SODP Dispatch - 4 August 2023

Best email newsletter platforms for publishers, press freedoms and audience trust, and more tips and news for digital publishers

Author

State of Digital Publishing
August 04, 2023

Happy Friday!

Today, let’s discuss press freedoms, audience trust and technological relevance.

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

I can’t say I was overly surprised when new research revealed that there’s less freedom of expression now than 20 years ago.

A quick look at global events over the last decade — including the rise of authoritarian governments, outbreaks of armed conflict and even the “culture war” — should be enough to explain UK-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Article 19’s findings that 80% of the global population have less freedom of expression now than at the turn of the century.

The Global Expression Report (GxR) 2023, which tracks freedom of expression across 161 countries, highlights a worrying trend about the deteriorating state of public discourse across the globe. Here are some of its main findings:

  • 13% of the world’s population (1.06 billion) live what’s classed as “open” countries, down from 22% in 2020

  • 9% (683 million) live in “less restricted” countries, down from 29%.

  • 16% (1.24 billion) live in “restricted” countries, up from 13%.

  • 28% (2.2 billion) live in “highly restricted” countries, up from 5%.

  • 34% (2.71 billion) live in (crisis countries), up from 30%.

freedom of expression

Commenting on the NGO’s findings, Article 19 executive director Quinn McKew told the Press Gazette that it’s “never been harder to be a journalist almost anywhere in the world in the past 30 years than it is right now”.

FROM STATE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING

TOP TOOLS
7 BEST PUSH NOTIFICATION SERVICES IN 2023

Digital publishers face the ongoing challenge of connecting with a continuously inattentive digital audience, making it increasingly important to find ways to cut through the noise.

Push notifications help to do just that, enabling direct contact with readers. These “pushes” can be used to promote new content directly to web and app users via their device, bypassing the need for them to be on a site or in an app in order to learn about content updates.

Apple first introduced this technology in 2009 and it has grown in popularity ever since. The return-on-investment (ROI) is high for this service, with some industry estimates suggesting an 88% boost in engagement after enabling it.

Understanding which push notification to choose can be tricky for publishers. That’s why it’s essential to sift through the key features each offers to find the best fit. First, let’s delve into these handy tools’ various benefits.

ADVERTISING
8 BEST EMAIL NEWSLETTER PLATFORMS FOR PUBLISHERS IN 2023

Audience attention spans have been falling for decades as competition for mindshare has skyrocketed. With the average focused attention span dropping from 2.5 minutes around 20 years ago to 47 seconds by 2021, digital publishers need help to make a lasting and personal connection with their audiences.

This struggle has meant that new ways to reach people beyond a simple website have grown in popularity. Email newsletter platforms are one such tool, allowing publishers to connect with audiences on a more personal level and then steer them back to their platform.

Newsletter tools streamline audience data gathering and storage, and allow publishers to craft personalized newsletters that have a better chance of engaging readers. For example, audience segmentation features help identify and sort reader interests and demographics, making it easier to communicate with different groups.

Newsletters allow publishers to stay in constant contact with their readership, providing an incredible opportunity to build audience loyalty and drive growth.

RECOMMENDED NEWSLETTERS

Join 1000+ newsletter builders to learn how to build a 6-figure newsletter biz. No boring list-posts, ever. Learn more

Get proven techniques to grow your website with the Niche Site Lady newsletter. Learn more

Every Friday, receive the week’s 10 best resources to help you generate more income. Learn more

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

We are launching a News SEO Playbook course on Maven, designed specifically for SEO specialists and digital audience growth leaders from medium and large news publishers. Join the wait list to be the first to learn of the next cohort and the full program. Learn more

Check out this guide on project management in newsrooms. Learn more

Ipsos posted its June ranking of top news websites in Australia. Learn more

Association of Online Publishers is hosting Publishing Tech Talk on 26-27 September in London. Learn more

BITE-SIZED INDUSTRY NEWS

ADVERTISING
Following a year of historically slow growth, analysts believe the ad market is finally beginning to improve. Read more

SEARCH
Google is adding four new search-related features to the mobile version of Chrome. Read more

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
The BBC has launched its own “experimental” Mastodon server, marking one of the first major news outlets to establish an instance on the Twitter alternative. Read more

BIG TECH
Meta Platforms has begun the process to end access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada. Read more

CMS
WordPress.com offers to pay domain transfer fees for first 1 million Google Domains customers plus rock bottom pricing on domain registrations. Read more

FUTURE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING
Three theories about how AI will change the news: replace some outlets entirely, be a helpful tool, or turn news organizations into wire services. Read more

AI
Meta releases AudioCraft, an open-source AI tool that lets users create music and sounds via text prompts, consisting of MusicGen, AudioGen, and EnCodec models. Read more