SODP Dispatch - 17 March 2023

Happy Friday!

Let’s talk about generative AI.

Are tools like ChatGPT threatening to replace humans in completing certain tasks and jobs? Or is it merely a tool – one of the tools – in the productivity toolbox? Just how much upskilling do such tools require?

Our managing editor, Andrew Kemp, shares his thoughts on the subject in his weekly Editor’s Note column:

After ChatGPT took the world by storm late last year, it was refreshing to see last week’s announcement of the imminent arrival of the chatbot’s next iteration received relatively modest coverage.

German publication Heise quoted senior members of Microsoft’s in-country leadership last week as saying GPT-4 would arrive this week.

Microsoft Germany CTO Andreas Braun said: “We will introduce GPT-4 next week, there we will have multimodal models that will offer completely different possibilities – for example videos,” Braun said. ChatGPT (or GPT-3.5) launched in December 2022, while GPT-3 launched in 2020.

Both Braun and Microsoft Germany CEO Marianne Janik stressed that while generative AI was a game changer, it wouldn’t be replacing human jobs. The big takeaway from the GPT-4 announcement was the fact that it will be “multimodal”, meaning it will be able to generate text, audio, images and videos.

This may sound like a big deal, but in reality it’s simply a consolidation of pre-existing AI technologies — including OpenAi’s own DALL-e image generator. In fact, GPT-4 sounds like it will tread on the toes of a range of third-party software, including MidJourney, ElevenLabels and D-ID, which together can create an AI animated avatar with voice overs.

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OFFICE HOURS – EDITORIAL EDITION

MARCH EDITORIAL OFFICE HOURS: PUBLISHER STRATEGIES FOR TIKTOK

We are excited to announce the launch of a new Office Hours series. Hosted by SODP’s managing editor Andrew Kemp, these monthly sessions will focus on the editorial needs of digital publishers.

Our special guest is Corinne Podger, director and principal at The Digital Skills Agency.

An accredited trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network, and for the BBC and Reuters, Corinne has worked in the media sector for more than 30 years as an journalist, educator, lecturer, and author and provided training consultancy to support learning outcomes and professional development for thousands of reporters in more than 60 countries. Her consultancy clients have included BBC Media Action, Thomson Reuters Foundation, WAN-IFRA, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, CNN, Forbes, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Women in News, and more.

Whether you’re an established publisher or just starting out on the platform, this session will provide valuable tips and best practices for creating engaging content and maximizing monetization opportunities on TikTok.

WHEN: 28 March 2023 (Tuesday) at 5:30 PM AEDT

Read more and grab your spot

FROM STATE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING

TOL TOOLS

17 BEST MEDIA MONITORING TOOLS IN 2023

Media monitoring is a vital part of any digital publisher’s path to success. It is necessary to hear stories as they happen, track the competition and remain alert to any oncoming crises — and the best media monitoring software automates all of this.

These tools are also becoming ever more popular, with the expected global market share to more than triple from $3.96 billion in 2022 to $11.54 billion by 2029. As digital media sees its popularity increase over traditional media, media monitoring software options have also climbed.

But with so many choices out there, how do publishers ensure they choose the best one for their company? To help alleviate decision paralysis, we’ve drawn together a list of the 17 best media monitoring tools.

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TOOLS AND RESOURCES

TOOL

Get your long tail keywords ideas... for free. Suggest Machine is a free long-tail keyword research tool. It reveals the hidden and the biggest part of the search Iceberg. Learn more

TIP

While using schema markup doesn’t guarantee improvements to your site’s rankings, it does help search engines gain a better understanding of your content. Check out these common schema pitfalls to avoid. Learn more

BITE-SIZED INDUSTRY NEWS

SEOGoogle confirms the March 2023 core algorithm update is now rolling out. Here's what you need to know. Read more

AIMicrosoft offers a list of suggested prompts for Bing AI copilot, which is now available. Read more

BUSINESS OF DIGITAL PUBLISHINGLifehacker, a website that focuses on tips and tricks for living a better life, has been sold by its parent G/O Media to Ziff Davis, sources told Axios. Read more

BUSINESS MODELYorkshire Post and The Scotsman owner National World has said it wants to become a “digital-only” publisher, but still produce newspapers that are more tailored to local communities. Read more

BIG TECHMeta to end Canadians’ access to news on Facebook and Instagram if Bill C-18 becomes law. Read more

MONETIZATIONAmazon calls it quits on newspaper and magazine subscriptions for Kindle and print. Read more

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