Publishers are in ever more trouble, thanks to the GDPR. It increasingly seems like Facebook and Google are the inevitable saviors, for better or worse.
Stratechery 4.0 Follow-up, Apple’s Educational Event, The Meaning of Better
A quick aside as to why Stratechery doesn’t have an app, then a review of Apple’s educational event, and why the company’s business model limits it in education relative to Google.
Apple Acquires Texture; The Problem with Magazines; Texture, Apple News, and Bundles
Apple acquired Texture and is taking the last, best shot at building a digital text bundle.
Google Sells Zagat to The Infatuation, The Infatuation and Zagat, More on Google and AMP
A review of why Google bought Zagat, what The Infatuation might do with the review site, and the parallels with the AMP project.
The Athletic Raises $20 Million, Four Stories on Tech and Politics
The Athletic is right to go for it, and raise more VC money. Then, tech and politics is only becoming more complicated as national security concerns enter the debate.
The Aggregator Paradox
Google is winning with AMP and blocking ads in Chrome: both seem bad, but aren’t they actually good for consumers? That is the paradox of aggregation.
Facebook’s Motivations
The impact of Facebook’s News Feed changes on the media is far less interesting than what the changes — and their stated purpose — say about Facebook itself.
Meredith Buys Time Inc., Meredith’s Business, About the Koch Investment
Meredith is buying Time Inc.; most media coverage is focused on the Koch investment, but Meredith itself is far more interesting as a publisher that is succeeding.
Popping the Publishing Bubble, Revisited; BuzzFeed’s Struggles; Axios’ Success
News from BuzzFeed in particular suggest the digital publishing bubble may be bursting. Axios, meanwhile, shows that subscriptions aren’t the only answer — but niche may be.
Goodbye Gatekeepers
Harvey Weinstein was a gate-keeper — a position that existed in multiple industries, including the media. That entire structure, though, is untenable on the Internet, and that’s a good thing.