Incandescent bulb and colorful notes on turquoise wooden table. This file is cleaned and retouched.

‘Our Strategy Is Rooted In Our Audience Insights’; Are You Asking the Right Questions?

At the end of an interview with WNIP at the Web Summit in Lisbon last year, Joy Robins, chief revenue officer of The Washington Post, offered publishers this advice: “You must pinpoint your true value proposition, ask what do you do better than any other publisher serving the same audience? Then you need to ask how else you can serve those readers.” That service begins with building better relationships.

“Increasingly, we’re seeing personalities matter—journalism was the original creator economy so how do you also ensure that you have journalists who are increasingly developing relationship with readers?” Robins asked. “Getting the right mix of personality and brand isn’t easy to achieve, but it’s worthwhile.”

Pre-pandemic, publishers were able to augment those writer-reader relationships at in-person events. That’s starting to come back now. It will be interesting to see if a company like Workweek or Substack enters the in-person events world, featuring their content creators. It’s almost like a great bookstore we have here in Washington, D.C. called Politics & Prose that has nightly readings. They bring people into the store, illuminate the relationships people have with authors, and increases loyalty.

Building a trusting and two-way relationship with your audience matters more than ever now. In a recent Association Benchmarking Report, only 38% of respondents said they are conducting communication-specific surveys at least once every 12–24 months to stay on top of audience/member needs. And only half believe they have a good understanding of their reader, member and advertiser needs. That’s not enough.

Here are some ways media organizations are talking more to their audiences:

Ask the right questions. National Journal president and BIMS 2023 speaker Kevin Turpin has spoken about the importance of asking the right questions. “We had a really deep dedication to getting to know our audience as best we could. Knowing what their top challenges are, how those challenges are changing? ‘What are the new things that are getting into your budget that wasn’t there five years ago? How are you managing the office differently?’ We spent a year with our customers, asking them a set of questions over and over. The most important one was, ‘What keeps you effective?’ …Let’s take the challenges of what we learned in spending time with top clients. This is where our transformation is going to go.”

Spend more time “outside” your own organization. Previously, Turpin had spoken more broadly about transformation. “When businesses are trying to recreate themselves and change, they spend too much time inside, in strategy meetings, batting around ideas that they think will work. We don’t spend enough time going around. How are [our customers’] jobs changing? What are they thinking about? What are they investing in this year? This will give you solutions.”

Go beyond the norm. Of course, “going around” means something different these days—phone, Zoom, social media, Slack. But the idea of asking important questions of your customers remains paramount. Sales consultant Ryan Dohrn once told us that “What keeps you up at night?” just isn’t good enough anymore. “Your questions simply have to be better. One of your main questions that makes me nuts and that I hear in my ad sales training is this: ‘Tell me more about your business.’ C’mon, you’re better than that… And then, ‘What’s your budget?’ You can do better than that. Those are three questions we do need to ask, but maybe ask them in a more vibrant kind of way so that we don’t sound like every other media salesperson that’s calling on that customer.”

Inspire connection and trust. Asked if Workweek’s content-creator concept worked as they expected, founder and CEO Becca Sherman said: “Yes, we believe our creator-first model is both the key to our growth and the future of media. Each creator is building a brand with an audience of fans who feel personally connected to and deeply trusting of them, which in turn enables rapid organic growth, lower-than-average CACs, higher-than-average CPMs—and, ultimately, a very high RPU and LTV.” That’s a lot of acronyms.

Determine audience needs. “Increasingly we are trying to ensure that our product focus follows what the audience needs, as ultimately this drives the business,” Robins said. “Our entire business strategy is rooted in our audience insights, and being able to better serve our readers will ultimately lead to a stronger business. So much can be missed by not focusing on the reader. We’re spending a lot more time understanding the user journey, the user story, where they come from, what experience they are having with our content, etc. By understanding this better, we can continue to evolve the product in a way that gives readers a better experience over time.”

RheumPodcast

Research, Value Proposition, Transcripts and Social Media Help to Grow Successful Podcasts

“Do we identify the expert [first] or identify a topic?” Meghna Rao, senior editor of Rheumatology Advisor, one of the leading publications in the Haymarket Medical Network, and host of Neal Award finalist Rheum Advisor, asked in respect to creating a podcast episode. “Obviously there’s no one right way to go about that. Doing them in tandem could be beneficial. Aligning your content with your audience’s needs always has to be front and center. I keep reminding myself sometimes of this.”

A question was asked after our last Editorial Council meeting about podcast promotion—how to reach and grow an audience.

One way came across my laptop this morning on LinkedIn, coincidentally from Rao, who spoke at our Editorial Training Session with Soyini Coke, health care transformation and culture expert and host of CEO Exclusive Radio. (Access the recording here.)

Rao “liked” the post from Rheumatology Advisor of the above photo for their recent podcast. “To understand the gaps, challenges, and future opportunities in rheumatology research, Senior Editor, @Meghnavrao, speaks with the co-authors of a recent paper published in Arthritis & Rheumatology: Laura Lewandowski, MD, Evelyn Hsieh, MD & Chris Scott, MBChB. Tune in! https://fal.cn/3vdgH.”

Rheumatology Advisor has 527 followers on LinkedIn and Rao has more than 500 connections, so that’s a pretty good push in getting the word out.

“Having a team of folks specifically dedicated to social media, or [at the least] to have somebody dedicated to social media has been critical” to my success,” said Coke. “I find that with all of these functions, that the person who does social media isn’t necessarily the person who should be production… or guest development.”

For Rao (pictured), it’s more all hands on deck. “Twitter and LinkedIn have been really great for engaging with the audience,” she said. “Just small things on Twitter like once you conduct an episode with a certain guest, writing out posts, tagging individuals and the respective organizations go a long way. I’ve actively taken the initiative to be more present and engage more often on social media… That’s just because we’re a small team.”

Here are more takeaways from the session with Rao and Coke, many of which contribute to growing your podcast audience:

Have a clear plan. “Having somebody that’s dedicated specifically to sponsorship or a donor/patron strategy is absolutely necessary to being successful,” Coke (pictured) said. “You’re launching the podcast because you want to extend your reach, or to build deeper relationships, or get a greater share of mind or greater share of wallet from listeners. Then, having a clear plan for how you’re going to sell those services, how you’re going to sell more advertising, etc., is absolutely critical.”

Do your research. “I can’t emphasize enough how important doing your homework is,” Rao said, “especially if you have multiple people or guests appear and want a well-informed conversation. It provides clarity in thought and speech, and improves outcome. One of the strengths of Rheumatology Advisor is that we spend a lot of time and pay a lot of attention to doing our research, so as to appear well-informed, and have a more well-rounded conversation.”

Have a value proposition. “Niche market strategy is absolutely critical,” said Coke. “…But what is also equally important, and maybe a little bit more subtle is having a very clear value proposition. I don’t have to tell anybody who is watching this webinar how distracted and how much information we all have coming at us every day. And so if I’m going to get a CEO [on my podcast], you’re going to get whoever you’re targeting to give you a half an hour, fifteen minutes of their time. [There has to be a] value proposition for why they’re going to listen. [If] they’re going to share with one of their colleagues, it needs to be absolutely clear to them.”

Work out the functions of your show. For Coke, that’s guest, development and content. “Those tend to go really well together because when I’m working with a guest, I can also figure out what content we’re going to create, what the theme of the show is, and what the lead story is. Do you understand what is going to be the key thing for each show?

Keep an open mind on topics. “Do I choose a trending topic or do I choose a unique topic that people want to know more about?” Rao asked. “A simple answer to this would be to mix it up.”

If possible, include a transcript. “What makes the audience engage?” Rao asked. “What factors drive people to an episode on your podcast? Is it a title with good SEO value? Is it the expert? Is it the topic itself? Is it maybe the duration being aligned with your listeners’ time? Having a transcript was something that really elevated our podcasts. If people want to refer back to something that was not clearly mentioned, or the audio quality wasn’t good at that point, they can go back.”

Evolve your style. “It’s great to have a signature style, but this is the one thing that can evolve over time,” Rao said. “…If you listen to my podcast episodes from the beginning until now, you will see how different my style is. It’s obviously become more casual and more conversational. I recommend that you listen to a couple of popular podcasts to see how you can adapt.”

 

Media Library (10)

SIIA Applauds Release of NIST AI Risk Management Framework

The following statement can be attributed to Paul Lekas, Senior Vice President, Global Policy, Software & Information Industry Association.

“SIIA congratulates the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on the release of its Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0) that provides voluntary guidance for the designing, developing, deploying and using AI.  The RMF reflects the culmination of a collaborative, transparent, and expert-driven process over the past 18 months. It will have a significant role in guiding discussion about AI policy in the United States and internationally. We commend NIST’s efforts to provide detailed guidance for identifying and managing the risks associated with AI technology to ensure that the benefits of AI are realized and the risks are minimized.

“SIIA looks forward to continued engagement with NIST, along with the executive branch and Congress to advance sound AI policy that promotes innovation and fosters safe, responsible, and reliable AI tools and technologies.”

 

 

Divya Blog

2023, Let’s Make it Our Legacy: the Year to Pass Federal Privacy

Written by: Divya Sridhar and Grant Gendron

America wants privacy, but our policymakers remain divided about getting a deal done. The benefits of a federal privacy law are clear: these are the 5 “S”s: we need a federal privacy law for stability, solidarity, sales, security, and to stay up to speed. Privacy legislation is critical to keeping the American dream intact. 

There are at least five critical reasons for why Congress needs to act NOW to pass federal privacy legislation. 

In 2023, passing a federal privacy law is: 

1) a critical part of the 2023 federal directive of U.S. policymakers; 

2) imperative based on its economic impact on the global economy and cross border data flows;

3) long overdue to keep America globally competitive and technologically relevant; 

4) deemed essential to strengthening our nation’s national security; and 

5) the ultimate exemplar of leadership, dignity, and strength for the United States. 

Read each of our posts to learn more about the facts and figures that make the case.

U.S. Policymakers Are Elevating Privacy as Part of their 2023 Directive

 In at least one way, the new year has begun where 2022 ended: with a call from the highest ranks of government to advance federal privacy legislation. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, President Biden urged Congress to unite in a bipartisan way to pass federal privacy legislation that would place new guardrails on business and ensure special protections for children and vulnerable communities. Leaders from Congress [House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Representative Frank Pallone] and the Administration [Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the U.S. Department of Commerce] have echoed this sentiment.

The years’ long effort to advance federal privacy legislation holds promise in the 118th Congress. Though the House of Representatives has flipped to being a Republican majority, key members – including Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Rep. Pallone – have long advocated for federal privacy legislation. And key members in the Senate – including Senators Cantwell and Cruz, Majority and Ranking Leader, respectively, on the Senate Commerce Committee – have expressed support for this effort. 

Last year, federal privacy legislation came closer than it had in many years to being finalized. The “Three Corners” introduced and quickly advanced federal privacy legislation in the summer of 2022, as a nod from Rep. Frank Pallone (then Chair of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee); Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (then Ranking Member of House E&C);  and Senator Roger Wicker (then Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee) about privacy legislation being a top priority of theirs. The bill sailed through the House subcommittee on consumer protection, but stopped short of making its way to the House floor for a vote prior to the midterms. 

Recent developments at the FTC, including its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ANPR”) on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security, to tackle privacy, also signals the need for movement at the federal level. But, federal legislation would be a more impactful, purposeful and divisive approach, which FTC Chairs also highlighted. (SIIA’s comment can be found here.) 

 Moving legislation forward is the best way to get the wheels in motion. Policymakers must finalize negotiations on what a federal standard on privacy looks like for the United States.

Inaction on Privacy is Directly Harming the U.S. Economy

As of this writing, there are at least eight states with active consumer privacy legislation, and it has only been a few weeks into the new year. We expect much more activity in the coming months. For reference, by last October, more than 34 states had introduced or passed privacy bills (in at least one chamber) focused on commercial collection and use of personal data. Five state consumer privacy laws (California, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut) are on the books and are at various stages of implementation and enforced. Keeping up with the patchwork of state laws (to say nothing of laws abroad) is now a full-time job. 

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) analyzed the impact of the state privacy patchwork on businesses, particularly those that serve customers across state lines. It notes that businesses engaging in interstate commerce are subject to a combination of different state privacy laws, which creates a multiplier effect and has led to expensive and redundant compliance efforts. The costs are not negligible: it is estimated that state privacy laws could lead to somewhere between $98 billion and $112 billion annually, which over a 10-year period would lead to over $1 trillion in out-of-state costs for businesses. 

These different laws can disrupt business flow (and add further costs) if the legislation and any respective guidance takes a unique approach to how businesses and other entities must comply. For example, Colorado’s recent draft guidance includes an approach to the universal opt out mechanism that differs from California’s regulatory approach. The states also have unique views on definitions, including how the states categorize the entities that are expected to comply with the law; the exemptions these entities receive; and the way the state lawmakers define terms such as “sensitive data”, “biometric data”, and “automated decision making/profiling.” These distinctions have significant consequences for business compliance. Knowing that a federal privacy bill is coming could seemingly influence states’ approaches to their own legislation this year. But the bottom line is that one uniform bill – covering consumer privacy practices across the nation – is better than many bifurcated approaches. 

In addition to draining U.S. businesses, inaction disproportionately harms small businesses and new market entrants. ITIF states that small businesses could face $20–23 billion in out-of-state compliance costs annually. These businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy. The Harvard Business Review documents that they account for 48% of all U.S. jobs and contribute to 43% of the U.S. GDP. We need to keep them afloat and thriving. 

Enforcement plays a part in this math too. As any Chief Privacy Officer and Chief Security Officer knows, privacy violations and data-breaches can be existentially costly for businesses.  Expensive litigation and enforcement actions are becoming more common by the month, with recent enforcement actions by the FTC related to Ed-Tech company Chegg, data broker Kochava, and California’s action against beauty product company Sephora making headlines. Last December, Epic Games agreed to settle privacy and dark-patterns claims for its Fortnite game in an amount exceeding $500M, including the FTC’s largest administrative enforcement yet.

Passing a uniform privacy standard that levels the playing field and includes appropriate exemptions is a necessary first step to protecting our economy from fiscal standstills that result from stagnant cross border data flows, unnecessary multiplier effects, and expensive litigation.

Privacy is Essential to the United States’s Competitiveness Abroad

In 2018, the European Union set a critical precedent on what privacy regulation should look like for its member states by passing the GDPR. Since then, many countries have followed in the EU’s footsteps and finalized privacy laws, leaving the United States behind. These include privacy acts in countries like Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland, and proposed developments in the UK and India. 

More recently, the EU, United States, and other countries are working to streamline interoperability on data privacy rules, through new bilateral and multilateral data privacy agreements, global cross border mechanisms, and cooperations. Key among them is the recent draft adequacy decision for the U.S. and EU’s Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework (TADPF). The EU itself continues charging ahead to set standards for the rest of the world, most recently with the EU AI Act and the Data Act. For its part, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has adopted the first intergovernmental agreement towards safeguards for privacy, civil liberty, and human rights, as it concerns securing personal data in the context of national security and law enforcement.

If we look strictly at the numbers, cross border data flows are essential to the global economy. In 2022, 2 trillion dollars worth of data was affected by cross border flows, which is expected to rise to an estimated 15 trillion dollars by 2025. The United States will be at a disadvantage negotiating cross border data flows if it lacks its own national privacy standard.  

We must act now on data privacy to keep up in the global race on emerging technology, as data is the foundation underlying emerging technology. Without a privacy law in place in the United States, the United States will appear behind the >150 countries that have already passed privacy laws. These optics do not paint the United States as a fair trade and tech economic partner, even if it is leading the development of privacy-related pillars and principles in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Posterity (the IPEF) and the Trade and Technology Council (TTC)

By passing a federal privacy law, the United States can take part in shaping a pro-innovation, pro-democratic privacy landscape to counter this digital authoritarianism movement that imposes serious obstacles to trade

Privacy is Increasingly Essential to Uphold National Security

Comprehensive federal privacy legislation is also critical to advance national (and international) security. The recent scandals regarding potential misuses of data by TikTok has put this squarely in the spotlight. Several states, along with the federal government, have banned the use of TikTok on government devices. Congress has also introduced bipartisan legislation to ban the notorious TikTok app based on data security and privacy concerns. Lax privacy rules can foster greater mistrust in the online ecosystem and enable the spread of misinformation. This issue is now front and center with scrutiny focused on Twitter following moves by Elon Musk that would weaken privacy protections and trust and safety oversight (echoed in this 2022 whistleblower testimony). 

A uniform set of rules on data privacy is fundamental to the spirit of innovation, productive research, and creative authorship and will mitigate these national security concerns. Discussion about furthering the principles of a free-flowing internet has been made by G7 leaders, the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 

To this end, the Administration – as part of its broader goals to support the G7 and secure its place on the world stage – has undertaken at least three critical efforts in the past few months that underscore the impact of data privacy on national security. These efforts include the new Open Government National Action Plan, privacy as part of the 2022 National Security Strategy, and the White House cyber labeling initiative on the IOT. 

  • The Open Government Action Plan aims to increase the public’s access to data and improve how data is used by the government while improving the delivery of services and benefits. By publishing this plan and advocating for a more data rich ecosystem, with the government as the central decision maker, the Administration is signaling the need for new opportunities, embedded carefully in protections and guardrails that uphold national security. This initiative works hand in hand with federal privacy legislation. 
  • The 2022 National Security Strategy recognizes that an international technology ecosystem is critical to protecting our security and privacy, as a core component of “U.S. and allied technology leadership.” The international economic system should be “fit for contemporary realities,” including “high standards and protections for stability, privacy, and security” to reinforce the U.S.’s “global primacy.” 
  • Additionally, the White House announced a cyber labeling initiative for the Internet of Things (IoT) in October 2022. After a listening session with attendees including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the FTC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and manufacturers, standards-setting bodies, and other stakeholders, the White House identified concerns about the ease with which bad actors can exploit poorly secured devices to steal data, cause disruption, or conduct surveillance. A contemplated solution is a cybersecurity label barcode that could be scanned for real-time security information. 

These efforts would only be further bolstered and have more cohesive outcomes for the government and its stakeholders, if the United States were to pass a federal privacy law.

The United States can Demonstrate Leadership Through its own Unique Model for Privacy and Innovation

The United States recognizes the EU GDPR’s shortcomings and must avoid passing a law repeating similar mistakes. We can learn from the GDPR experiment but cannot (and should not) model it exactly. There are several compelling reasons why.

Despite any of its privacy benefits, the GDPR has deterred innovation. First, the GDPR does not include exemptions for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which harms those players who are the backbone of the U.S. economy. Second, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) researched the GDPR’s impact, including implications for both the supply and demand sides of the equation. After reviewing 4.1 million apps at the Google Play Store from 2016 to 2019, NBER notes that GDPR has induced the exit of about a third of available apps; and, since GDPR implementation, has led to half the number of new market entrants in the app marketplace. On the demand side, GDPR reduces consumer surplus and aggregate app usage by about one third. And, the research suggests that GDPR has generated significant consent fatigue, making it a less commendable model from a consumer and business usability standpoint. This is to say nothing of the immense fines being paid to Europe for tracking or targeted advertising in violation of the GDPR. 

For these reasons, other countries like the United Kingdom have made the steady shift from a pro GDPR model, to a UK GDPR, and now to a forthcoming model that will bolster competition and innovation. All the while, the UK retained appropriate safeguards for individual privacy and data protection. The Inaugural Meeting of U.S. and UK Comprehensive Dialogue on Technology & Data further underscores this theme. 

As it develops a federal privacy law, the United States must take our Constitution’s First Amendment rights of free speech into consideration (which are not woven into the EU’s GDPR). SIIA has played a pivotal role in shaping the development of state consumer privacy laws – including in Colorado and California – to ensure that they include these considerations and would pass constitutional muster. 

America can benefit from the excellent lessons learned from the GDPR. It should prompt us to tailor a U.S. law to help, rather than hinder, the political economy. It should also prompt us to focus on carefully factoring in the individual rights we are granted by the U.S. Constitution. 

In a nutshell:

While there are many more reasons than the ones stated here, we hope these five will prompt Congress to act NOW to move federal privacy legislation forward. 

You can see our previous blog on the topic here.

SIIA Congratulates Linda McMahon

The Software & Information Industry Association extends our congratulations to Linda McMahon on her confirmation as the 13th U.S. Secretary of Education and we look forward to working with her

Read More »
Vlog and trendy video content creation for social networks. Vector flat cartoon illustration of lifestyle bloggers and influencers. Internet media modern digital technology concept.

‘More Hope, Inspiration and Utility’; for Publishers, the Time (and Place) Is Here

“Could this be the year when publishers rethink their offer to address the twin challenges of news avoidance and disconnection – to offer more hope, inspiration, and utility?” Reuters Institute asks in their 2023 media report. The best answers may be found in person at our Business Information & Media Summit (BIMS) in Orlando, Feb. 23-24, where so many key players will be.

“In a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors, Disney chief executive Bob Iger said last week in a memo to employees (reported by The Washington Post). Disney is requiring that employees start coming in four days a week after March 1, citing the company’s need for in-person collaboration.

It’s interesting that a plea for more in-person collaboration and interaction in a creative business comes from the Disney chief just as BIMS readies for Orlando, Feb. 23-24. While coming into the office is certainly an individual organizational decision, there’s no question that the stimulation, ideas and—maybe above all—openness you get from speaking together in-person at an event cannot be duplicated virtually or anywhere else.

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has released its Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2023. Here are some of the findings along with the sessions at BIMS that address them and will surely propel the conversation forward:

An even greater emphasis on subscriptions. More publishers are investing in subscription and membership in 2023, with the majority (80%) saying this will be one of their most important revenue priorities, ahead of both display and native advertising.
Recurring Revenue: Building a Business Case and Strategic Plan – Tara Lajumoke (pictured), managing director, FT Strategies – Financial Times

Time is teching away. On average, publishers say that 3-4 revenue streams will be important this year. A third now expect to get significant revenue from tech platforms for content licensing (or innovation), significantly up from last year.
Enterprise Tech Spending Starts With a Coherent Business Strategy. Are You Focused Enough? Rhonda Wunderlin, SVP, performance marketing, Questex

Collective thinking. Expect to see a correction in the creator economy this year. The pressure of delivering to constant deadlines on your own is relentless. Collectives and micro-companies could be a new trend for 2023.
Here’s a Content-Centric Digital Native Who Wants to Remake B2B – Becca Sherman, COO and Co-founder, Workweek

Hear it from the top. Media companies are quietly integrating AI into their products as a way of delivering more personalized experiences. Over a fourth say this is now a regular part of their activities, with 39% more saying they have been doing testing in this area. New applications such as ChatGPT and DALL-E 2 also illustrate new opportunities.
Outlook 2023: A CEO Panel – Tim Hartman, CEO, GovExec; Chris Ferrell, CEO, Endeavor Business Media; Elizabeth Green, CEO, Brief Media; Tim Andrews, CEO, Advertising Specialty Institute; Gemma Postlethwaite, CEO, Arizent

More audio, video and newsletters, and marketing of them. In terms of innovation, publishers say that they will be putting more resources into podcasts and digital audio (72%) as well as email newsletters (69%), in an attempt to increase loyalty. Investment in digital video formats (67%) is also up on last year. By contrast just 4% say they’ll be investing in the metaverse. And marketing will be a huge key.

How FreightWaves Created a One-Two Punch with Marketing Services and Subscription Data – Craig Fuller, CEO, FreightWaves

A continued push for more diverse talent. Most publishers (72%) are worried about increasing news avoidance—especially around important but often depressing topics like climate change. Publishers say they plan to counter this with explainer content (94%), Q&A formats (87%), and inspirational stories (66%). For these to be successful, a continued push for new talent and diversity will need to take place.
Talent and DEI and Their Essential Role in Your Growth – Michelle Duke, chief diversity officer, National Association of Broadcasters & president, NAB Leadership Foundation, NAB; Subha Barry, president, Seramount

A bundle of joy. An alternative approach has been to try to lock subscribers in through bundling additional features or complementary brands. Publishers also say they’ll be paying much less attention to Facebook and Twitter this year and will instead put much more time and effort into TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Content as Product: How Editorial Leaders Are an Often Untapped Source of Great Ideas – Bibiana Campos-Seijo, media executive; Henry Howard, deputy director of media & communications, The American Legion