Samantha Fuss’ Post

This has to be the most detailed, well-put-together piece on the current state and possible future of news media. The insights are not from one group or another it's a mix of new media, legacy media and executives who have seen the patterns of news and media consumption in their decades and have seen the cyclical nature of content. The demise and re-emergence of trends. So many pivotal points on content consumption, the impact of 'big tech' on news, newsletters, social media TV, AI, print, younger journalists, paywalls, success stories, failures and fear. Read it.

A piece that Grace Chng shared with me on our media industry. This quote really hit me: "Being entrepreneurial is critical to being in the media." You know, as reporters, we have many entrepreneurial skills. I counted on these when I left the newsroom more than a decade ago and I've seen former colleagues lean on them to succeed outside journalism: 1. People skills (and network): Most important is being able to communicate in business what you're doing and why you deserve to be paid. 2. Drive/Being self-starters: Any reporter worth his/her salt knows to go find their own stories and make their own contacts to survive. The same goes for sales targets. Never expect anyone to tell you what to do. 3. Resourcefulness: Plan A doesn't work? Find Plan B. Think out of the box. Find another way. This is a daily skill used in reporting and it's crucial in business. 4. Information crunching/market analysis: There's AI now but it is a big edge if you can crunch down loads of info, understand the situation and then clearly explain to people what is happening. 5. Results-driven, deadline-focused: Buzzwords? No, actually, the laser focus that reporters are trained to have - to quickly cut through to the "so what", the bottomline - is often what running a business is about. So, I think most of us in the business of reporting news are entrepreneurs in many ways but we just need to apply these skills in new settings and businesses. Running a media business is hard, unfortunately. As I tell friends who invest in startups, etc., it's not gonna easily give you 3x, 5x or 10x returns like some hyped-up tech firm (which may crash back to zero after being flipped a few times at the end of a runway).

𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! It’s that time of the year when I guess, we all dive into predictions and trends for the coming year! I have a big pile of reports to explore in the coming days, but one of my favorite annual reads is Nieman Journalism Lab's predictions list, where renowned media professionals share their insights on the future of news media. I just came across a brilliant contribution from Ben Smith, Editor-in-Chief of SEMAFOR, that hits the nail on the head. He talks about one of the biggest challenges for today’s news consumers: the 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. There are so many quality publications offering subscription content, but not enough money (or time!) to consume them all. I’ll admit, I sometimes experience FOMO about all the great content I might be missing. And I know some of my EU Bubble peers share the same feeling. Ben’s prediction focuses on bundling vs. fragmentation. He argues that we’re at a tipping point. Consumers are overwhelmed by too many subscriptions—whether it’s for news or entertainment streaming services—and this frustration creates an opportunity for bundling. As Ben puts it: "If media companies can’t figure out how to be the bundlers, other layers of the ecosystem — telecoms, devices, social platforms — will." I think this is huge. On the consumer side, we need simplicity, affordability, and ways to cut through the jungle. Also on the corporate side, consolidation and partnerships might become the norm as companies seek to adapt. For those of us in the media world, it’s a moment of reflection and opportunity. Are we ready to innovate, collaborate, and deliver what audiences really need? I’m also curious how this could play out in EU policy media. I might have some thoughts brewing, but will spare them for my coffee catch ups in the coming days 😊 Let me know if you're up for a chat before Christmas.

Excellent piece by Gökşen Çalışkan about the news media industry's challenges and novel solutions emerging. 🤔 Trust is a battleground: Misinformation and a rush to publish are eroding trust. Initiatives like fact-checking and transparency measures are fighting back. 🥃 Audiences are liquid: People consume news across platforms and devices. Media companies need to adapt with dynamic, personalised content, and go where their audiences are. 🤖 AI is here to stay: It can free journalists for deeper reporting and optimise business models - but human expertise remains irreplaceable. 💸 Revenue streams need a refresh: Subscription fatigue and social media competition call for diversification. In short: News media have no choice but to adapt. Potential solutions abound - it will be interesting to see where it all nets out. Read the full piece for more insights 👇🏻

Interesting point. It makes sense to get subscriptions to certain media to access better quality content (like FT, Economist) and then others depending on the situation (election cycles). I have been taking monthly subscriptions and then cancelling and changing to other media (switched from NYT to WSJ to get a different perspective during the election but then eventually cancelled both as I am not reading enough to justify it). It does make 'subscription management' a new annoyance. What do you do to keep up with your subscriptions?

A year ago today we launched 404 Media. Thanks to the overwhelming support of our subscribers, we're very proud and humbled to say that our business and company is sustainable and stable, and more scoops, investigations, stunts, etc are coming in year 2. For years before launching 404 Media, we watched new media companies become obsessed with wild growth and huge valuations only to crash and burn because of mismanagement, venture capital investment, private equity debt taken at terrible rates, bloated executive pay, big tech algorithm changes, ad market crashes, fancy offices in expensive neighborhoods, and bring in revolving casts of clowns to supposedly clean up the mess. “We propose a simple alternative,” in launching 404 Media, we wrote a year ago. “Pay journalists to do journalism. We believe it is possible to create a sustainable, profitable media company simply by doing good work, making common-sense decisions about costs, and asking our readers to support us.” Running a business for one year does not automatically mean we have figured things out. But our strategy is working, we are growing, and we encourage others to try to do the same thing we're doing. Over the last year, so many people have asked us what they can do to help support us and our work. The answer to that question is simple. If you are a subscriber, keep your subscription active. And if you’re not a subscriber and are financially able, buy a subscription. The other thing you can do is tell your friends about us. The biggest challenge that we face is discoverability. To the extent possible, we don’t want to have to rely on social media algorithms, search engines that don’t index us properly and which are increasingly shoving AI answers into their homepages, and an internet ecosystem that is increasingly polluted by low-quality AI spam. We are so thankful for everyone who has subscribed, shared our work, or otherwise supported us. https://lnkd.in/gc79mQE5

I am naturally analytical, and I love diving into the mechanics of things—media being no exception, of course. That's why I found Charlotte Klein's piece in NY Mag on the evolution of the U.S. media landscape so exciting to read. The search for the right business model, the rise of niche audiences, the question of what defines good journalism today, whether scoops are still king, how we are shaping future generations of readers, the spotlight on new formats to access news and stories, who holds the keys to the control room in media today, and the ongoing debate about AI’s role in journalism—these are all questions that also resonate in Europe, despite the more fragmented media landscape here. And just as importantly, they highlight how we, as comms and PR professionals, need to rethink our role and approach to keep up with this (r)evolution. https://lnkd.in/dfusTMkv #media

Something to think about The Erosion of Trust in Media: A Call to Action A recent article by Evan Shapiro in "Media War & Peace" highlighted the alarming decline in public trust in media. According to Gallup, less than 1/3 of Americans now say they trust the media "a great deal or a fair amount." Shapiro traces this erosion of trust to choices made from 1987-2012 as the internet emerged with minimal regulation. Siloed audiences, addictive platforms, and the pursuit of profits over truth have created a dangerous cocktail, fracturing public trust. The article argues that the very industries that broke trust - media and tech - may be the ones who can rebuild it by championing factual information, supporting quality journalism, solving real problems, and holding themselves accountable. As an observer, I find this perspective thought-provoking. The decline in trust is a critical issue with far-reaching societal implications. Shapiro's call for media and tech to acknowledge the problem and commit to being part of the solution is a compelling one. What do you think? Can trust in media be rebuilt, and what role should tech and media companies play in the process? or can we trust them. #trust #media #tech #journalism

I don't believe traditional media is dead. I believe it is poised for an epic evolution. If the last 30 days didn't exemplify it enough, the connective thread is that news and journalism must meet consumers where they are - their phones, computers, TV, podcasts, radio, VR glasses, or commuter platforms. Consumption preferences have evolved to more rapid turn options including social platforms, YouTube, and TikTok and succinctly-crafted and curated newsletters from preferred and trusted news generators delivered right to your email inbox. Has news become less tangible (i.e. newspapers and magazines) and more digital. For the most part, yes, it has. At the same time, we're a population of diverse generations. Plenty still value the habit of thumbing through a newspaper or glossy magazine, while others prefer to scroll up, swipe, or simply, listen. Journalism is not dead. We're at an opportunistic crossroads where our core skills in storytelling can be leveraged through new mediums beyond a static page. Journalists can build personal brand to further their reach. They can influence through their stories and where they place them. News isn't solely about facts and distribution. It's the building of relationships through our art that will differentiate us in this new era. In short, BE the incredible storyteller you are. Pick platforms, apps, and distribution channels suited best to you, and pump those channels with fact-based, researched, and quality stories. The right eyes and ears will find you. #newmedia #journalism

Breaking News? Or Breaking Trust? The 33 Shadows of Modern Media Built to Inform, But Lost in Translation Modern media was once the noble beacon of truth, illuminating society. Today, it's more of a dizzying hall of mirrors — filled with sensationalized stories, filter bubbles, and endless ads. As we swipe, click, and scroll, it feels like the true purpose of media is slipping through our fingers. Tabloidization: When truth takes a back seat to celebrity gossip and shock stories. Real issues are buried while entertainment hogs the spotlight. Filter Bubbles & Algorithmic Radicalization: Social media feeds us what it thinks we want — and sometimes, it just locks us in an echo chamber of agreeable voices, narrowing our worldview. Clickbait Culture: “You won’t believe what happened next!” Spoiler alert: Nothing much happened. But that click keeps the cash register ringing. Surveillance Capitalism & Ad Clutter: Every scroll, every click, every pause is tracked. Advertisers know more about us than we’d like, pushing “personalized” ads, and charging publishers to show us shallow, distraction-filled content. Deplatforming & Censorship: Content that doesn’t fit certain narratives quietly disappears. Platforms pick sides, deciding who gets a voice and who doesn’t. Neutrality is out of style.  But Who’s Keeping Media Accountable? In the race for likes, shares, and ad dollars, where’s the truth? Today’s media problems go beyond bias — they shape our reality, our culture, and our society. The responsibility to reform isn’t just with the media; it’s with all of us as consumers too. The more media-literate we become, the more we can see through the noise and demand better. #MediaAccountability #ClickbaitCulture #FilterBubbles #ModernMedia #TruthOverTrend #DigitalLiteracy #BreakingTrust This is a moment for media reflection — not just for journalists, but for each of us who consumes and shares content every day. Together, we can demand a media that truly informs, rather than just performs.