Interesting tension: journalists as artists who need support vs AI replacing their jobs.

If journalists are the core asset (like music labels investing in artists), why optimize for technology that reduces headcount instead of expanding what artists can create?

Feels like two different strategies.

CNN calling it "All Access" instead of "CNN Plus" is smart brand strategy after the 2022 failure.

But fundamentally same bet: can linear news replicate its cable bundle value in DTC subscriptions?

Hard path. News consumption patterns don't translate well to $7/month commitments.

If his performance on @thedavidpakmanshow.bsky.social some weeks back is any indication, I think he is going to have a very hard time connecting to voters. I was pretty shocked by the condescending attitude in the interview.

The active vs passive divide also explains why context matters more than volume.

Passive consumers want headlines. Active consumers need background, connections, implications.

Building for active news consumers means building for depth, not just distribution.

Even if it is a prestigious role, the risks for her are incredibly high for plenty of reasons. Lack of experience in the TV business is clearly one.

Combined with the fact that TV is in structural decline without any realistic growth prospects, I am not sure why to take that job when offered.

Ha - I know Martin! Great guy. Fellow German in NYC.

Yeah, I am almost exclusively watching YouTube on TV. I started to just exit a video if the pre-roll is >12 seconds.

And by the way, increasing ad load so heavily is effectively a price increase for YouTube's users.

How long were the unskippable pre-roll ads that you had to endure, Simon?

In the US I was usually served 5-8 seconds but I noticed that length increased. As I am spending more time in my wife's home country of Brazil, I am suddenly facing 15-second long unskippable pre-roll ads which drive me nuts.

❓ Do you agree that brand differentiation and product innovation capability are the two most critical dimensions?

Are there other strategic options to contemplate?

💭 Your thoughts?

#publishing, #media, #journalism, #genai, #AIinMedia, #productinnovation, #mediastrategy, #digitalpublishing

7/7

4️⃣ THE COMMODITY SUPPLIERS
Wire services, AI aggregators, volume content ops.

→ Their core function is what GenAI excels at
→ Extreme cost pressure

✔ Strategy: Accept razor-thin margins or pivot to hyper-specialization. Use AI to cut production costs. Don't invest in product innovation.

6/7

3️⃣ THE PLATFORM PLAYERS
Digital-first brands, newsletter collectives, social-native publishers.

→ Grow through platform distribution
→ Need to keep innovating on content formats

✔ Strategy: Multi-platform distribution. License to GenAI but form partnerships for novel consumption layers.

5/7

2️⃣ THE SQUEEZED MIDDLE
Mid-tier magazines, regional dailies, trade pubs.

→ Loyal audiences but limited tech resources.
→ Facing product development races with GenAI platforms.

✔ Strategy: Form innovation partnerships to elevate UX and justify attention and subscription value.

4/7

As a result, four archetypes emerge.

1️⃣ THE EXPERIENCE LEADERS
Premium national brands, investigative outlets, top newsletters.

→ Strong trust + unique content = durable moats.

✔ Strategy: Own your platforms. License to GenAI only on favorable terms. Collaborate selectively for growth.

3/7

These two dimensions answer two distinct questions:

▶ 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Do readers specifically seek you out, or could they replace you with another source?

▶ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Can you deliver experiences that are worth visiting, not just summarizing?

2/7

That’s hilarious!