Protocol layoffs raise some troubling questions

When Protocol, a new site focusing on technology coverage, launched in February, expectations were high. After all, the man behind the site—Robert Allbritton, who owns it through his holding company, Capital News—also helped create Politico, one of the most successful digital media companies of the last 20 years or so. And it sounded like Protocol was going to duplicate the Politico model: hire a bunch of talented writers away from leading publications, set them loose on a topic, and then rely on a combination of advertising and high-end subscription revenue to pay the bills. Lather, rinse and repeat until it works. Except that’s not what happened. This week, Protocol laid off 13 of its employees, according to one report, and it appears that more than three-quarters of that total—or 10 staff in all—were reporters and editors. The site’s entire complement of editors and reporters numbered about 25 before the layoffs, according to Protocol‘s About page, which means that Allbritton just laid off almost half of the site’s newsroom. Obviously, no one in the media industry could plan for the pandemic, and it has thrown a wrench into the revenue plans of virtually every news publisher out there, big or small. Companies have been cutting salaries, putting reporters and editors on paid leave, and taking other steps to curb their spending in the hope that they can survive the virus-triggered downturn in advertising. But it’s difficult to think of a publisher that has taken the kind... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-04-23 11:45:31 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Protocol layoffs raise some troubling questions"


The Atlanta Journal Constitution Hosts Its First Upfront

Regional news publisher The Atlanta Journal-Constitution hosted the first upfront of its 156-year history last Tuesday, part of a broader bid from the news outlet to reintroduce itself to audiences and marketers as a modern media company. The term upfront has... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-09-23 13:53:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


DOJ vs. Google: Can the digital media industry learn from the last 15 years?

Can the industry save itself from short-term thinking, even if Google is dealt a blackened eye, or bloodied nose during a raft of government tussles? Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2024-09-20 04:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Guardian Media Group in talks to sell the Observer newspaper to Tortoise

News publisher Guardian Media Group says it is in talks to sell The Observer newspaper to “slow news” outlet Tortoise Media Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2024-09-17 16:30:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Best Workplaces for Innovators 2024: Innovation Team of the Year

Led by CTO Ely Greenfield, Adobe’s digital media business team takes this year’s top honors. Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2024-09-10 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why Vox Media’s The Cut Made a Print Issue for September

Vox Media is expanding its print offerings. This year, the digital media company is launching The Cut's first-ever Fall Fashion Issue. The Cut, part of New York Magazine, is competing for lucrative print ad dollars that fashion-focused publications like Vogue and... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-09-04 17:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘I didn’t want to get wrinkles’: The alarming effects of tweens using antiaging products

Girls as young as 8 are turning up at dermatologists’ offices with rashes, chemical burns, and other allergic reactions to products not intended for children’s sensitive skin. When she was in fifth grade, Scarlett Goddard Strahan started to worry about getting wrinkles.By the time she turned... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2024-09-03 14:30:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this


GameStop pivots to retro gaming at select locations

GameStop is pivoting to retro games at select locations. As the industry moves to digital media — and the retailer struggles to adapt to the shifting landscape (including a short-lived stab at NFTs) — the company is betting on the old school. The GameStop Retro locations will stock physical... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-08-28 18:07:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this


OpenAI inks multi-year deal with Condé Nast

The publisher of prominent titles such as Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Condé Nast Traveler aims to leverage AI following the digital media industry’s recent struggles to monetise content, particularly through traditional search. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2024-08-21 14:34:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


OpenAI will now use content from Wired, Vogue and The New Yorker in ChatGPT's responses

Condé Nast, the media conglomerate that owns publications like The New Yorker, Vogue and Wired, has announced a multi-year partnership OpenAI to display content from Condé Nast titles in ChatGPT as well as SearchGPT, the company’s prototype AI-powered search engine. The partnership comes amid... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-08-20 19:30:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Google TV Streamer makes Apple TV look dated

The Google TV streamer, a Chromecast replacement, is truly an AI-first device, using Gemini to offer content summaries and screen savers. The Apple TV version, with Apple Intelligence, can’t be far behind. I’ve long been a fan of the Apple TV (Apple’s digital media player set-top, box–not to be... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2024-08-17 09:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


AI labeled the ‘new, advanced form of plagiarism’ as a Wyoming reporter causes a scandal

Cody Enterprise Editor Chris Bacon said he “failed to catch” the AI copy and false quotes. A quote from Wyoming’s governor and a local prosecutor were the first things that seemed slightly off to Powell Tribune reporter CJ Baker. Then, it was some of the phrases in the stories that struck him... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2024-08-14 15:09:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Dotdash Meredith’s Digital Ad Revenue Grows 12%, Powered by Cookieless Ads

Digital media firm Dotdash Meredith, an IAC company, notched its second consecutive quarter of double-digit advertising growth, largely due to the continued performance of its cookieless targeting tool called D/Cipher. The media company, which houses a portfolio of... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-08-06 21:07:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Ziff Davis Acquires Tech Publisher CNET for Over $100M

Digital media company Ziff Davis acquired tech publisher CNET from its parent company, Red Ventures, for more than $100 million, according to reporting from The New York Times. The acquisition confirms an Axios report from January, which found that Red Ventures had been... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-08-06 10:53:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Melania Trump to tell her story in memoir scheduled for this fall

Former first lady, who has been mostly absent as her husband campaigns, has never told her own story at length beforeThe former first lady Melania Trump has a memoir coming out this fall, Melania, billed by her office as “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-07-26 13:42:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this


As more seniors head online, efforts are needed to help their digital media literacy skills

Canadian seniors haven't been the focus of many digital media literacy initiatives, but with more everyday tasks requiring digital fluency, misinformation swirling online and given the influence this cohort wields, experts say older adults want and need more education and support. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-07-26 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Morning After: US officials help take down AI-powered Russian bot farm with nearly 1,000 fake X accounts

US officials and their allies have identified and taken down an artificial intelligence-powered Russian bot farm comprising almost 1,000 accounts. These accounts were able to spread disinformation and pro-Russian sentiments across X, formerly Twitter. The Justice Department has revealed the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-07-10 11:16:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this


US officials announce the takedown of an AI-powered Russian bot farm

US officials and their allies have identified and taken down an artificial intelligence-powered Russian bot farm comprised of almost 1,000 accounts, which spread disinformation and pro-Russian sentiments on X. The Justice Department has revealed the the scheme that was made possible by software... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-07-10 05:40:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barry Diller Explores Bid to Take Control of Paramount

Mr. Diller, a digital media pioneer, lost a bidding war for Paramount Pictures decades ago. Now, he’s making a run at its parent company. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-07-01 22:31:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why the lines between digital advertising and direct mail are blurring

Tom Fleming, senior vice president of acquisition, Adstra Digital media has forever altered the ad industry by creating new ways of reaching and engaging consumers.  For a long time, digital advertising has stood separate from older offline tactics in terms of execution, organization, funding... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2024-06-26 13:42:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Most freelance book critics are making less than minimum wage.

Since September 2023, the book criticism working group of the Freelance Solidarity Project (a union of digital media workers, organizing to raise labor standards across the industry) has been collecting data on freelance rates. Its findings, published earlier this month, are pretty damn bleak.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-20 20:53:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this