Hello there,

The podcast phenomenon continues to grow, and more and more journalists are launching their own newsletters. 

That’s no coincidence. These formats fulfil a need that traditional news media channels often struggle to meet. Naturally, media organisations are joining in as well, offering new podcast formats: some included with subscriptions, others designed to attract new audiences to the brand.

Recently, a podcast featuring a macroeconomist and a recently retired senior EU official explored a perspective that rarely gets much mainstream news coverage: in the context of migration, what if North Africa were not primarily viewed as a threat, but rather as a strategic opportunity for Europe?

Why mention this here?

Well, the podcast format provided the space and tone to unpack this scenario in a way that would be difficult to replicate within the limits of traditional news formats. The absence of urgency and the open-ended framing under the theme “what if” enabled a more layered exploration, allowing for reflection rather than reaction.

The value offered to their listening community is evident.

Alongside podcasts, newsletters are also gaining ground. I currently follow around seven. One focuses on artificial intelligence, summarising key developments with thoughtful commentary. Another covers modern culture, full of personal stories and references to obscure platforms I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

These newsletters curate and interpret the world with an editorial freedom and tone of voice that are rarely found in mainstream outlets. I’m more than happy to pay €5 a month for that. Some writers are now earning a living from their Substack subscribers.

That’s the power of niche media: they are free to detach from dominant narratives, policy frameworks and the rigid tempo of the news cycle. There’s a great deal to be learned from the way they operate. Today’s newsroom must be able to move on at least two levels:

  • How do we stay relevant to a broad audience while applying lessons from niche publications and even social media accounts?
  • Which technological tools do we adopt to remain both up to date and financially viable?
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Coping with news fatigue 

Ask around and you’ll hear the same thing: many people feel overwhelmed by the news. Global warming brings record heat year after year, yet another bombardment leaves us angry and hopeless, and political infighting never seems to end. All of it matters – yet many of us still switch off.

Is it the content, or the way it’s presented?

Dmitry Shishkin argues the latter. In our latest blog, he shares his perspective on news fatigue and offers a number of useful strategies. Our writer Em Kuntze also invited me to contribute a few thoughts.

Read the blog

Tools for a modern newsroom

If you're reading this newsletter, chances are you have a strong interest in media innovation and newsroom tools. We think you’ll find our upcoming webinar particularly valuable (and it’s free!).

Through ongoing conversations with other software providers in the field, we’ve recently begun collaborating with Norwegian platform Labrador CMS. Together, we’ll be hosting a session to address some key questions for on-the-ball newsrooms like yours:

  • What does ‘actionability’ in tooling really mean?
  • How can dashboards help improve content performance and delivery?
  • In what ways can dashboards support editorial workflow?
  • How can a CMS accelerate content creation?
  • What features are essential to gain a true understanding of what’s happening on your site?

Have a question of your own? Submit it and register for the webinar using this link. The webinar will be all the richer for your input.

Sign up now

READING TIPS

  • Very meta, but here we go: in this newsletter about podcasts and newsletters, you'll find a recommendation for a podcast about newsletters. Michael MacLeod writes two daily newsletters, The Edinburgh Minute and The London Minute, which together reach a mailing list of 25,000 free subscribers and thousands of paying readers. He is interviewed by Jacob Granger on the Journalism.co.uk podcast, 
  • What makes audiences subscribe to news? INMA looks at legacy newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), podcast platform Podimo and newsletter start-up The Edinburgh Minute (see above). Each has successfully met user needs and stimulated growth with premium content.
  • Several European newspapers have started bundling their premium subscriptions with full access to The New York Times, aiming to attract readers interested in American political coverage and international news. Early signs suggest the strategy is working: El País saw thousands of subscribers activate their NYT access and The Irish Times exceeded its subscription targets, NiemanLab reports.
  • Finally, for those looking for proven AI tools from the media sector: this list may not be exhaustive, but it does include at least 70 tools and some of them are well worth exploring.

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That’s it for this edition. We will be back every two weeks with updates from our side, and we curate the stories we believe will be of value to you. Suggestions and tips are always welcome. Don’t forget to sign up for our webinar - and we’ll see you in April!

Best wishes,

Stefan ten Teije, Editor @ smartocto