Vox Solicits Reader Contributions to Keep Its Content Free Amid Ad Declines

The near-simultaneous rush among publishers with subscription businesses to loosen their paywalls and provide free access to reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic has reignited long-standing debates about whether the news should fundamentally be free, even as ad-supported journalism (with some exceptions) becomes an increasingly difficult proposition. This week, rather than erecting a paywall, Vox says it's looking to make up for declines in its advertising business by soliciting contributions from those readers who can afford it, in order to preserve free access to its journalism for those who can't. "Our dedicated team of journalists has boundless ambitions—and feels a great sense of responsibility—to bring you more of our distinctive coverage, in new and different ways, and to continue doing so for free," wrote editor-in-chief Lauren Williams and executive editor Allison Rockey in a note to readers Wednesday afternoon. "But even with record audience growth, the media business is not immune to the effects of economic downturns. In fact, right now, when audiences need quality, accessible journalism the most, ad revenue is on the decline as companies move to save money and shrink their marketing budgets." While not a tax-deductible charitable donation, Vox says recurring or one-off contributions, ranging from $7 to $250, will help support its science explainers, its coverage of the challenges being faced by the U.S. health care system and its YouTube and Facebook videos... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-04-10 16:17:19 UTC ]
News tagged with: #caption id= #subscription model #apple news+ #york magazine #media industry

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Facebook Opens Its Ad Awards to Instagram Campaigns

Facebook is allowing a new ad type in its yearly awards: Instagram campaigns. The Facebook Awards started taking submissions last week, and for the first time, Instagram ads are up for consideration, the social network said. This is the fourth year Facebook is hosting the ad awards, and Adweek... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media strategy #emerging markets #latin america #middle east


The Real Victims of Ad Fraud Might Surprise You

Advertisers have been making a lot of noise about viewability and fraud lately. And with good reason -- according to sources like comScore and Google, half of online advertising dollars go to waste due to bots, click fraud and out-of-sight placements. While the costs to advertisers might be... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quality content #brand-safe environments


Jeff Bridges Lulls You To Sleep In The Squarespace Super Bowl Ad

The Dude goes fully meditative to promote his new sleeping aid album.We already knew about the Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes, a collection of relaxing sounds, guided meditations and stories designed to help improve your slumber. The Oscar-winning actor teamed up with website publishing platform... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three distraction-free tools that force you to focus on your tasks

Computers are both a blessing and a curse when it comes to getting work done. They make it so much more efficient to create the next great novel or balance the books than doing the same task on paper. But they are also a distraction machine, tempting us with Netflix streaming, Facebook, YouTube,... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #web browser


Facebook's Mobile Revenue Climbs to $2.5 Billion as Ad Prices Soar

Facebook continues to do what few digital publishers can pull off: Over each of the last five quarters, the social network has been able to boost revenue even as it sells fewer ads.The ability to raise prices has rocketed Facebook's overall revenue to $3.85 billion in the most recent quarter. In... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishers #raise prices #recent quarter #year earlier #make money


Blinkbox in talks to shift readers to Kobo

Blinkbox Books is in talks to shift its readers to the Kobo platform when it closes next month. The Bookseller revealed yesterday (26th January) that Tesco will close its ebooks platform at the end of February after exclusive talks with Waterstones to buy it failed at the last minute. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #exclusive talks #blinkbox books #kobo platform #ebooks platform


Snapchat Does What Facebook Couldn’t: Get Publishers To Trust it with Their Content

Snapchat has introduced a new feature which allows its users to view articles, images, and videos from a variety of publishers inside the company’s messaging application. It’s called Discover, and it’s a major depar ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #messaging application


Zed's free ebook for Greek finance minister

Radical publisher Zed Books is to publish extracts from Yanis Varoufakis' The Global Minotaur as a free ebook tomorrow (28th January), after the author's appointment as finance minister of Greece. Varoufakis has been given the post by new prime minister Alexis Tsipras, following the electoral... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #yanis varoufakis #free ebook #finance minister


The readers’ editor on… verification | Stephen Pritchard

Online readers expressed concern that an interview with a victim of sexual exploitation did not adequately seek to verify her claimsPersonal testimony is a powerful tool in any struggle to increase public awareness and to fight injustice. When that testimony is as searing as the one given by... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #powerful tool #observer magazine #sexual abuse


Mixed Results for Bricks-and-Mortar Stores with Digital Content

For many bricks-and-mortar bookstores, 2014 was a banner year, helped by the overall improvement in the sale of print books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mixed results #bricks-and-mortar stores #digital content #bricks-and-mortar bookstores #banner year #print books


Attempt to ban performing artist’s abuse memoir ‘threatens free speech’

Artist is appealing against temporary injunction obtained by his ex-wife, who says book will be distressing for his son to readAn attempt to prevent a performing artist from publishing his memoir on the grounds that its contents would be distressing for his son to read has opened up “a new,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #performing artist #free expression #unpredictable threat #english pen


Oui, French Readers are Just as E-Trashy as Everyone Else

French readers like many trashy books just as much everyone else; Americans are the most unlikely to finish a book…and more insights from ebook pros. The post Oui, French Readers are Just as E-Trashy as Everyone Else appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ad fraud: The oldest trick in the media book

Ad fraud has been going on for decades. However, the sophistication of today’s ad fraud is something that puts sticky fingered program managers of yore to shame. The post Ad fraud: The oldest trick in the media book appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ad fraud


DBW Panel : Can Publishers Take Advantage of Reader Data?

Publishers are awash in data about readers' habits. Now: what to do with it all? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reader data


In Colombia, Facebook Partners with 24symbols for Free Books

For the first time, Facebook's Internet.org app has bundled free ebooks with its services, starting in Colombia with 24symbols. The post In Colombia, Facebook Partners with 24symbols for Free Books appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free books


Children’s reading shows simultaneous rise and decline. How can that add up?

The number of youngsters reading for pleasure has declined sharply, but this sector of publishing is booming – which results in some very strange mathsAre children reading less – or more? I’m confused. If less, then what happened to the 854,262 copies of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars that... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #awful auntie #jeffrey archer #sales figures


Doha International Book Fair Gives Qatari Readers Hope

Though the Doha International Book Fair opened under the cloud of the killings in France, it proved interest in reading is growing in the oil rich country. The post Doha International Book Fair Gives Qatari Readers Hope appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ad Age's 2014 Magazine A-List: See All the Winners

It's clear that the business of magazines is under pressure, but they continue to exert an outsized influence on culture, food, politics and more. Despite the business challenges, they're still sexy. Articles become movies and editors become celebrities. A short blurb turns a product into a... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #outsized influence #tidal wave #changed dramatically #primary source


Ad Age's 2014 Magazine A-List: Vice Is Magazine Brand of the Year

For most magazine companies, 2014 was a difficult year. Backs against the wall, publishers looked beyond print for growth -- to digital media, live events, consumer products and TV deals.Vice magazine is way ahead of them.The free magazine founded in 1994 as Voice of Montreal has grown into one... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #live events #consumer products #tv deals #multiple platforms #publishers claim #ae networks


News Corp magazine's provocative ad for interns an 'error in judgment'

Ad featuring photograph of young woman in lingerie posed on a bed, headlined ‘Interns wanted’, since removed News Corp Australia’s most popular magazine insert has advertised for fashion interns by using a photo of a young woman dressed in underwear on all fours on a bed.Murdoch's Sunday Style... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young woman