The missing piece when it comes to the future of media are faceless publishers. Vox Media’s deal with The Ringer shows the way.
Facebook Content Guidelines, Facebook Video, Amazon Prime Video on Apple TV
Facebook faces a daunting challenge when it comes to policing content, but it is a challenge the company brought on itself. Then, Facebook’s video tab is competing against YouTube, not Amazon or Netflix, and business models explain why — and probably explain the Amazon-Apple truce.
The Local News Business Model
Subscriptions are the future of local news: the key, though, is getting rid of newspapers.
Facebook Earnings, Advertisers Won’t Save Local News, Bret Stephens and the NYT Business Model
Facebook’s earnings show that the company’s ads are differentiated. Then, advertisers won’t save local news, and a reminder that publications need to match their journalism with their business model.
Not OK, Google
Google is making an algorithmic change to demote fake news, but its lack of transparency around its actions is concerning in its own right.
Facebook and the Cost of Monopoly
Facebook gave one of the worst keynotes in a long time: there was no vision, just the adoption of Snap’s. It’s the inevitable outcome of a monopoly.
Jeff Bezos’ Annual Letter, Facebook Messenger and Payments, Facebook Instant Articles Fizzing?
Jeff Bezos’ annual letter is as illuminating as ever, particularly on how to achieve alignment in a business. Facebook demonstrates that, both positively and negatively.
The Walt Mossberg Brand
Walt Mossberg is retiring; his influence on tech is well-known, but his influence on the media is just as profound.
Medium and Bundle Economics, Text vs Music vs Video, Another Uber Scandal
More on Medium: the company is trying to sell a bundle, but there are no bundle economics in its favor. Then, Uber has another scandal, with a familiar person at the center.
Medium Membership, Medium Content, The Medium Newspaper
Ev Williams premise that media is broken is correct. It’s broken, though, because of the business model, which means another bad business model isn’t the solution.