News organizations are hurriedly adapting to the most recent division in the historically strained partnership between publishers and technology platforms.
Campbell Brown, who was Facebook’s top news executive, recently announced her departure from the company. Soon after, Twitter, now known as X, removed headlines from its platform. The head of Instagram’s Threads app, a competitor to X, reiterated that their social network would not promote news content.
Even Google, which has been a strong partner to news organizations for the past decade, has become less reliable. Google has laid off news employees in recent team reorganizations, and some publishers have seen a decrease in traffic from Google.
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It’s now evident that major online platforms are distancing themselves from news content.
Some executives at large tech companies, like Adam Mosseri from Instagram, have stated that hosting news on their platforms can create more trouble than it’s worth, as it often leads to polarized debates. Others, like Elon Musk, the owner of X, have expressed their disdain for mainstream media. Publishers are coming to terms with the fact that they may not see the same level of traffic from big tech companies as they once did.
This recent rift in the relationship between publishers and tech platforms is significant, and its consequences for the news industry are serious.
News companies have struggled since tech companies disrupted the industry’s business model over a decade ago. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter provided a lifeline by driving traffic and advertising revenue to news sites. However, that traffic is now decreasing. In September 2020, top news sites in the United States received about 11.5% of their web traffic from social networks, but by September this year, it had dropped to 6.5%.
Adrienne LaFrance, the executive editor of The Atlantic, mentioned that the decline in social traffic over the past 12 to 18 months has been more severe than anticipated, adding to the challenges of an already difficult business model.
In this new landscape, publishers have become more dependent on Google, which has been a primary source of referral traffic. However, even Google is showing signs of instability. Some publishers have noticed declines in Google referral traffic in recent weeks, raising concerns about the future.
The decline in traffic from social media platforms has affected all news publishers, including The New York Times. Publishers are looking to intermediate platforms like SmartNews, Apple News, and Flipboard as alternatives where readers can access authoritative journalism from multiple sources without sifting through a cluttered online environment.
To adapt to these changes, publishers are focusing on direct connections with their readers, such as branded newsletters, home pages, and print magazines. For instance, The Atlantic has increased its paid subscribers by 10% from the previous year, reaching over 925,000 across print and digital products.
In summary, major online platforms are distancing themselves from news content, leading to significant challenges for the news industry. Publishers are exploring alternative means to connect with their readers in this changing landscape.
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