#MediaRevenue - David Clinch

Happy Friday and welcome to my weekly update on all things #MediaRevenue.

By the way, I don't just talk about media revenue, my partners and I are working on some concrete initiatives to bring revenue solutions to news organizations and to create scalable infrastructure to support the future of journalism.

We are providing small, midsize and regional news organizations with access to media technology like games, puzzles, video, audio and animation that can drive engagement and revenue that is tied directly to original journalism.

We are adding ethical applications of AI and Machine Learning so that technology that supports journalism, but does not replace it, can be accessed by newsrooms of all sizes.

We are working on industry-level initiatives to provide universal verified bios for local journalists and news organizations, based on their body of work rather than a paid-for blue tick. It will be easier to support the future of local journalism if it is easier to define, identify and monitor in real time, not just via annual research and reports.

We are deeply involved in initiatives to harness the power of shared technology to make sure that revenue from multiple sources; including subscriptions, memberships, advertising, philanthropic investment, government notices and fair compensation from tech companies, is directed towards, and incentivizes, authentic original journalism.

The urgency of these efforts has never been greater and the key to success is collaboration across the industry at every level. If you want to know more about any of these revenue technologies or industry initiatives, let me know: david@mediagrowthteam.com

Here are some stories from this week that illustrate the issues at hand ->

Senate Judiciary Committee considers AI’s impact on news and information: "A panel representing newspapers, magazines, radio and TV broadcasters and journalists discussed the opportunities and perils AI presents" - Editor & Publisher. with testimony from Danielle Coffey Roger Lynch Jeff Jarvis and Curtis LeGeyt

AI Threatens to Crush News Organizations. Lawmakers Signal Change Is Ahead: "The fight over the legality of AI firms eating content from news organizations without consent or compensation is split into two camps: Those who believe the practice is protected under the “fair use” doctrine in intellectual property law that allows creators to build upon copyrighted works, and those who argue that it constitutes copyright infringement." - Hollywood Reporter.

OpenAI In Talks With CNN, Fox and Time to License Content: "OpenAI is in talks with CNN, Fox Corp. and Time to license their work, according to people familiar with the matter, in a growing effort to secure access to news content to build out its artificial intelligence products while facing allegations it’s ripping off copyrighted materials." Bloomberg via Shirin Ghaffary

OpenAI's COO Pitches Startup As Friendly Partner to Publishers: "There's going to be differences in how we can use technology in journalism that may change the way the way journalism works, that may change how we think about journalism in society. But we're here to figure out how to do that and help people do that, and to build tools that enable that. So we've been really encouraged by the feedback we've gotten from most publishers. We were disappointed with the New York Times. We actually thought there was an opportunity there for what could have really been an important partnership. We're not going to be distracted from the companies that want to work with us." - Bloomberg.

OpenAI and journalism: "We support journalism, partner with news organizations, and believe The New York Times lawsuit is without merit." - OpenAI Blog.

Legal experts say OpenAI has ‘case to answer’ in showdown with New York Times: "The New York Times claim against OpenAI appears to give the tech company “a case to answer” and puts it on the “horns of a dilemma” in its negotiations with other publishers, IP experts have told Press Gazette." - Press Gazette.

Fox Corp. launches blockchain platform to negotiate with AI firms: "Fox Corp. plans to use the Verify Protocol to negotiate deals licensing its content — an enormous trove of intellectual property across Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, and more — to artificial intelligence (AI) companies." - Axios via Sara Fischer

Editor of The Los Angeles Times Steps Down: "In recent months, Mr. Merida has been at odds with members of the Soon-Shiong family on a variety of matters, including editorial decisions and business priorities, according to two people with knowledge of the situation." - New York Times via Benjamin Mullin

Los Angeles Times editor's departure shows that billionaires — still — have a hard time figuring out how to save newspapers: "The LA Times, which already underwent significant layoffs last year, is now looking at another round of cost-cutting this year — something designed to cut more than $10 million from its budget" - Business Insider via Peter Kafka

The Messenger is counting on a sudden and dramatic advertising turnaround to survive: "The Messenger, the struggling news media startup co-founded by publishing veteran Jimmy Finkelstein, is urging potential investors to make a long-shot bet on a dramatic rebound in advertising this year." - NBC News.

NBC News Lays Off ‘Several Dozens’ of Staffers: "While “several dozens” of staffers sounds like a lot (and if we’re being honest, it is), NBC News employs thousands of people, and despite the job eliminations, there are still roughly 150 new and open positions at NBC News that the company plans to fill. Those affected by today’s layoffs are being encouraged to apply for those open roles." - TV Newser.

Shredded Cheddar: "...effectively, no one working at Cheddar News, the once spirited financial news-focused streaming television network. The Jon Steinberg-founded "CNBC for millennials," which Altice USA acquired in 2019 for a staggering $200 million before offloading it for an undisclosed amount to Archetype last month, is now essentially a zombie channel." - CNN Reliable Sources via Oliver Darcy

Hanover-based NewsGames finds a growing market: "Based on each week’s news, it’s part of a suite of games—which also includes a news quiz and a localized version of Wordle—created by Kevin McCurdy and Bill Miles, the Hanover-based brothers-in-law who run NewsGames.org, a company dedicated to finding ways of strengthening Americans’ engagement with news and civic life in the communities where they live." - Hanover Daybreak News.

A startup backed by legacy media; The Word In Black case study: "Could a digital news startup, backed by legacy media, succeed? We were about to find out. Word In Black was incubated inside Local Media Foundation. That provided infrastructure and an environment to test and experiment. Our business plan called for diverse revenue streams including philanthropic funding of journalism, branded content, sponsorships, events and more." - LMA via Nancy Lane. Nancy Lane

AJC’s Andrew Morse: What a year - and 2024 will be even better: "We are making a substantial investment in our newsroom in 2024, expanding key beats, hiring new reporters and opening new bureaus across the state. You can expect to see more robust business coverage, especially about the multinational companies, tech startups and small businesses that call Atlanta home. You will also see more coverage of Georgia’s booming entertainment industry." AJC via Andrew Morse. Andrew Morse

In 2024, Star Tribune has big plans for breaking news, expanded statewide coverage: "Our New Year's resolution is to create the nation's leading model for local news, driving innovation in media to make every Minnesotan's life better." - Star Tribune via Steve Grove. Steve Grove