The Addition

Big-name glossy magazines still attract plenty of attention, even if newsstand numbers are dwindling. The truth is, many people engage with a magazine brand despite rarely/never picking up a print copy. As I’ve said before, I personally really enjoy settling down with a print magazine one after a day staring at a screen. The world of magazines goes beyond the mega-brands though. There are a plethora of beautifully produced independent titles that focus on all manner of subjects and serve dedicated readerships. However, it is a tough business and many are fighting to survive.Peter Houston and his partner Joanna are taking their love for the indie magazine world one step further and launching their own title - Grub Street Journal. It will be aimed at “people who make magazines”. Peter joins the show this week to explain why on Earth they are starting a print publication in 2023. * Media Voices* Magazine Diaries* Grub Street Journal* Peter Houston on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

A new year is always a good time for a reset. It is all too easy for any individual or industry as a whole to keep doing the same old thing. That is no different for publishing, with its ongoing combination of opportunities and struggles. What, then, should publishers be looking to change in 2023? Journalist, lecturer and trainer Adam Tinworth has thoughts. Some of them are going to be controversial. He joins host Charlotte Henry to, amongst other things, urge SEO practitioners to give up their keyword spreadsheets, journalists to get off Twitter and everyone to be a bit more sceptical about TikTok. In an atmosphere of layoffs and economic uncertainty, can we move away from some of the things we’ve held onto for so long?* Four Things Publishers Should Give up in 2023 - One Man And His Blog* Journalists! Get Off Twitter! - The Addition Podcast* What on Earth is Going on With Twitter? - The Addition Podcast* Adam Tinworth on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Since its public launch a few weeks ago, ChatGPT has captured the imagination of many in the media. And scared plenty of others. What does an AI tool that can quickly write paragraphs of (mostly accurate) text mean for journalists, ad copywriters and others? Like the image-generating tool Dall-E, there is no doubt that it will eventually have a major effect, but is it time to freak out? We are seeing some publications already use AI tools to produce formulaic stories, but it mostly seems that for now, at least, humans are going still going to have to be part of the process. [Help subscribers find your newsletter with The Sample]The direction of travel is one way though, so AI in journalism is an important topic to explore. It is only going to become more relevant as time goes on. More advanced tools are already being developed.Host Charlotte Henry is joined by tech journalist Tom Merritt to discuss the effects AI will have across journalism and media. Simple tasks could be automated and this could allow for better, more investigative, journalism. However, there are risks and downsides too. How will we know what images are real? Can an AI really tell a story, not just regurgitate facts? The risk of manipulation and falsehood is very real. * ChatGPT* Dalle-E * https://www.tommerritt.com/* Daily Tech News Show* “A Word with Tom Merritt”* Tom Merritt on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

One story sucked all the air out of the tech and media space in the final quarter of last year - Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Well, more accurately, it was multiple stories and a variety of incidents that all led back to the same person and the same company. There was a lot to unpack - from the battle for Musk to actually buy the company to his erratic and hypocritical behaviour after the deal was complete. The aftereffects have gone beyond the social media platform too, with shares in Musk’s ‘other’ company, Tesla, taking a significant hit. We still do not know who the permanent CEO of Twitter will be or what comes next for users.Previous show: 2023 Predictions - Apple's Media EcosystemThis week, host Charlotte Henry is joined by journalists and author Chris Stokel-Walker to discuss and dissect everything that has gone on at Twitter during the last few months. They also look at the growing level of scrutiny being directed at TikTok. The US is particularly nervous about the short video app’s connections to the Chinese authorities and the EU may take a closer look at the company too.* Chris Stokel-Walker’s website* Chris Stokel-Walker’s books* Chris Stokel-Walker on Twitter* The Addition blog* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

To wrap up the “2023 Predictions” mini-series, and indeed “The Addition Podcast” for this year, host Charlotte Henry is joined by Kelly Guimont. They look at what Apple will do with its media offerings next year. If you missed the previous episodes in this mini-series, you can still listen to the conversations with Brian Morrisey from The Rebooting and Mark Stenberg from Adweek.A large part of this week’s conversation, inevitably, focuses on Apple TV+. While we do not have real numbers on how many people are actually subscribed to the streaming service, let alone paying for it, TV+ does have a steady flow of high-quality content. It is also the current holder of the “Best Picture” winner at the Oscars, thanks to “CODA”. With a host of renewed popular shows set to return, including “Ted Lasso”, and films featuring major stars on the way, it seems like there will be plenty to enjoy on the platform over the next 12 months. Another thing we are almost certain to see is Apple’s ongoing push into live sports coverage, something that should also help boost subscriber numbers.Apple News and the related subscription service, News+, are really good products. However, Apple hardly talks about them. It seems unlikely there will be a major overhaul in the next year, but we can hope! Don’t expect an overhaul of Apple Music either.Thank you all so much for listening and supporting “The Addition Podcast” since its launch earlier this year. See you in 2023!* How Ted Lasso Changed The Game for Apple TV+* Apple TV+ Takes a Swing at Live Sport - “The Addition Podcast”* Apple Ups Its Sports Game - “The Addition Podcast”* Major League Soccer announces 2023 season schedule - Apple* I Want My MCU TV* Kelly Guimont on Mastodon* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

This week, host Charlotte Henry is joined by Mark Stenberg, senior media reporter at AdWeek. We discussed a variety of issues, including why publishers will pivot to video (again), the risk of traffic from Google dwindling, the importance of newsletters and events to connect with your audience, and whether independent publishers can survive and even thrive in a recession.* Newsletters are finally growing up: how publisher email strategies evolved in 2022 - Mark Stenberg on “Media Voices”* Mark Stenberg on Twitter* Mark Stenberg at Adweek* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

To start off a new mini-series predicting the world of media in 2023, host Charlotte Henry is joined by Brian Morrissey, who has seen various peaks and troughs during his career. Amongst other things, he edited Digiday and now runs The Rebooting on Substack. He has a deep understanding of the difficulties that media outlets can face during an economic downturn and the opportunities available to those able to grab them. Brian thinks there will be a “rebundling”, as individual brands come together to keep their audience. He is also very interested in how AI might affect journalism. Is ChatGPT really going to replace real-life journalists?!* The Rebooting* “People vs Algorithms”* Brian Morrisey on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts.If you follow Apple news, and you listen to podcasts… put this in your ears. The Mac Observer’s Daily Observations Podcast - online at macobserver.com, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Rachel Cunliffe, Senior Associate Editor at the News Statesman, joins host Charlotte Henry to discuss the work of modernising a magazine that has been around for over 100 years, the art of picking the right medium to tell a story and why print still matters.* New Statesman reaches highest circulation for 40 years as expansion continues - New Statesman* “The Magic of Magazines” with Peter Houston - The Addition* Rachel Cunliffe at the New Statesman* Rachel Cunliffe on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Adrian Weckler, Technology Editor at the Irish Independent, joins host Charlotte Henry to discuss the issues facing Twitter in Europe and what it could mean for the company as a whole. Is Elon Musk taking this as seriously as he should?Elon Muskdate From Dublin, Spotify's Joe Rogan ExperienceStop Pretending You're Going to Quit Twitter Because Elon Musk is Buying itA Revolut mortgage? CEO reveals 'super-app' plans to offer '100pc digital' mortgages - Irish IndependentKanye West posts ‘Shalom’ after Elon Musk lifts Twitter ban - TelegraphPiers Morgan interview with Andrew Tate - TalkTVTwitter boss Elon Musk keeps conspiracy theorist Alex Jones off platform - BBC NewsCristiano Ronaldo, Piers Morgan, and the Murdoch Media MachineAdrian Weckler on TwitterAdrian Weckler at the Irish IndependentCharlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Zoe Kleinman joins host Charlotte Henry to discuss being the BBC’s first-ever Tech Editor, the changing nature of tech news and what comes next for some of the biggest firms in the sector. She also reveals what she looks for in a story.* Twitter users jump to Mastodon - but what is it? - BBC* The case for replacing Twitter with Substack - Mike Elgan on Substack* Zoe Kleinman on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on TwitterListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com