Brand safety news industry 'con' exposed | Survey reveals journalist pay
Plus a first look at the new weekly Standard and Michael Gove returns to journalism full-time with Spectator editorship
Welcome to your daily newsletter from Press Gazette on Friday, 27 September, brought to you this week in association with Conscent, a revenue diversification platform for publishers.
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Brand safety is an industry and an idea which has cost news publishers billions.
It is based on the premise that website readers are too stupid to read a news story about the war in Ukraine without somehow blaming any advertiser appearing next to that content for Putin's illegal invasion.
It turns out readers aren't that foolish and the whole advertising brand safety industry is built on a lie. Thousands of journalists have needlessly lost their jobs as a result.
The $5bn a year advertising agency group has put its weight behind a project called Future of News which aims to persuade marketers to back journalism again because it is good for business and for society. I suspect the latter part of the argument will carry little weight, but fingers crossed the former will start to seep through.
Today we also report on the NCTJ's latest Journalists at Work survey based on more than 1,000 responses. It reveals some encouraging signs that average pay for UK journalists is on the up (especially if you are an early adopter of AI).
We also report on the first weekly edition of The London Standard, launched yesterday. At 64 pages it is a healthier size than the old daily version and it certainly looks different. To keep doing things the same way would be madness, but the AI-generated front page is a step too far for me. AI pictures look creepy and cheap, OK to illustrate a Linkedin post at a push but not for the front page of a proud newsbrand.
And welcome back to journalism Michael Gove after nearly 20 years out of the game. He last laboured full-time in the news vineyard as assistant editor of The Times and has been made editor of The Spectator by its new owners.
Tough luck for Fraser Nelson, whose reward for building the title into a £100m business over the last 15 years is to be shown the door of the editor’s office. But talent only gets you so far in journalism, we are all also subject to the capricious goddess Fortuna who periodically spins her wheel.
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New from Press Gazette
Brand safety a ‘con’ costing news industry billions, new research says
Huge research project suggests brand safety fears over news content are misplaced.
Pay for UK journalists has grown since 2018 after period of stagnation
NCTJ Journalists at Work survey results show those who use AI are paid more.
Weekly London Standard launches with AI Keir Starmer front page
AI Keir Starmer image follows reveal of AI-written review in style of Brian Sewell.
Michael Gove to replace Fraser Nelson as Spectator editor under new ownership
Fraser Nelson will become an associate editor after 15 years at the helm.
News in brief
CNN will experiment with a metered paywall from next month, beginning with "an inexpensive offering to gauge customer demand". CNN is currently the most-visited news site in the US. (The New York Times)
The San Francisco Chronicle has launched a "news assistant" chatbot that aims to answer reader questions about Kamala Harris using the paper's 29-year archive of reporting on the former SF district attorney. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The International Fund for Public Interest Media, which was launched by CNN CEO Mark Thompson and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, is aiming to raise $150m by the middle of 2025 It will have deployed more than $20m in grant funding to independent media this year. (Axios)
Rightmove has rejected a third takeover bid from News Corp-controlled Rea Group saying the £6bn offer "materially undervalues the company and its future prospects". (The Times)
Previously on Press Gazette
The joy of text: Publishers use old tech to reach new readers
Winning technology strategies shared by Times, Mail and Haymarket
Hearst UK reports operating loss for 2023 but says ads are recovering
Top 50 news websites in the US: Most sites see traffic drop after bumper July
Entertainment Daily owner Digitalbox launches specialist sites after Google changes
‘Bastards’: Publishers remain focused on alternatives despite Google cookies U-turn
Local press ‘does not have to be in decline’ says Newsquest as it grows profits
Daily Mail CEO on Google lawsuits, AI and why future of news is bright
Press Gazette live
Entries are now open for the 2024 British Journalism Awards. The deadline is midnight TONIGHT.
The event is open to all journalists producing work targeted at a UK audience. The criteria stipulate that reports must bring important new information to light, show journalistic skill and rigour and make a difference for the better.
The awards pit the smallest local newspapers and independent podcasters against the biggest international news organisations. The great leveller is the quality of the story being told.
