In The Future of Trustworthy Information, Julia Angwin explores the shifting dynamics of trust in the digital age. Through her work at the Shorenstein Center, she is exploring the roles of content creators and how they compete with, and can inform the work of traditional journalists. In particular, she examines their relationships through the lens of who today’s audiences trust and why.

Building blocks of trustworthiness

Angwin adopts a trust framework from Roger C. Mayer’s 1995 “Integrative Model of Organizational Trust,” focusing on three key factors:

1. Ability: Competence in performing a task.
2. Benevolence: Motives that prioritize the audience’s best interests.
3. Integrity: Adherence to principles that align with the audience’s values.

These elements are critical for both creators and journalists but manifest differently in their practices.

Demonstrating ability

Traditional journalism emphasizes expertise in reporting processes—verifying facts, cultivating sources, and concise writing—but often fails to make this expertise transparent to the public. Reporters rarely highlight their qualifications, and newsroom norms discourage reliance on personal expertise. Efforts to enhance trust, such as detailed reporter biographies, remain underutilized and ineffective.

In contrast, creators highlight their expertise directly. Many specialize in specific domains, such as doctors debunking medical misinformation or leather workers analyzing luxury handbags, and prominently feature their credentials. They tailor storytelling to build trust by guiding audiences through evidence before reaching conclusions. They also emphasize visual storytelling, as today’s audiences gravitate towards video-based content. The use of green screens capitalizes on this trend while reinforcing credibility by presenting data in real-time.

Perceived benevolence

Audiences increasingly question journalists’ benevolence, with only 23% of Americans believing national news organizations prioritize the public’s best interests. Skepticism stems from perceived political biases, sensationalism, and the profit motives of large media conglomerates. Individual journalists often struggle to overcome institutional distrust, especially when constrained by editorial policies.

Interestingly, audiences do not perceive creators as benevolent either. Particularly when it comes to product reviews, audiences are skeptical of trustworthiness. Creators counter this by positioning themselves as community servants. They frequently respond to audience requests and tailor content to viewer interests. Transparency about financial motives sets them apart; many creators decline brand partnerships or disclose them carefully, recognizing authenticity strengthens trust. This direct engagement fosters a perception of benevolence that journalists often lack.

Upholding integrity

Both journalists and creators navigate a low-trust digital environment where misinformation proliferates. Accusations of sensationalism or bias often undermine journalistic integrity, while creators address skepticism around product endorsements. To reinforce integrity, creators disclose sources, provide citations, and avoid overt monetization. Visual evidence and informal presentation styles humanize creators, enhancing their perceived honesty.

Implications for traditional journalism

The rise of content creators offers valuable lessons for journalism. Creators enter the digital space understanding that trust must be earned, not assumed. Their focus on transparency, responsiveness, and audience engagement contrasts with journalism’s historical reliance on legacy credibility. This gap underscores the need for journalists to adopt practices that tangibly demonstrate trustworthiness. These practices include showcasing expertise, engaging directly with audiences, and maintaining transparency about financial and editorial motivations.

Journalists must prioritize meaningful accountability to rebuild trust with the public. They often need more consequences for mistakes than creators, who face immediate audience scrutiny for errors. Engaging directly with affected communities and investing in public editors and reader feedback mechanisms can enhance transparency and foster trust. While resource constraints are real, addressing the trust deficit is essential to journalism’s core mission: holding power accountable. Small steps in this direction can help restore credibility and public confidence.

The post Audience trust: journalists vs independent creators appeared first on Digital Content Next.

That has implications for news organizations seeking to grow, engage, and inform audiences. That, in turn, limits the ability of those titles to hold power to account.

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen is Director at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. He is also the co-author of a new book entitled Avoiding the News: Reluctant Audiences for Journalism, which delves deeper into the causes of and solutions to news avoidance in greater detail.

In an interview about the book, he tells me that the idea arose from his work on the annual Digital News Report. “We noticed that in the United States almost 10% say that they use news less often than once a month or never. And as someone who believes firmly in the importance of journalism, and who used to think that everyone engaged with the news… I just kept staring at that figure.”

So, he set out to learn more, asking “Who are these people? Why do they say they use so little news? And how do they navigate the world without it?”

He found that, while the impact of public disengagement with newspapers’ missions are the most obvious consequence of news avoidance, it has less immediately apparent implications for media business models. It presents challenges around propensity to pay for news, keyword blocking – and that does not begin to account for the societal impact of citizens choosing to avoid essential news and information.

His research also found a variety of causes for news avoidance among the public, whether that was selectively or constantly. Nielsen says that the majority of news avoiders do not avoid media in general. Rather, there is something specific about news content that repels them.

The psychological impact of negative news

One of the most prominent is that news content can create psychological stress among sections of the audience who are ill-equipped to deal with it. Whether that is as a result of wider social pressures in their lives or simple exhaustion from work, Nielsen says a proportion of respondents believe they have no mental availability to engage with news content:

“What they often seek from the media is something pleasant, something that can help them recharge and renew, as they face another day of often very demanding tasks that they have to take on to provide for themselves or families.”

That is exacerbated by a perception that news content is primarily negative. The adage that “if it bleeds it leads” is undeniably true – perhaps ever more so in the age of social media. However, the trade off for news publishers is that a subset of the audience will disengage from negativity entirely.

So when the news is perceived to be overly negative audiences will choose to avoid it. That feeds the perennial problem of keyword blocking among advertisers, who also seek to avoid association with that negativity – even when the coverage is entirely warranted by a need to inform the public.

Blacklisted, by readers and advertisers

Nielsen acknowledges that news avoidance is not a phenomenon that exists in a vacuum. It feeds into those other issues like keyword blocklists: “We could probably write a whole separate book about advertisers avoiding the news. But at the end of the day, publishers who are relying on advertising will have to consider the reality that much of the public and many advertisers aren’t interested in being next to pieces of journalism that they regard as being divisive and depressing and perhaps not that valuable.”

In Avoiding the News Nielsen and his co-authors acknowledge that, in the case of people’s attitude to media, “perception is reality.” But in line with their recommendations to publishers, they also suggest potential solutions to these issues, one of which is to take a more positive approach to coverage to prevent that disengagement:

Neilsen says that “there is a good case to be made that that media literacy has been very focused on helping people be critical, which is important. But there is a companion [argument] that it’s about helping people be affirmative, about making decisions about what’s good enough in a world of imperfect choices of information.”

Payments, perception, and representation

Another prominent cause of news avoidance is that the public – still – does not feel represented by the news. They do not believe it is either by or for them. Nielsen explains: “There is a very clear sense amongst many of our interviewees that news isn’t for people like them, that news is for people who are older, who identify as male, for people who are well off.”

He likens it to the way that some people say classical music or contemporary art is something that’s “perfectly fine for other people, but it’s not really for people like me.”

That, too, has implications for media business models. An increasing number of media organizations seek to build out subscription models. However, the perception of a lack of representation shrinks the total addressable audience, limiting the potential for converting significant numbers of readers to members or subscribers.

It goes back to what Nielsen describes as a discussion around “identity and ideology.” He notes that the belief that news is not representative is not universal, nor is it unique to either left- or right-leaning audiences. Instead it comes from a wider societal sense of disenfranchisement: the perception is stronger among right-leaning people in the U.S., but among left-leaning people in the U.K. Nielsen attributes this in part to the fact that the U.K .press is perceived to skew right more generally.

However, he points out that “In the U.K., in the U.S., large parts of the public are disenchanted with politics, and they see news as intertwined with politics not in an independent from it. And that sense of alienation from politics in turn informs their relationship with journalism.”

As a result the authors of Avoiding the News say that one potential solution is that the industry needs to recognize that it currently does not speak to as wide an array of people as it could: “It is within the power of journalists and editors to think about ‘what are the sources that we feature?’ ‘What are the topics that we feature?’ ‘How do we write about communities near and far?’ And ‘is it worth more proactively trying to address these very vocal and consistent and long standing concerns many parts of the public have?’”

Community engagement and games we play

Another factor in news avoidance lies in sections of the public not being part of any “news communities.” Nielsen explains that “They don’t get any social affirmation or reinforcement, the way that many white collar people with high levels of formal education move in circles where they’re constantly affirmed that engaging with the news is important and it makes us kind of a better person. It’s not only right, it’s also righteous.”

For news organizations whose audience acquisition and retention strategies rely on bringing audience members into their own news communities, that presents a problem. It is one thing to introduce someone who already interacts with other people around news content into the fold; it is another thing entirely to create that behavior in people.

Membership-based organizations like the U.K.’s “slow news” brand Tortoise rely in part on using their engaged members as ambassadors for the brand.

However, as the success of the New York Times’ cooking and games apps make clear, news content is not the only thing that draws new audience members into the fold. Adjacent products like crosswords – which make community high scores etc. part of their appeal – are ways to sidestep this issue and potentially engage those audiences at a later date.

This time, it might really be personal

News avoidance has risen in priority among media companies’ priority lists over the past few years. On February 27th in the U.K., a House of Lords committee into the impact of technology on news saw it raised as a problem that needs to be overcome, for example. While much of that concern is predicated on the impact on the efficacy of journalism, the subtext is that news avoidance is contributing to media companies’ revenue woes.

Nielsen says that while a lot of the reasons for news avoidance are societal and structural rather than as a direct result of media companies’ decisions, there are still actions editors and journalists can undertake to mitigate it:

“I know that many journalists and news organizations feel a bit uneasy about ideas of personalization. [But] if news media and journalists want to serve everybody, they probably need a more differentiated offer including packaging things for people who may want to hear some things that did not go wrong in the world yesterday before we get to things that [did].”

Ultimately many of the potential solutions presented in the book lie in doubling down on journalism’s promise: to represent the whole public, not just the most affluent members of society, and to ensure that readers and viewers feel that representation.

Nielsen says: “I also would just invite journalists and editors to read some of what citizens told us in our interviews as we feature in the book, because I think on closer inspection, some journalists and editors may admit that people have a point about some of their criticisms of journalism.”

The post Addressing the collateral damage of news avoidance appeared first on Digital Content Next.

Yonder’s research explores the types of local news and information consumed, the platforms utilized, and the sources trusted by the public. They found that online sources dominate the local media landscape (89%). Social media, messaging apps, and websites emerge as the go-to platforms, with local groups on social media leading the pack at 38%. BBC regional news bulletins on TV and the BBC website or app also boast significant shares at 35% each.

Local news sources

Local news plays a vital role in community integration because it is through local media that people learn about the world around them. Local groups on social media are the most popular sources of information, signaling a societal shift towards community-driven sharing. News aggregators find favor among younger demographics, while email newsletters and hyperlocal messaging apps appeal to an older audience.

Online services lead in traffic and travel information, while online sources dominate local events and government information. The BBC is the most utilized source for local news and information in the UK. Regional news bulletins on both BBC and other services, such as ITV or STV, claim significant viewership on television. Commercial radio stations, including Heart and Capital, cater to younger audiences, while local newspapers, both free and paid, are popular across all age groups.

Geographic and demographic differences

Interestingly, the survey identified a divergence in platform preferences across geographical areas. While TV remains the dominant medium for receiving news at the national and county levels, social media takes precedence at the city, town, neighborhood, and street levels.

Further, the survey illuminates regional variations in media consumption. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland exhibit unique preferences, with regional political programs gaining prominence. Additionally, consumers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland favor paid newspapers as their primary local news and media sources. Whereas in England, free magazines enjoy greater popularity compared to other nations.

Delving into demographic nuances, social media, TV, and word of mouth are the primary platforms, with a noticeable generational divide. Younger individuals (16–34-year-olds) lean heavily on online sources, while the 65+ demographic prefers TV, radio, and print.

The Local Media Survey provides an understanding of how UK adults interact with local media, shedding light on preferences, platforms, and sources. Examining specific sources confirms a societal shift towards community-driven information sharing, with local social media groups taking the lead.

Demographic variations showcase preferences, with younger favoring online sources and the 65+ demographic relying on traditional mediums. As media landscapes evolve, these insights serve as a valuable compass for media organizations to navigate the ever-changing channels of news information consumption.

The post In the UK, local news is community driven appeared first on Digital Content Next.

The study examines the attitudes, values, and behaviors of different generational segments and racial, ethnic, and identity (REI) cohorts in the context of digital media. To accomplish this, a survey was conducted among 1,500 respondents ― proportionally across Gen Z, Gen Y, and Gen X segments and each segment included Black, Latino, Asian, LGBTQ+, and White populations.

Representation matters

The findings uncover the perspectives and preferences of how respondents engage with digital media content, their subscription practices, their relationship to ad-supported content, and their views on representation and portrayal.

In this regard, the study underscores the importance of incorporating inclusivity, diverse representation, and authentic portrayal in media content.

• Black respondents exhibit a heightened awareness of diverse creators and producers, actively seeking television content where they see themselves represented.
• The LGBTQ+ community expresses a deep-seated sense of underrepresentation and the need for more authentic narratives in media. 
• Asian audiences are eager to move beyond secondary roles in entertainment content and advocate for realistic and inclusive portrayals.
• Black and LGBTQ+ audiences exhibit increased loyalty to media brands that respect their representation, sourcing content from creators who mirror their experiences and featuring talent that reflects their identity.

Impacts of mobile and social media usage

Generational nuances are exposed regarding the impact of mobile and social media usage on mental health. Gen Z and Gen Y are more attuned to the adverse effects of excessive social media and mobile use, particularly on self-esteem and anxiety. LGBTQ+ individuals, irrespective of their generation, also express heightened concerns over the negative implications of their digital engagements.

Willingness to pay for content

Diverse audiences exhibit varying tendencies toward paying for digital content. Gen Z and Gen Y are notably more willing to invest in digital content than Gen X, hinting at the shifting media consumption paradigms. Black and Latino cohorts emerge as more willing spenders on digital content than other REI groups.

Unlocking media benefits

The study reveals the appeal of on-demand access to content remains a consistent top benefit, across generational and Racial, Ethnic, and Identity (REI) cohorts.

• The desire to watch what one wants when one wants is the foremost advantage of subscribing to video content.
• Anywhere access emerges as the predominant advantage of subscribing to audio content.
• Digital print media garners favor for its capacity to offer knowledge acquisition, personalized curation, consistent content updates, and unwavering quality.

DCN’s Digital Media Audience Diversity Study uncovers a spectrum of insights into the dynamics of digital media engagement. Understanding the subtleties within these findings across generation and Racial, Ethnic, and Identity (REI) cohorts is pivotal for content companies to engage with specific audiences effectively. Beyond profits, this engagement nurtures creativity, fosters inclusivity, and aligns media companies with the evolving ethos of a diverse and dynamic media future.

Full research report for DCN members only. Register to or login to download (on desktop see top right corner of page, on mobile the top center). Download buttons will appear at the top and bottom of the page.

The post DCN research unveils the power of representation in audience engagement appeared first on Digital Content Next.

Media companies like ABC News and the Washington Post have developed a strong following on the platform. And BBC News has seen a 2000% increase in followers in the last nine months. 

Reuters Institute reports that 49% of leading news publishers worldwide now regularly post to TikTok and the number of publishers committing to the platform continues to climb. Echobox’s latest Publishing Trends Survey found that 59% of publishers believed TikTok would be more important to them this year compared to 2022 — a jump of 39% in the last year. 

These developments, however, are taking place against the backdrop of growing regulatory pressure on TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. It is conceivable that the world’s fastest growing social media app could soon be banned in the U.S. Why, then, are so many news organizations choosing to invest in a platform whose future is shrouded in uncertainty?

Why invest in a platform with an uncertain future?

1. The short term gain justifies the investment

The simplest answer is that whatever happens to TikTok in the future is less important than the benefit to be gained from using the platform now. When we asked publishers which activities would be more important to them this year, 47% of respondents to our survey answered growing social followers and engagement. Publishers are going where the audiences are, with the hope that readers exposed to their content will either follow them on other social platforms or sign up for newsletters or other subscription products in the event that TikTok becomes unviable.

2. All social media is becoming like TikTok

In the long term, the continued investment in TikTok is an indication of the new realities of social media as a whole. Quite simply, TikTok has changed the game.

In the last couple of years, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have all sharpened their focus on TikTok, looking to ape its distinctive allure. The calculus here is that even if the platform was to be banned, the innovations that it pioneered, such as short-form vertical format video, will remain alive and well on other platforms.

Meta’s cross-platform Reels as well as YouTube Shorts have experienced impressive performance stats. Meta announced during its Q1 2023 earnings call that Reels was responsible for a 24% increase in time spent on the platform. 

Investments made into acquiring the skills and technology to produce content on TikTok can therefore be put to productive use on other platforms where short-form vertical videos have been incorporated. 

The results of our publisher survey reinforce this. For 47% of publishers, creating video will be more important this year than last.

The time is right

In the here and now, how can publishers take advantage of TikTok’s popularity and increase the potential virality of their content?

The most fundamental difference between TikTok and Facebook is the nature of its “recommender algorithms” that determine what content is served up to a given user. Instead of relying on who you follow to determine what content you should see, per Facebook’s model, TikTok relies purely on opaque algorithms to serve up content without a user having to follow anyone; the single imperative on TikTok is to watch. 

This removes a barrier to publishers who want to increase their exposure on the platform. Not having the potential visibility of content circumscribed by follower numbers means that, theoretically, it’s easier for any publisher to produce highly-viewed, or even viral content.

Timing is everything

Achieving high performance on TikTok is all a matter of timing.

The process by which TikTok promotes content is simple: it shows content to a small sample of users in its For You feed. Then, if engagement and watch time is high, the video gets promoted to a larger group and so on. Posting video at a time in which a high number of engaged users are active means that the potential for virality is immediately increased. 

Utilizing AI-powered social media management tools to optimize post timings is therefore a simple and cost-effective way to increase visibility. The fact that a publisher’s TikTok follower count has virtually no bearing on which content is promoted allows greater opportunities for AI systems to maximize the potential visibility of a video and help its performance snowball.

The future of TikTok remains uncertain, but the platform is rich in immediate benefits. With over a billion (predominantly young) users, publishers have the opportunity to meet new audiences where they are congregating. With a combination of AI smarts and a forward-looking strategy, publishers can become trusted and indispensable news sources with or without TikTok.

About the author

Ashley Kibler is the Marketing Director at Echobox, the leading solution for publishing automation used by over 2,000 publishers and media groups worldwide to automate and optimize content curation and distribution.

The post How publishers can make the most of TikTok appeared first on Digital Content Next.

Some deflation was probably inevitable, and in the last few months it’s started peeking over the horizon. Reuters’ Annual Digital News Report was bullish on subscriptions in 2020 and 2021, but this year’s installment says that “there are signs that overall growth might be leveling off.” NiemanLab, citing data from paywall tech company Piano, also recently reported that “a significant number of new subscribers cancel their digital subscriptions within a day.”

There is no question that subscriptions are still a highly viable revenue source, and will remain so for the indefinite future. But outlets that want to maintain and expand their subscriber base in a challenging, competitive environment will need to develop a deeper sense of what keeps readers subscribing––and what brings them onboard in the first place.

What drives readers to subscribe––and renew?

Access to quality content 

The common wisdom used to be that your best stories should go outside the paywall because those were the stories most likely to bring in new users (and help boost pageviews and ad dollars in the process). 

Recently, though, some have turned that common wisdom on its head, with intriguing results. Look at Business Insider: in recent years they’ve aggressively paywalled some of their biggest scoops, and have grown their subscriber base significantly in the process. Scoop, of course, is the key word here. Users are willing to pay for the kind of distinctive content they can’t get for free elsewhere.

Feeling part of a community

As the big social platforms know well, community is the “stickiest” thing a company can offer. Nothing draws users back more reliably than vibrant on-site conversation. Data from OpenWeb’s network of 1,000+ global publishers shows that those who engage with the conversation view 4.5X more pages. They also spend 3.6X more time on-site, and drive 3.2X more revenue than non-engaged users. Better yet, on average, 25% of these users return monthly. Publishers have been trying to turn their websites into social hubs for over a decade now. But with Facebook effectively abandoning the social news space as it pivots to TikTok-style videos, publishers have more breathing room to cultivate communities of their own. 

Subscriber perks

The last few years have seen more attention paid to what InPublishing calls a “rounded membership proposition”––i.e., everything an outlet offers besides its content. This can take countless forms: from puzzle games (like the New York Times’ Wordle) to subscriber-only podcasts, newsletters, Discord communities, cooking courses, and more. These can go a long way towards that “bang for your buck” feeling that keeps subscriptions off the chopping block.

Interactivity

According to the Piano data referenced earlier, 40% of subscribers are “sleepers”––i.e., people who don’t interact with their subscription at all. As it happens, a large percentage of these people cancel the moment they “wake up.” 

The solution? Prevent them from falling asleep in the first place, through interactive content. Things like expert AMAs, live blogs, and staff Q&As are simple to set up and great for retention: they force users to come to your site at specific times and get them used to checking your content regularly.

Appeal of individual journalists

At this point, certain journalists are minor celebrities in their own right––and publishers should do everything they can to harness that star power. The New York Times’ newsletters do an excellent job of this. However, every publication has actual or potential stars, and cultivating them can go a long way towards boosting reader loyalty.

Subscriber acquisition starts with knowing readers better

When publishers expand the scope of their content offerings, they create a positive feedback loop. Comments sections, subscriber posts, journalist Q&As––these things keep readers on-site for longer and grant publishers fine-grained insight into how their content is resonating. That data can then be used to further refine subscription offerings, bringing in even more users and even more data, which can then––well, you get the idea. Figuring out precisely what your audience wants is a difficult task, and no one size fits all. But knowledge in this arena is inevitably cumulative––data begets data, every time.

Even the most optimistic observer of the ’20s subscription surge knew, on some level, that it couldn’t last forever. A leveling-out was always in the cards. For publishers, accepting the challenge of this moment means getting creative––experimenting, seeing what works, and building the kind of audience that will stick with you through this downturn and long beyond it.

The post How to increase your subscriber base despite the economic downturn appeared first on Digital Content Next.

However, GWI sees the present as an interim period. For now, it remains unclear whether consumers will return to their previous content consumption levels — or perhaps reach new heights. This report offers an early look at consumer’s media behavior and attitudes as they slowly resume post-pandemic life.

Consumer attention serves as a commodity in today’s media marketplace. The attention metric took on new importance during the pandemic. Marketers and advertisers seek digital properties that offer large viewer and reader data that exhibit high levels of time spent. However, the attention economy concept as currency is only part of the advertising equation. GWI believes understanding consumer attitudes and feelings is a necessary part of the calculation and offers insight into their behavior.

Multiple streaming services add up

Television consumption increased during the pandemic and so did consumer spending on subscription services. Though GWI’s research finds that some consumers think they spent too much money. Over one-third (34%) of consumers state that TV services are too expensive in Q2 2021 compared to 27% in Q2 2020, an increase of 26%. In addition, in May 2021, a quarter of consumers were thinking of canceling or already canceling a streaming service.

Gaming grabs consumer attention

The pandemic ignited a period of exceptional growth for gaming. GWI cites a Google Trends’ analysis that compares the popularity of video gaming to a TV program, a theatrical release, and a new album release. The analysis tracks the popularity of Animal Crossing, a social simulation video game series, Tiger King, a popular Netflix program, Tenet, a new movie release, and Folklore, Taylor Swift’s album release — from January 5, 2020 to September 27, 2020. Tiger King, Tenet, and Folklore each had short-lived peaks, while the popularity of Animal Crossings, after an initial peak, maintains relatively steady interest.

Gaming is a strong contender for consumer attention, especially among Generation Z. According to GWI’s survey in Q2 2021, more than half (54%) of Zers are interested in gaming compared to 42% in Q2 2020. In contrast, Gen Z’s interest in television declined from 44% in Q2 2020 to 42% in Q2 2021.

Audio is screen-free

GWI’s report also shows audio entertainment, including streaming music and podcasts, is an integral part of consumers’ lives, especially when at home and during exercising. Interestingly, based on Q2 2021 data, streaming music is the only media type outperforming its Covid peaks that took place during lockdown.

GWI suggests that one of the reasons for audio’s success is that it doesn’t compete for screen time. Audio streaming offers an escape from screen fatigue. Using different screens all day may boost usage of audio media at the expense of visual media platforms.

Attention retention

As out-of-home activities become the norm once again, media channels need to think about re-engaging consumers. Transitioning from a pandemic mindset to a new normal is not easy for anyone. Media companies need to rethink their success and sales metrics and move beyond consumer attention. Offering quality content, positive experiences, a relatable community, opportunities of fandom, and possibilities of escapism, can present new opportunities of engagement.

The post Evaluating audience engagement post-pandemic appeared first on Digital Content Next.

With such a vast following comes great responsibility. The world as we know it is changing. But explanations about how, why, and what to do can be divisive. National Geographic’s mission is to use science, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. But how is it being translated into its social media strategy? 

National Geographic’s Director of Instagram Josh Raab knows that many younger people aren’t subscribers to the publication. For many of them, their primary interaction with the brand will be through social media, rather than longform journalism.

Instagram’s audience skews much younger than many other social platforms, with two-thirds of users aged 34 or under. So ,for a publisher like National Geographic, there is a huge opportunity to reach younger people with key messages about climate, conservation, and our changing world. But it requires tactful handling.

Finding the nuance in conservation conversations

Raab’s aim with NatGeo’s Instagram accounts is to educate, rather than overwhelm followers with problems. “Anything that we do is impact driven,” he emphasised. “We know the change that we want to see is going to have to come from future generations. So our hope is that [Instagram] is the way that we can cover a lot of what we see in the world, and further[people’s] knowledge and understanding of it. 

But it’s a delicate balance. As social media grows increasingly divisive, Raab is keen that NatGeo remains a place to go for information, rather than explicit activism.

“What we don’t see enough is the nuance in some of these conversations,” he said. “I think that the biggest way that we can help is to really educate people on the complexities of some of those problems or some of those subject areas that we’re covering, and let them make up their mind for themselves.

“At the end of the day, you won’t see us yelling and screaming in ways you’ll see in other places. Social media for us is more about telling people about the world and highlighting some of the changes that we’re seeing over time.”

He sees Instagram as a way of learning by stealth, even if that means competing for audience’s attention spans. “We try to trick people into learning,” he said. “How do we get people who might be on a platform for instant gratification to walk away with an unexpected understanding of something they didn’t necessarily go looking for?”

A unique curation process

In order to encourage a range of voices and perspectives, NatGeo has come up with a unique model for curating their feed. Posts are actually submitted directly by the photographers themselves. This includes the captions. Although they are reviewed by the publisher, each one is in the photographer’s voice, which avoids the text sounding too corporate. 

“It’s a great way to connect the audiences directly with the photographers, who are really the storytellers, the explorers, the people behind the stories,” Raab explained.

This approach also helps NatGeo avoid the trap of posting content just for the sake of high engagement. Raab noted that the team have a good sense of how a post will perform before it’s put live, but that doesn’t influence whether or not it’s posted. “For us, it’s about whether or not the story feels relevant,” he emphasized. “We’re pretty focused on having a broad coverage… rather than only the ones that would perform. If that were the case, you would see a lot of polar bears and cute animal content!”

Raab believes there is a distinct advantage to having an account the size of NatGeos when it comes to posting about issues like climate and conservation. “You can guarantee that you’re reaching people across the globe, of every interest and political standing,” he explained. “So we do the storytelling we think is important, and that the world needs to see.”

“We’re lucky enough – or simultaneously unlucky enough – that regardless of what that is, we will have people who love it and those who like it less!”

Comprehensive storytelling through Stories, Reels, and AR

When it comes to getting the most out of Instagram, Raab has noted that although the algorithm changes, it consistently favors new functionalities like IGTV, Lives, or more recently, Reels. “We try to play into those, because we know that’s where we can reach the most people,” he explained.

This approach led the publisher to be an early experimenter with Instagram’s Spark AR tool. Although producing AR experiences aren’t yet on the regular schedule, the team have released over a dozen filters over the past year. These range from an AR tour of Mars to a Yosemite National Park filter, complete with a bear selfie experience.

“We saw an opportunity to do more comprehensive storytelling within a platform that is intended to be used more for social purposes,” said Raab. “We’ve tried to find a way to integrate both storytelling and social experience into singular creations. And, for the most part, I think we’ve been successful.”

The more informal nature of Stories complements what NatGeo is aiming to do with inspiring the next generation. The off-the-cuff feel, where scientists and photographers are telling their stories from the field, help show NatGeo’s followers that although they are incredibly talented, they are people. “I want them to watch it and think, “That could be me one day,”” said Raab. “That’s just integral to what we do.”

Inspiration through education

Climate change and conservation are polarizing political issues, especially in the social space. But NatGeo’s commitment to bringing in the voices of leading scientists, educators, storytellers, conservationists, and more into its photos, captions and stories makes it a place that people can come to learn, rather than be preached at.

“Getting the message out to younger audiences is important. But we also want to inspire them to do some of what they’re seeing,” Raab emphasized. “We want to educate them about the world, rather than yelling at them about the exact changes they need to make, or making them feel like change is hopeless.”

“Ultimately, it will be up to these younger generations that we’re able to reach there to make the change that the world will need.”

As the most-followed publisher on Instagram by a country mile, NatGeo is doing something right. Education by stealth – and the occasional cute polar bear picture – seems to be a winning formula for inspiring the next generation to care about our world. 

The post Inspiring through Instagram: Exploring NatGeo’s socially responsible strategy appeared first on Digital Content Next.

As the pandemic enters a second year, a deafening lack of Trump has been coupled with a general public malaise from too much news. As a result, the historic ratings bump enjoyed during the Trump administration quickly turned into a slump. Few outlets have been spared. 

The Washington Post reported that of the three largest cable news networks, only Fox News has held relatively steady. Its three prime-time opinion shows fell just 6% in viewership since the first weeks of the year. MSNBC and CNN, meanwhile, declined 26% and 45% in the 8-10 p.m. ET time slot, respectively.

But it’s not just cable networks that have been affected. The Washington Post itself saw a 26% fall in the number of unique visitors to its website from January to February. The New York Times experienced a 17% decline in the same period. 

A slump by any other name

While the “Trump Slump” is a legitimate reason for the downward trend, it’s not the only cause. Nor is it a universal experience. 

At The Atlantic, SVP of growth Sam Rosen says that, “We’ve found even in just the past five or six months, what has really changed is that the motivation to understand this historic moment has decreased and the desire for personal intellectual growth has increased.” 

As he points out, “It’s been an exhausting five years for many people and especially the past year. So, it kind of makes sense that the core desire to just understand what’s happening in the world still exists. But people want to invest in their own growth.” And the company is banking on that willingness to invest. 

After a decade of open access, The Atlantic relaunched its paywall 20 months ago. The 163-year-old organization now boasts more than 750,000 subscribers. It is well on its way to eclipsing one million paying members by the end of 2022. Rosen says that ensuring the outlet’s retention and acquisition efforts are equally strong is critical for achieving this goal. 

Fundamentals and experimentation

On the retention side, The Atlantic focuses on the fundamentals. For example they’re migrating as many subscribers to auto-renew as possible. Targeted email campaigns are also reawakening dormant subscribers.

Acquiring new subscribers has been more colorful. For example, experimenting with new slogans such as “Read. Think. Grow.,” which are a change from more newsier lines of messaging in the past. Rosen said The Atlantic thinks of its audience in terms of psychographics: people that are curious, interested in the world, willing to consider multiple perspectives, and open to new ideas.

“Looking at the vanguard of marketing technology is one of our biggest priorities right now,” Rosen said. “We’re evaluating a slew of technology partners that do customer journey orchestration, dynamic paywalls, personalization, and content recommendations. So that is where we’re doubling down.”

Not content with the content

Another newsroom building value not reliant on Trump’s hoopla is Axios, which was launched in January 2017. The well positioned itself strategically for a post-Trump world. Though the fall in traffic is unmistakable, Axios’ director of audience and growth, Neal Rothschild, believes this could actually be a good thing.

“I think if you were going to ask the founders of the company [Axios] whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, they would say it’s 100 percent a good thing,” Rothschild said. “Jim VandeHei, our CEO, has maintained that people needed to wean themselves off of politics during the Trump years. It was like fast food and it became very unhealthy. So, we’re starting to see the news landscape kind of clear out and make way for the topics that were core to the founding of Axios. Though it may not have seemed like it just because Trump sucked up so much oxygen.”

Those other topics include the rise of China, climate change, and the gaming industry. For the latter, Axios hired Stephen Totilo and Megan Farokhmanesh from Kotaku and The Verge, respectively, to write Axios Gaming. Their newsletter launched this week and will focus on the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. Rothschild added that the company isn’t limiting its expansion to specific topics. Its strategy of hiring experts to build readership extends to local journalism in news deserts, where just a single outlet currently operates, or where no community newspaper exists at all.

Perspectives and connections

Centralized business units have been crucial for Axios. It’s technology, sales, audience, and marketing teams have allowed it to fill local voids without the vast capital needed to build startups from scratch, like The Texas Tribune in Austin and Seattle’s InvestigateWest. Axios currently has five local newsletters. It also recently announced plans for a sixth in Northwest Arkansas.

“To stand up a newsletter in each city, we try to hire two experts that can helm that newsletter so that we can speak to the city and have it growing quickly. I think that’s a departure from previous models for supporting local news. Usually, you need more of a physical presence in that city or at least need to invest more on the ground,” Rothschild said. “That’s not a huge site traffic audience strategy. But it is a pretty good growth and revenue strategy. And it is increasing our footprint around the country.”

Global ambitions

As important as local news has been to CBS, Trump was an international story. Significantly, the international audience it gained over the past four years remains. While many U.S. outlets have cut their international presence in recent years, CBSN — CBS’ 24/7 streaming news service — last year expanded to almost 100 countries. That global presence was critical in CBSN delivering 291 million streams in the first quarter of 2021, up 30% from the same period a year ago.

Christy Tanner, EVP and general manager of CBS News Digital said her team has only just scratched the surface of its global potential. Through Network 10 in Australia, which ViacomCBS owns, its partner the BBC and its own international bureaus, it’s creating even more international programming.

“With streaming audiences, we do not see what was at one point conventional wisdom in the news business: Allegedly, U.S. audiences are not interested in international news. That’s simply not true from our perspective.” In fact, Tanner said, “We think it’s an important differentiator. It’s important to tell the stories. We at CBS News digital have been extremely fortunate that CBS has continued to invest in international coverage.”

The local news

That said, Trump was as much a local story as he was a national and international one. So, CBS is also taking advantage of the dearth of local newsrooms. It now offers 14 total live streams including 10 in local markets such as the Bay Area, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota.

One new feature Tanner is especially excited about are video push alerts. Launched last fall, the proactive alerts nudge CBSN viewers whenever news is breaking across the U.S. Instead of only watching that day’s White House news conference on the national live stream, viewers could easily toggle over to CBSN Minnesota to watch Minneapolis’ police chief providing an update to the George Floyd case.

Tanner says her team sends out alerts dozens of times a day. This means that viewers are engaged in numerous stories, as opposed to any one story such as Trump or Covid-19.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

The past four years certainly provided newsrooms across the country with a welcome surge in readership. However, the smartest strategists were planning for Trump’s inevitable departure well in advance. As a result, the fall in traffic hasn’t been enough to hurt their bottom lines too much.

For Tanner, who entered journalism as an editor at the AP in 1991, the Trump presidency was just another wild cycle. And she’s experienced many. Tanner says to work in digital media, one always has to be ready for what’s next, and make intelligent fact-based decisions.

“Things are constantly changing and those who don’t adapt fall by the wayside.”

The post Rebuilding audience engagement in the post-Trump era appeared first on Digital Content Next.

Expect the unexpected

Lupinacci suggests that social media is purposely designed to keep consumers continuously connected. Social media allows consumers to access events and people they cannot reach directly. At the same time, these platforms offer the ability to interact with others immediately around these topics. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others social platforms pulsate with likes, re-postings, notifications, and trend lists.

Lupinacci refers to these tools as signals of vibrating life. For many, it offers a sense of community and belonging. For others, it offers the potential for virality, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Consumers have become habituated to expect the unexpected. Social media’s monetization strategy is based on consumer engagement because these platforms derive their revenue through data-driven targeted advertising. Therefore, the more time consumers are connected, the more data they collect, the more targeted ads are served.

Media flow

Like traditional media, social media converts audience attention into revenue. However, the methods used to maintain audience attention are different. Media channels, like television and newspapers, use storytelling, fictional or real, to engage consumers. For example, a television series typically organizes its content into logical sequences to keep the viewer’s attention. It fills time by ensuring that something happens. Lupinacci describes this as an intermission or an imminent interruption from the ordinary. In this way, the TV series captures consumer attention and exchanges for advertising revenue.

However, social platforms in general do not organize events into logical storylines. There is no intermission of the ordinary. Any moment, no matter how mundane or commonplace, can earn event status. In fact, consumers remain engaged because they perpetually wait for something remarkable to happen on social media. And this constant, inevitable (if unsatisfying) engagement is readily monetized.

Consumer impact

Importantly, consumers are aware of the time and energy they spend on social platforms. They often describe themselves as navigating aimlessly without finding content of value. They recognize that social algorithms drive their need for connectivity.

Interestingly, consumers identify five different emotional experiences on social media:

1. Excitement and enthusiasm about possibilities offered by social media platforms. Their enjoyment is often rooted in the possibility of accessing other people’s reactions to, and experiences of, whatever is happening.
2. Anxiety and the feeling of discomfort. Consumers express that their state of constant alertness, often prompts “stress-scrolling” or “doom-scrolling.”
3. Reassurance and a gateway for support, comfort, and help. Social media offers endorsement and validation; whatever you experience is also being felt by others.
4. Exhaustive and overloaded from the influx of information. Consumers express a sense of pointlessness in participating in social media.  
5. Responsibility to remain connected. There’s the constant pressure to be contactable. Many feel they cannot go offline for week without notifying a few people of their whereabouts offline.

A “live” worth living

Lupinacci’s work focuses around what she calls “liveness.” She points out that liveness has been employed by a range of media industries and technologies to promise immediate access to meaningful events and happenings as they unfold. Social media creates a sense of “the live” — in that the unexpected could happen at any time and in that it fosters a sense of real-time connectedness. However, the emphasis is on creating an anticipation of the possibility of meaning, of eventfulness, of human connection. That anticipation, in turn, fuels the scrolling, which fuels the monetization model.”

According to Lupinacci, constant connectedness alters our sense of time, space and what appears as “live.” And she believes that there are consequences to changing our perception of live events. It affects our capability to make sense of ourselves and as a result surfaces ambivalent emotional experience. In reality, social media’s culture of connectivity is a monetization model.

Traditional media captures the value of “live” and “liveness” and provides a meaningful pause, or interruption. It can connect people across continents around events unfolding anywhere. The storytelling model is designed to deliver value and engagement, which is rewarded through time, attention, and revenue. Social media, on the other hand, capitalizes on consumer’s longing for these experiences, but ultimately monetizes engagement alone, not the value of the experience.

The post Continuous connection as a business model appeared first on Digital Content Next.