The true value of journalism, Mail+ digital subscription record, and DW’s successful podcast launch

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Press Gazette, ‘Tough love’: Reuters Institute chief says news industry has ‘lost way’ with audiences

Reuters Institute’s acting director, Mitali Mukherjee, warns that news publishers have lost audience trust, driving news avoidance among youth and disadvantaged groups. Speaking at the Society of Editors conference, she notes 20-30% of people now avoid news, feeling unrepresented or negatively portrayed, though shared values like fairness offer hope if publishers adapt.

Mukherjee suggests small, local stories rebuild trust more effectively than big exposés. Citing climate journalism research, she highlights that actionable, community-focused tales—like saving a park—resonate most, unlike investigative or extreme weather pieces, urging publishers to prioritize relatable content.

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Poynter, Audiences are still skeptical about generative AI in the news

Major U.S. newsrooms like The San Francisco Chronicle and The Washington Post are testing chatbots to enhance reader engagement, but research shows skepticism. Poynter and University of Minnesota data reveal nearly half of Americans don’t want AI-generated news, with 20% opposing any AI use in publishing, despite efforts like Hearst’s Chowbot to deliver curated content.

Audiences mistrust AI in journalism, assuming it’s widely used for writing and photos, yet few embrace it themselves. The study finds low confidence in AI-generated content, with over half doubting newsrooms’ ethical use, and young people (18-29) largely unaware of tools like ChatGPT, highlighting a gap between newsroom innovation and public readiness.

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The Fix, How The Kyiv Independent is building a membership powerhouse – 9 questions for COO Zakhar Protsiuk

The Kyiv Independent thrives as Ukraine’s leading English-language outlet, earning 70% of its revenue from 17,000 paying members. Amid Russia’s invasion, the outlet sustains itself without a paywall, boasting a low churn rate and reaching 10 million people monthly, with reader support—especially from members contributing $5 or more—driving its success.

Strategic member acquisition and retention fuel its growth. COO Zakhar Protsiuk highlights clear website messaging, tailored email campaigns blending journalism and marketing, and transparent goal-setting (e.g., 1,600 new members during a birthday campaign) for acquisition, while direct interaction, community events, and a robust Discord presence keep churn at 1.8%.

Diversified revenue and tech innovation support its model. Beyond memberships, it leverages philanthropy (e.g., Microsoft funding war crimes investigations), ads, a store, and KI Insights, using a custom CMS/CRM from Fourth Estate and Stripe payments to control data and enhance reader experience, aiming for 50,000 members long-term.

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Press Gazette, Virtual reality: The widely-quoted media experts who are not what they seem

Since ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, fake or dubious expert commentators have surged in national media, driven by PR firms gaming journalist request services. Companies charge PR clients to supply quotes—often AI-generated or from questionable sources—to journalists via platforms like Responsesource, offering brand mentions and SEO links, as Press Gazette’s investigation reveals.

The trend signals a need for stronger online verification as AI blurs reality. Journalists report fake personas—like a nonexistent pastry chef or “Charlotte Cremers”—slipping through, prompting calls for live verification (e.g., Sourcee’s video approach) to counter an evolving landscape of text, audio, and video fakes.

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Journalism.co.uk, The Public Method: redefining how to measure journalism’s value

Editorial teams struggle to prove their value as traditional metrics fail to capture journalism’s societal impact. Standard measures like reach and engagement focus on individual consumption but overlook broader relevance—such as sparking debate, amplifying unheard voices, or holding power accountable—leaving public broadcasters like the NPO misaligned with their missions.

The Public Method, developed with NPO, redefines journalistic value by balancing individual and societal needs. Using the rose model, it connects personal needs (know, understand, feel, act) with societal ones (discover, set the agenda, represent, confront), helping teams define their purpose and make purposeful editorial choices beyond quantitative data.