have become well acquainted with my box.

What’s on the mind of newspaper folks these days? The answer is “a lot.” Whoever first coined the phrase “newspapers are dead” in the early 2000s apparently never had to go through my email or my box.

Growing Readership

The most common question I receive is, “What can I do to get more readers?” That hasn’t changed in the 30 years I’ve been working with newspapers. We always seem to be looking for a magic potion to make more people want to read our products. I’ve addressed that question many times in these columns, often with a list of ways to grow papers, but most often, the answer comes down to improving the quality of the newspaper.
Quality is a funny thing. It encompasses more than the “look” of a newspaper. It includes writing high-caliber stories that meet the reading desires of potential readers. Quality entails research, such as focus groups, to understand what readers want – and don’t want – in their newspaper. And obviously, the importance of design can’t be overestimated.

Improving the Product

The packages in my front porch box usually contain newspapers to be critiqued. Upgrading the content and design of your newspaper should be at the forefront of growing your paper. That doesn’t mean you have to send your paper to me. This means that your paper should develop a method of critiquing every element of content regularly. But couldn’t I just look at these pages on the screen? Sure, but seriously evaluating a newspaper requires taking notes on the pages. After I critique a page, it generally looks like someone has bled all over it.

Increasing Ad Revenue

Increasing revenue is on everyone’s mind. I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t. I lead a lot of webinars on various topics. There was a time when photo editing or page design classes would be the most popular. These days, sessions related to increasing revenue draw the biggest crowds. I’ve written my share of columns on increasing revenue, but the best way I know of to increase ad sales is to go out and visit more potential advertisers physically. It sounds simplistic, but those of you who have been around the block a few times know it’s true. Don’t worry. If you happen to be signed up for one of my future webinars on increasing ad revenue, I’ll have more to share than “just get out more.” However, if you want to sell more ads, just get out more. It works.

Next up for me? North Carolina, Virginia, then over to see my friends at Arkansas Press Association. When I return home, I imagine the box next to my door will be full.

The post Kevin Slimp: What you want to know first appeared on Our-Hometown.

Regular email services have size limitations, making them unsuitable for sending large files common to production work (like high-resolution images, pdfs, or design files).  That’s why the following services are better choices:

File-Sharing Services

Stand-alone Options

WeTransfer

• How it Works: Upload your files and WeTransfer generates a download link to share with our production team. Recipients don’t need a WeTransfer account to download the files.
• Pros: Super simple to use, no logins required, can send files up to 2GB for free.
• Cons: Files are only available for 7 days.

Cloud Options

Google Drive

• How it Works: Upload files to your Google Drive account and either share the files directly or generate a link for access.
• Pros: Seamless integration with Gmail, 15GB of free storage, excellent for collaboration.
• Cons: Recipients may need a Google account to view depending on your settings. (See note below).

Send Anywhere

• How it Works: Upload your files and receive a download link and/or a unique 6-digit code to share with the production team.
• Pros: Can send files up to 10GB in the free version, no account creation required, strong focus on security.
• Cons: Features have time limits in the free version.

Dropbox

• How it Works: Similar to Google Drive, upload files to your Dropbox and share them or create download links.
• Pros: User-friendly, great if you regularly need to share files, offers syncing across devices.
• Cons: Limited to 2GB of storage on the free plan. Similar permissions issue as Google Drive (see below).

Which One to Choose?

• Quick and Easy: WeTransfer wins for its simplicity and not requiring accounts.
• Large Files: Send Anywhere offers the largest free file size transfers.
• Google Ecosystem: Google Drive is a winner if your team already uses Google products extensively.
• Regular File Sharing Needs: Dropbox might be a good fit if you anticipate sending large files frequently.

As always if you run into any problems, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at ops@our-hometown.com.

The post Send us a PDF! first appeared on Our-Hometown.

If you’re using the online payment gateway Stripe to process payments through your website, please be aware that you may be required to verify or update your business and/or account ownership information in order to continue using Stripe.

We urge you to take a few minutes to login to your Stripe Dashboard and check for any notifications from Stripe requesting this information. In addition to the dashboard notification, you also should have received e-mail correspondence from Stripe at the e-mail address used to create or manage your account.

This is extremely important! If Stripe has requested this information from you, there will be a deadline by which you need to respond. If you miss the deadline, they will disable payouts and eventually disable the ability to collect money from your subscribers altogether.

To be clear, this is a part of Stripe’s standard account auditing process, and is not a result of any kind of security concern.

In most cases, Stripe is just requesting basic information that is missing from the account details, such as names, addresses and phone numbers of the business owners. Occasionally, they may request links to your website’s Privacy Policy and/or Terms of Service pages.

You should receive several e-mail notices from Stripe if they are requesting this information, but to be safe, the easiest way to check is to go directly to your Stripe Dashboard and look for any notifications.

If you have any questions or need any help locating your website’s Privacy Policy or Terms of Service pages, you can reach out to our support team by emailing ops@our-hometown.com at any time.

The post Stripe users: Please check your account status first appeared on Our-Hometown.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), publishers are finding themselves at a crossroads. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (G-AI) systems has brought about a technological revolution, but with it comes a pressing question: How do we protect our creative content in this new digital age?

The Challenge: A recent white paper by the News-Media Alliance highlights a critical issue facing publishers today—the pervasive copying of expressive works by G-AI systems. These systems, which include large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, are trained on vast amounts of data, often without the consent or compensation of the original creators. This practice not only infringes on copyright laws but also threatens the very foundation of the publishing industry.

Understanding the Impact: The white paper underscores that G-AI systems are commercial products built on the backs of creative contributors. By using the creative output of publishers to train their models, G-AI developers are essentially bypassing the need for users to engage directly with the original sources. This diminishes web traffic and undermines the trust and brand value that publishers have cultivated over years.

Fair Use Fallacy

The argument that such use of copyrighted content is a fair use does not hold up under scrutiny. The white paper points out that the training of LLMs is not sufficiently transformative and is overwhelmingly commercial, which are key factors against the fair use defense. Moreover, the outputs of these models directly compete with the protected content, further impacting the market for the original works.

The Fair Use Fallacy in the AI Ecosystem: A Closer Look

In the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, the use of copyrighted material to train generative AI systems has sparked a contentious debate over the boundaries of fair use. The News-Media Alliance (N-MA) has taken a firm stance on this issue, challenging the notion that such practices fall within the scope of fair use—a defense often cited by AI developers.

Understanding Fair Use: Fair use is a legal doctrine intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public’s right to use works in ways that contribute to education, commentary, criticism, or scholarship. It is not a blanket permission slip for all forms of use, especially when such use could harm the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The Four Factors of Fair Use: The fair use defense is traditionally anchored in four factors:

1. The Purpose and Character of the Use:
   • AI developers argue that the use of copyrighted content is transformative. However, the N-MA asserts that training AI models is not transformative in nature. The purpose of these models is commercial, and the character of the use does not add new expression, meaning, or message to the original copyrighted works.
2. The Nature of the Copyrighted Work:
   • Copyrighted works of a factual nature are more likely to be considered fair use when used appropriately. However, news articles and other media content often contain creative and subjective elements, making them less likely to fall under fair use when used in AI training.
3. The Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used:
   • AI systems require large volumes of data to learn and generate outputs. The substantiality of the content used from individual publishers can be significant, and in many cases, entire articles or works are copied verbatim. This extensive use exceeds what would typically be considered fair use.
4. The Effect of the Use on the Potential Market:
   • Perhaps the most critical factor is the impact on the market. The N-MA highlights that AI-generated content directly competes with the original works, potentially cannibalizing the market and reducing the incentive for publishers to invest in creating new content.

The Economic Argument: The N-MA emphasizes that the economic impact of AI on publishers is profound. By using copyrighted material to train AI without compensation, developers are benefiting from the investment of publishers in journalism and content creation without contributing to the costs. This undermines the economic viability of the publishing industry and threatens the livelihood of those who create content.

The Need for a New Understanding: The N-MA’s position is that the current interpretation of fair use by some AI developers is flawed and does not consider the full economic and creative impact on the publishing industry. They advocate for a reevaluation of fair use in the context of AI and a more balanced approach that recognizes the rights and contributions of all parties involved.

Conclusion: The fair use fallacy is a critical issue at the intersection of AI and copyright law. As AI continues to advance, it is imperative that the publishing industry, legal experts, and policymakers work together to ensure that fair use is applied in a manner that is just, equitable, and sustainable for the future of content creation.

A Call to Action

As publishers, it’s imperative to understand the legal and economic implications of G-AI systems. The white paper concludes with several actionable recommendations:

1. Engage in Dialogue with AI Developers:
   • Publishers should initiate conversations with G-AI developers to discuss the use of their content. This dialogue is crucial for establishing boundaries and understanding how publisher content is being utilized in AI training datasets.
2. Advocate for Transparency:
   • Demand that G-AI developers disclose the datasets used in training their models. Transparency is key to ensuring that the use of copyrighted material is acknowledged and compensated.
3. Educate on Infringement:
   • Work with industry groups to educate policymakers and the public about the nature of infringement in the context of AI. It’s important to clarify why the unauthorized use of content to train AI models is not fair use.
4. Licensing Agreements:
   • Publishers should push for the development of standardized licensing agreements that respect copyright laws and ensure fair compensation for the use of their content.
5. Monitor AI Developments:
   • Stay informed about the latest developments in AI technology to understand how it may impact the use of published content. This knowledge will be crucial in negotiating terms with AI developers.
6. Legal Action:
   • Consider legal avenues to protect intellectual property. The white paper suggests that current copyright laws support the rights of publishers, and legal action may be necessary to enforce these rights.

The Path Forward

1. Collaborative Innovation:
   • Publishers should seek partnerships with AI developers to create new products that leverage AI while also benefiting the original content creators. This could include joint ventures or collaborative platforms that utilize AI to enhance the reach and impact of published content.
2. Develop New Revenue Streams:
   • Explore how AI can be used to create new revenue streams. For example, publishers could license their archives for AI training in a controlled manner that respects their copyrights and generates income.
3. Invest in Technology:
   • Invest in AI and machine learning to understand its capabilities and limitations. This can help publishers to better negotiate with AI firms and to develop their own AI-driven tools and services.
4. Policy Advocacy:
   • Engage with lawmakers to shape policies that protect publishers in the AI ecosystem. This includes advocating for laws that recognize the value of creative content and ensure fair compensation for its use.
5. Educational Initiatives:
   • Create educational materials and workshops for staff and the wider publishing community on the implications of AI for copyright and content creation.
6. Strategic Alliances:
   • Form alliances with other publishers and content creators to have a stronger collective voice when dealing with AI developers and policymakers.

The white paper is not just a call to arms; it’s a blueprint for collaboration. Publishers are encouraged to engage with G-AI developers to create a fair ecosystem where innovation thrives without compromising the rights and revenues of content creators.

The AI revolution is here, and it’s reshaping the way we think about content creation and distribution. As publishers, we must be proactive in protecting our work. By understanding the legal landscape, advocating for fair compensation, and collaborating with technology developers, we can navigate the AI climate effectively and ethically.

Co-written with ChatGPT-4 | Image by Dall-E 3 and Adobe Firefly

The post News-Media Alliance Releases Whitepaper on AI, Copyright and the Fair Use Fallacy first appeared on Our-Hometown.

In the digital age, the symbiotic relationship between social media platforms and news websites has crafted a narrative of interconnected growth and mutual benefit. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter/X have long served as significant traffic conduits, channeling curious readers to news websites. However, as the digital landscape evolves, a noticeable shift is occurring in this erstwhile robust relationship. Recent trends depict a significant decline in social media referrals to newspaper websites, signaling a change that digital publishers must navigate adeptly.

The Ebb of Social Traffic

Not too long ago, social media platforms were seen as a firehose, gushing a steady stream of readers onto news pages. Facebook, in particular, was a behemoth in this regard, driving substantial traffic to digital publishers. News outlets flourished as their stories found a broader audience through shares and likes, translating to increased web traffic and, by extension, ad revenue.

However, a series of reports now paint a different picture. A noticeable decline in social media referral traffic has been observed, with platforms like Facebook experiencing a marked slump. The glory days of news articles being propelled to thousands via social platforms seem to be waning​¹​​²​.

Shifting Winds: New Traffic Referral Sources

The decline in referrals from traditional social giants suggests a shift towards other traffic sources. Though specifics were not fully detailed, the trends hint at the emergence of other platforms or channels driving a significant share of web traffic referrals. The digital ecosystem is dynamic, and it’s essential for digital publishers to keep a pulse on these evolving trends to steer their referral traffic strategies adeptly​³​.

Delving Deeper: Understanding the Referral Trends

For a nuanced understanding, digital publishers are delving into detailed examinations of referral trends from social media platforms to third-party websites. These analyses unravel the intricacies of social referrals, providing actionable insights that can help publishers and marketers adapt to the changing digital landscape​⁴​.

Adapting to the New Normal

To address the loss of referral traffic from social platforms, news publishers should consider a multifaceted strategy encompassing different areas of digital marketing and audience engagement. Below are some recommendations and insights gathered from various sources:

1. Diversify Traffic Sources:
   • It’s crucial for publishers to not solely rely on social media platforms for traffic. Exploring other online marketing strategies and establishing direct relationships with consumers can provide a more stable and diversified source of traffic​¹​.
2. Enhance User Experience and Content Quality:
   • Focusing on creating quality content and enhancing user experience is a priority for many publishers. A good user experience on their websites can help retain visitors and encourage them to share content, potentially offsetting some of the losses from social referral traffic​²​.
3. Utilize Email Newsletters:
   • The 2023 Publishing Trends Report highlighted that 56% of publishers are either expanding their newsletter offerings or will start producing newsletters in 2023, despite the growth of this channel showing signs of slowing. Email newsletters can be a robust channel for driving repeat traffic to the publisher’s site​³​.
4. Invest in Video Content:
   • Video content is gaining importance, with nearly half of the publishers surveyed in 2023 focusing on this medium, especially on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Creating engaging video content can attract younger audiences and drive traffic back to the publisher’s website​³​.
5. Explore Emerging Social Platforms:
   • While major platforms like Facebook and Twitter/X are crucial, the emergence of other social platforms could also be leveraged to drive traffic. For instance, some publishers have begun using platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky to compensate for the decline in Twitter/X referral traffic​³​.
6. Integrate with Social Networking:
   • Leveraging the power of social networking by integrating it into the publisher’s online strategy can also be beneficial. This integration can help compete with individual reporting and lead people back to the website​⁴​.
7. Innovate with New Media Strategies:
   • Publishers are encouraged to keep abreast of new media strategies and recommendations as they head into 2023. Adapting to changes and innovating based on these strategies can potentially mitigate the impact of declining social referral traffic​⁵​.
8. Engage with New Audiences:
   • Seeking and engaging with new audiences is a priority for 53% of publishers in 2023, which can also be a viable strategy to offset the loss of social referral traffic​³​.

Recent changes by Elon Musk on X

Musk decided to remove headlines from news articles shared on X, displaying only the lead image. This move, aimed at curbing clickbait and encouraging users to add context, also invites journalists to publish directly on X for potentially more income​¹​. However, this change has been met with criticism, with some journalists labeling X as “borderline useless” due to this new feature​²​.

Given this scenario, news publishers could consider the following strategies, adapted to include Musk’s decision on X:

1. Direct Publishing on X:
   • Given Musk’s urging for journalists to publish directly on X, publishers could explore this avenue to maintain or even increase their visibility on the platform​¹​.
2. Engage with Images:
   • Since only the lead image will be visible on X, publishers could invest in high-quality, engaging images that entice users to explore the content further.
3. Personalized Context:
   • Encourage followers to add personalized context when sharing articles on X to make up for the missing headlines and entice others to read and share.
4. Interactive Content:
   • Create interactive content like quizzes, polls, or live Q&A sessions to engage audiences on various platforms, fostering a community and driving traffic back to your site.

These strategies offer a holistic approach to mitigate the challenges posed by the decline in social media referral traffic, enabling publishers to explore new avenues for audience engagement and traffic generation.

Written with ChatGPT-4 and Bing Search.

The post Navigating the Shifting Sands: The Decline of Social Media Referrals to News Websites first appeared on Our-Hometown.

The following is a guest post contributed by our friend and partner, Kevin Slimp!

A funny thing happened to me in Denver a few days ago while I was in town to speak at the Colorado Press Association Convention.

I had just finished my fourth presentation of the weekend. The topic was “Designing a Better Newspaper.” Most of the folks in the room had been around for all four of my sessions, and the time to end the workshop had come and gone.

As people were getting up to leave, a voice spoke up. “Do you have a minute to look at my newspaper and give me some advice?”

I told her I’d gladly sit with her and look over her paper. That’s when the “funny” thing happened. Another person asked, “Could I get you to look over mine, too?”

It was as if someone blew a whistle and told everyone to stop in their tracks. Most of the group began walking back toward their seats.

I asked if anyone else would like me to look over their papers. To make a long story short, all but a few people returned to the room and took out copies of their newspapers.

I invited the group to circle me as I sat at a long table. I spread the newspapers across the table and began critiquing them individually. As I finished one paper, I immediately started critiquing the next paper. Another funny thing: no one left. Everyone stayed to see what I would say about the other papers.

We stayed in that room for nearly 90 minutes until I mentioned they were scheduled to attend a banquet in a few minutes.

As I think back to the phenonium of a group electing to stay late at a workshop, I’m reminded of the similarities between their papers. I repeated much of my advice repeatedly as we looked through the newspapers on the table.

Here are a few of the most common critiques that came up in Denver:

Headlines: Use fewer words and bigger fonts. By using fewer words, it leaves room to use bigger text. Instead of “Rumors of new Amazon distributorship coming to town in November,” I’d suggest something like “Amazon Rumors” in big letters. A subhead underneath the headline could provide more details, “Rumors of distributorship coming to town in November seem to have merit.”

Photos: Fewer small photos should be included with stories. It seemed common for the Denver papers to place three or four smaller images with a front-page story. Because there were so many photos, they drew less attention. In many cases, I suggested a single three or four-column photo to replace the multiple photos with a story.

Page Headings: Cute is out. Consistent is in. Page headings like “Local,” “Agriculture,” and “Features” should have similar looks. As tempting as it is to use a big piece of clipart at the top of the Classified page, don’t do it. Keep the page consistent with the others.

Borders: Yes, have borders around your photos. And get rid of the drop shadows. They (drop shadows) were in five years ago, but not so much now. A thin border, .4 or .5 in width, should do the trick nicely around images. Don’t forget to keep the border inside the frame so it doesn’t stick outside the column.

Color: In my designs and redesigns, you’ll find color in only three places: color photos, ads, and kickers (those short bits of text like “County Commission” above a headline). I rarely include color in the flag (top of the front page) unless it’s in a teaser photo above it. Leave the cute clipart for the high school newspapers and church newsletters.

Above the Fold: Check out the top half of the front page (above the fold). Does it make the reader want to pick up the paper or put it down? The area above the fold should always entice the viewer to pick up the paper.

Everyone laughed as I feigned heart issues while looking over pages. I jokingly uttered, “I’ve seen worse, but I can’t remember when,” a few times. The truth is most of the papers looked pretty good, but there’s almost always a lot we can do to improve the look of our papers. And when our newspapers look better, it encourages people to pick them up and read them. Let’s face it, that’s what it’s all about.

I’ll be leading a publisher’s event in Washington state in a few days. I think I’ll encourage everyone to bring copies of their paper. It just makes my job easier.

The post Critiquing Common Issues first appeared on Our-Hometown.