What HBO’s ‘Succession’ can teach us about advertising

As an abashed former News Corp employee (thankfully at HarperCollins, one of the Murdoch portfolio’s least-offensive holdings), HBO’s "Succession" is my straight shot of Sunday-night dopamine. The show’s great even if you aren’t attuned to the devastating, thinly veiled media and publishing world portrayals—but it’s a lot more fun for those of us who are. And watching through the eyes of a current ad guy, there are still a lot of professional lessons to take away from the savage, but often insightful, Roy family and their various hangers-on. In anticipation of the season coming to a close this Sunday, when we bid adieu to our favorite deliciously dysfunctional and unscrupulous family of one-percenters until next year, I bring you my favorite ad-world lessons learned and reaffirmed in the first two seasons of HBO’s latest tentpole show. What's the protein? Roy family patriarch Logan’s go-to phrase, “What’s the protein?” is quickly becoming my internal mantra in all sorts of daily situations. Logan’s a busy guy who shoots from the hip, so he needs a quick phrase that helps get to the meat of the matter at hand—or points out the lack of substance in a given proposition (like his daughter Shiv’s much-mocked family memo). “What’s the protein?” is great shorthand for stripping the BS out of the equation and weighing whether there’s real substance at the core of an idea or it’s just carbohydrate filler. I’ve toyed with “What’s the protein?” becoming my new go-to filter in... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-11 11:22:17 UTC ]

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In Mexico, One Bookstore per 120,000 Inhabitants, by Elena Poniatowska

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[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-03 21:05:48 UTC ]
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In Mexico, One Bookstore per 120,000 Inhabitants, by Elena Poniatowska

Cultural Cross Sections Elena Poniatowska In this column that originally appeared in La Jornada, Elena Poniatowska considers the role of editors and talks with Diego Rabasa, founder of publisher Sexto Piso. Already precarious, the pandemic lockdown has... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-03 21:05:48 UTC ]
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News Corp Carnage: Fine Print Reveals Even Greater Hit to Local Journalism

Of the 112 printed newspapers shut down by News Corp this week, 76 will survive as digital-only publications but the Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2020-05-29 21:38:27 UTC ]
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News Corp carnage: fine print reveals even greater hit to local journalism | The Weekly Beast

Suburban and regional papers won’t have standalone websites. Plus: ABC reposts tweet after backlashOf the 112 printed newspapers shut down by News Corp this week, 76 will survive as digital-only publications but the devil is in the detail.The suburban and regional papers – such as the Inner West... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-29 01:07:11 UTC ]
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'Gutting': News Corp Australia's newspaper print closures will leave 'thousands of stories' untold

Readers and former staff decry a terrible day for journalism and express grief at job cutsDevoted readers and former staff of Australia’s local newspapers have expressed their grief at News Corp Australia’s announcement of significant job cuts and the print closure of more than 100 local and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-28 03:36:58 UTC ]
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Most Australian News Corp small papers to go digital-only

Australia’s largest newspaper publisher says most of its suburban and regional mastheads across the country will become digital-only next month Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2020-05-28 03:22:47 UTC ]
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News Corp announces end of more than 100 Australian print newspapers in huge shift to digital

Print editions of dozens of regional newspapers to finish, with sweeping job cuts feared‘Gutting’: News Corp Australia’s newspaper print closures will leave ‘thousands of stories’ untoldNews Corp Australia has confirmed that more than 100 local and regional newspapers will become digital only or... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-27 23:38:41 UTC ]
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News Corp Australia to Cut ‘Up to a Third of Workforce’ in Move Towards Digital-Only Publishing

News Corp Australia is poised to cut hundreds of jobs as it moves towards digital-only publishing for many of its Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2020-05-27 14:51:01 UTC ]
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News Corp to cut hundreds of jobs in move towards digital-only publishing

Publisher of the Australian, the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun is expected to stop publishing as many as 100 titles News Corp Australia is poised to cut hundreds of jobs as it moves towards digital-only publishing for many of its local and regional papers and more copy sharing among its... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-27 10:53:51 UTC ]
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AFP rules out charges against News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst after raid

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[ The Guardian | 2020-05-27 04:33:28 UTC ]
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A dodgy dossier? How News Corp hyped a US government reading list into a China coronavirus 'bombshell'

A Murdoch media exclusive about China covering up the origin of Covid-19 appears to be based on an unclassified US state department reference paper It was touted as a world exclusive – a “bombshell dossier” that exposed China’s “batty science” and backed up Donald Trump and US claims that... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-26 09:08:59 UTC ]
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AAP bidders likely to shed jobs at newswire service, if they can save it

Consortium of investors say saving as many jobs as possible is integral for Australia’s media diversity, as reports circulate that half of journalists could be culledJobs cuts appear likely at a pared-back Australian Associated Press focused on its fundamental newswire service, if a consortium... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-26 07:19:35 UTC ]
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AAP bid: consumer watchdog warns Nine and News Corp against any attempt to block sale

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[ The Guardian | 2020-05-24 03:58:08 UTC ]
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How The Publishing World Is Staying Afloat During The Pandemic

Quarantine may be a golden opportunity to finally read "War and Peace" — but it's not an easy time for the book industry. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2020-05-21 09:45:35 UTC ]
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HarperCollins owner News Corp donates £100k to charities for coronavirus effort

As part of its annual Giving scheme, HarperCollins parent firm News Corp has donated £100,000 to four UK and Irish charities focused on supporting communities struggling during the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-19 18:51:43 UTC ]
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Times of India, New York Times, News Corp Share Content-to-Commerce Case Studies

Leaders of content-to-commerce initiatives at three global news media companies shared in-depth looks at how those projects started and how they are Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2020-05-18 19:00:36 UTC ]
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The Australian appoints Michelle Gunn as first female editor in newspaper's 56-year history

Gunn, who will remain as editor of the Weekend Australian, began her career as a cadet journalist at the News Corp titleThe weekday Australian has appointed its first female editor in its 56-year history in Michelle Gunn, the editor of the Weekend Australian since 2012.Editor John Lehmann is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-15 05:41:11 UTC ]
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HarperCollins sales down 2% in third quarter

Global revenues at HarperCollins fell 2% year on year for the three months ending 31st March while parent firm News Corp reported an 8% decline over the same period. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-10 13:25:40 UTC ]
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The Murdoch media’s China coronavirus conspiracy has one aim: get Trump re-elected | Kevin Rudd

News Corp is campaigning full-bore for the US president, with reports of a Wuhan lab ‘intelligence’ dossier being seeded across its empireIn liberal democracies, the integrity, impartiality and professionalism of intelligence agencies matters. That’s why it is essential that intelligence... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-08 03:41:08 UTC ]
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Rupert Murdoch gives up his bonus as News Corp loses US$1bn in three months

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[ The Guardian | 2020-05-08 01:49:41 UTC ]
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