SODP Dispatch - 27 June 2024

Journalism’s Trust Problem is About Money, Not Politics

By Jacob L. Nelson

Journalism faces a credibility crisis. Only 32% of Americans report having “a great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in news reporting – a historical low.

Journalists generally assume that their lack of credibility is a result of what people believe to be reporters’ and editors’ political bias. So they believe the key to improving public trust is to banish any traces of political bias from their reporting.

Yet, a study published recently suggests this path of distrust stems from an entirely different problem.

By Vahe Arabian

➡️ Critical trends in digital publishing

The Digital News Report 2024 from Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is a reminder for all digital publishers of the shift to mobile-first news consumption and the pressing need for transparency and trust in journalism.

The report highlights several critical trends that digital publishers cannot afford to ignore:

1. Mobile-First Audiences: With more readers accessing news on their smartphones, it’s imperative to optimize our content for mobile devices. This means faster load times, mobile-friendly formats, and a seamless user experience.
   

2. Trust Issues: Trust in news remains a significant issue. To retain and grow our audience, we must prioritize transparency and accuracy in our reporting. Clear, fact-based journalism is more crucial than ever.
   

3. Subscription Models: There's a notable shift towards subscription-based models. This underscores the importance of creating high-quality, exclusive content that readers are willing to pay for. If we haven't already, it's time to rethink our monetization strategies.
   

4. AI and Automation: The growing role of AI in newsrooms presents both opportunities and challenges. Leveraging AI can help streamline content creation and distribution, but we must ensure it enhances rather than detracts from the human element of storytelling.
   

5. Engagement over Reach: Engagement metrics are becoming more critical than sheer reach. It’s about how deeply our readers connect with our content, not just how many click through. This calls for more interactive and personalized content strategies.

The Digital News Report 2024 provides a roadmap for navigating the evolving digital publishing space. Let’s take these insights to heart and continue to adapt and innovate.

📊 Case study: How Gizmo Story grew its traffic by 714% in 4 weeks

Our sister brand, SODP Media, published a case study with many insights that digital publishers may want to consider.
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🛠️ The Ultimate Google Search Console Dashboard

Check out this GSC dashboard by Bojan Basrak that brings scattered GSC Lookers Studio charts and calculations in one convenient place.
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