media update’s Aisling McCarthy takes you back through some of our best content from 2018.
Trying to get your content seen – and read – can often be tricky, but social media makes it that much simpler.
media update offers you four tips on making your content easily shareable, so you can rack up those reads.
TOP QUOTE: “Facebook’s split News Feed could pose an issue for publishers, as their content will no longer appear on people’s main News Feed. However, any content that is shared by users on their personal pages will appear in that main News Feed. To increase brand exposure on Facebook, publishers need to create content that users want to share.”
When news publishers first went online, they allowed readers to access their content for free. They believed digital advertising would fill the revenue gap left by shrinking print advertising. News publishers are still dealing with the consequences of that decision.
TOP QUOTE: “While digital advertising revenue was expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% between 2016 and 2010, it ‘will not counteract the decline in print advertising’. Circulation and circulation revenue has been predicted to decline, as increases in copy price fail to compensate for copies sold.”
AI has started to transform the way the media industry creates news and finds topics to cover. As AI technologies progress, journalists could have more time for in-depth reporting and readers could see more content that is relevant to them.
TOP QUOTE: “With information about topics that are trending on print and digital channels, journalists will be able to create more content that taps into these conversations – serving audiences with information they want.”
With the media industry in a constant state of flux, a journalist’s ability to upskill is no longer an advantage – it’s a requirement.
media update chatted to
South China Morning Post’s Deva Lee about how journalists can prepare themselves for today’s media industry.
TOP QUOTE: “Top of mind is newsworthiness, which is largely informed by timing and impact. Apart from identifying top stories, the decision to highlight stories on the homepage is often data-driven. Newsworthiness takes priority over popularity.”
Over the past few years, the digital age has made a major impact on how business is done and how consumers are engaged. However, if digital is the ‘be-all and end-all’ why is print still around?
TOP QUOTE: “Print media is surviving in spite of the predictions of some doomsayers. In fact, in a number of areas, it remains the preferred format. As the dust from digital disruption begins to settle, print may be finding some safe footing once again.”
Writer's block is something that every creative has to overcome at some point in their career. Wondering how exactly to do that?
media update offers you 10 ways to finally put pen to paper.
TOP QUOTE: “If you can find something that you are genuinely concerned about, inspiration will never be too far away. Also, the way in which you write will show that you care about the topic.”
History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, and fake news scandals are no exception to this. Regardless of the steps social platforms take to root out fake news, somehow it is still able to be shared – and believed.
media update identifies the different forms that fake news can take.
TOP QUOTE: “Not all fake news is created equal – some is more obviously spotted. Some types are actually disinformation, while others are down to human error or bias. Either way, each type has a loose connection with the truth and intends to deceive the reader.”
Let’s face it, clickbait content works. It’s often characterised by phrases such as ‘You won’t believe’ or ‘What happened next will shock you’, or other unverifiable assertions in a desperate attempt to spark your curiosity, and get you clicking. Even though clickbait is often pretty obviously spotted, why do we click through anyway?
TOP QUOTE: “These articles are generally produced by websites that are solely looking to get page views in order to generate advertising revenue. However, these sites are often where viral fake news stories spring from, despite the fact that they lack quality, depth or accuracy.”
Exceptional content is hard to find – and even harder to write. media update has put together a list of golden rules that will help you transform your content from drab to fab. Let’s check them out.
TOP QUOTE: “Your content isn’t literature. Your readers aren’t there for slow, measured flow and nuanced language. They are there to get information and to solve a problem. And if you don’t give them that information, they’ll get it somewhere else.”
The battle of print versus digital is a contentious issue within the media space. But instead of asking which platform is more powerful, perhaps the real question should be: Are print and digital even at war?
TOP QUOTE: “The relationship between print and digital is complicated, to say the least. While they are often seen to be at odds with one another, is it impossible to think that they could coexist? And even more than that, could they not work together?”