The takeaway?

Paywalls are annoying—but they work.
Even if most readers leave or try to avoid them, the tiny fraction who subscribe are far more likely to do so because they hit a paywall.

No wall, no conversion.

And what about actual subscriptions?

Only 0.21% of readers subscribe after hitting a paywall. That’s 1 in every 500 visitors.

Still, this is 50x higher than the subscription rate of visitors who never encounter a paywall.
🔗 www.inma.org/blogs/reader...

🚪 57% of users leave the site immediately.
🛑 11.5% find a way around the paywall.
🔐 5% log in to their subscriber account.
📰 20.5% click to another free article on the site.

Young audiences are a big driver here — many are ditching traditional TV in favor of video podcasts.

There are risks when this shift happens on algorithm-driven platforms like YouTube. The trend is clear:
📉 Traditional TV is losing ground.
🎙️ Mics & video thumbnails are taking over the screen.

Major media figures and organizations in the U.S. are now entering the video podcast space, aiming to claim territory on this rising frontier.

www.vanityfair.com/news/story/e...

TL;DR:
– Trump wanted to rename the Gulf of Mexico
– AP refused
– WH banned them
– A judge intervened
– Trump team still ignoring the court

Wild times for journalism in the U.S.

#PressFreedom #Trump #Media #AP #GulfOfMexico

This isn’t just a petty naming dispute.

It’s a clear warning sign about press freedom, executive power, and how far a government might go to control public narratives — even by renaming geography.

But here’s the twist: despite the ruling, AP journalists are still being denied entry into White House press events — defying a federal court order.

🧵 apnews.com/article/trum...

AP took the matter to court. A federal judge ruled in favor of AP, ordering the White House to restore access to its journalists.

🧑‍⚖️ www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

The response from the White House?

AP journalists were banned from all press briefings and events. A direct retaliation for refusing to follow the naming order.

One of the loudest rejections came from Associated Press (AP).

As a global news outlet, AP said it would not adopt the new name and would stick with Gulf of Mexico.

📰 www.wired.com/story/online...

Early in his term, Trump demanded that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the "American Gulf" 🇺🇸 — and ordered all federal agencies & media to use the new name.

It sparked jokes, confusion, and serious pushback.

Future research will explore public trust, adoption of personalized services, and the link to disinformation risks, shaping policies for a more informed digital society.

🔗 Full article: doi.org/10.1057/s415...

The research also underscores the ethical & socio-political risks of algorithmic personalization, urging stronger media literacy policies & regulatory oversight.

A major finding: Trust and perceived control over personalized content vary significantly between different social groups, highlighting the need for targeted education programs.

The study introduced an innovative fuzzy logic system to measure collective knowledge, revealing demographic disparities in digital media literacy.

Based on data from 1,213 Czech respondents, the study found significant knowledge gaps about how personalization works, who controls it, and its societal impact.

While opening access sounds good in theory, it also raises concerns about credibility, transparency, and potential media manipulation.

What do you think—genuine democratization or a strategy to reshape media narratives? 🤔