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 ]

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Bud Light brings back ‘Real Men of Genius’ with new twist for digital age

Bud Light’s “Real Men of Genius” campaign--which set a new standard for funny radio ads--is being resurrected for the social media age. The brew is rebranding the campaign “Internet Heroes of Genius” and running them exclusively on digital, including on streaming audio services Spotify and... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-06-18 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Made $4.7 Billion From the News Industry in 2018, Study Says

Journalists create the content, and big tech companies are profiting off it, according to a new analysis. “We need to share the revenue,” a news publisher says. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-06-10 04:21:34 UTC ]
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How The Guardian is looking to boost reader donations in the US

American readers provide 30% of the Guardian's audience, but they account over 50% of the donations the news publisher has received this year. The post How The Guardian is looking to boost reader donations in the US appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-05-22 04:01:58 UTC ]
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Banned from social media? Feeling persecuted and censored? Report it to Donald Trump!

The White House has launched a new tool that enables people to report the fact that they have been kicked off the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The tool is aimed at people who have had their social media presence curtailed and "suspect political bias" is involved. Anyone who... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2019-05-17 10:05:05 UTC ]
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Who Said Print Was Dead? What’s Behind the Proliferation of New Titles

Imagine the novel idea of being able to read the news without a pop-up ad or a screen notification for a new email or a tweet from the White House. As some magazines have gone digital-only, other big publishers and brands have reversed course and leaned deeper into the ultimate lean back... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2019-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: The Silent Invasion: The Great Fear by Michael Cherkas and Larry Hancock

Filtered through the lens of period anti-communist witch hunts, alien flying saucers, and loopy cult conspiracies, The Silent Invasion is a byzantine sci-fi mystery/thriller that stylishly recreates 1950s middle class America in all its kooky, paranoid glory. In this 13-page preview, dogged... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Beast Mode: Daily Beast CEO Heather Dietrick explores the power of the news publisher’s brand

The Gawker alumna has focused on diversifying the midsize news publisher's revenue streams and growing the size of its loyal audience. The post Beast Mode: Daily Beast CEO Heather Dietrick explores the power of the news publisher’s brand appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Other presidents had a brain trust. But the intellectuals backing this White House are a bust.

Trump’s intellectuals want to graft coherence and ideology onto an incoherent leader. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-03-15 10:00:19 UTC ]
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From Kanye to Taylor, what to watch for in pop music in 2019

On this date in 2018, we didn’t know that Kanye West would visit the White House or that Beyoncé would blow up Coachella. We didn’t know about Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize or Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” And though we might’ve suspected that BTS would release an album (or two), we... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Here are Barack Obama’s favorite books, movies, and songs from 2018

Of course, Michelle Obama’s Becoming was No. 1. Barack Obama may be out of the White House, but he is continuing a few traditions. The former president–and current most admired man in the U.S.– took to social media on Friday to share a few of his favorite things, including Black... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michelle Obama Tells Jimmy Kimmel About Her New Book Becoming

In her bestselling book Becoming, Michelle Obama was able to reveal more about her time on the campaign trail and in the White House than would have been advisable while she held the title of First Lady. And Thursday night Jimmy Kimmel put this newfound honesty to the test, throwing her some... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2018-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Russia cyber attacks helped Trump to the US presidency | Kathleen Hall Jamieson

It’s clearer than ever: the theft and leaking of Democratic emails were key to Clinton’s election defeatIn the process of announcing the US Justice Department’s July 2018 indictment of a dozen Russian military intelligence officers for hacking Democrats’ computers and publishing the contents, US... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2018: Macmillan's Sargent Not Afraid of the Future

John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan, gave this year’s Frankfurt CEO Talk, discussing everything from the future of print books to his battle with the White House over the publication of 'Fire and Fury.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Busy Philipps accuses James Franco of assault in upcoming memoir

President Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at a ceremonial swearing-in event at the White House on Monday. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weekly E-Ranking: Woodward puts Fear into digital field

Bob Woodward’s Fear: Trump in the White House has stormed into the Weekly E-Book Ranking number one spot—the second US journalist to top the ebook chart with a damning appraisal of the president this year, albeit with fewer references to Trump eating Big Macs in the Lincoln Bedroom than Michael... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michelle Obama’s Big Book Trip: ‘It’s Like You’re Looking at a Madonna Tour’

Michelle Obama at the annual American Library Association conference in June. After keeping a relatively low profile since leaving the White House, the former first lady is returning to the public sphere in dramatic fashion. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2018-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bob Woodward's 'Fear' is the fastest-selling book in Simon & Schuster's history

Bob Woodward's "Fear: Trump in the White House" has sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week of release, making it the fastest-selling book in the history of its publisher, Simon & Schuster. The publisher has ordered a 10th printing of the book, which as of Wednesday morning was... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: 'Fear' Remains #1

Bob Woodward's 'Fear: Trump in the White House' is #1 again in Apple's iBooks Store, followed by 'Rachel Hollis's Girl, Wash Your Face,' which has dominated in nonfiction for much of the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Calls 'Fear' Bestselling Book In Company History

Simon & Schuster has reported that Bob Woodward's 'Fear: Trump In the White House' sold more than 1,100,000 copies through its first week on sale in all formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bob Woodward's book Fear: Trump in the White House released on Kindle

Bob Woodward's book Fear: Trump in the White House may not be in bookshops just yet, but with the book in high demand one million copies have been printed in advance.  Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2018-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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