Ephemeral media, bots replacing reporters, and a guide to live journalism

ISSUE No. 62

Ephemeral media, bots replacing reporters, and a guide to live journalism

Hello,

You may have already noticed: this issue marks the debut of our new visual identity! But this newsletter isn’t the only thing that’s gotten a makeover. Last week, we unveiled a project we’ve been working on for some time: the redesign of our website. It’s been a long-term project, and we’re proud to present the results to you. Feel free to check it out and let us know what you think!

In this issue, we’re taking a look at live journalism, a trending format you may have considered adopting… but how do you go about it? Together with Julia Lasry, a media strategy consultant, we’ve put together a list of best practices and real-world examples to inspire you.

Also on the agenda: how local media outlets work with content creators, ephemeral media, and a fly to come up with headlines.

Enjoy the read!

OWEN HUCHON, JOURNALIST AT MÉDIANES

1. FORMAT (Médianes) — Live journalism is one of the approaches newsrooms are prioritizing to break free from their dependence on web giants, strengthen ties with their community, and diversify their business model. Are you interested in the idea but not sure where to start? That’s good news—we’ve just published the latest issue of our monthly case study series to help guide you.

2. GUIDE (Médianes) — But live journalism has several limitations, including the issue of inclusivity: How can this format be made more accessible when it often takes place in major cities in front of a limited audience? We spoke with several media outlets to document their ideas.

3. CONTENT CREATORS (Ouest Média Lab) — Another current trend is working with content creators, particularly for media outlets seeking a younger audience. A study by Ouest Média Lab examined the various types of collaborations developed by local media outlets in France.

4. AI (Mediapart) — Introduced a few years ago as a simple “aid” to editorial assistants, AI now handles key stages of production at some major media groups. The time editorial assistants spend on an article—though invaluable—is gradually being eroded, to the detriment of journalism.

5. PLATFORMS (Urbania) — Is it possible to truly engage in activism on social media? Silicon Valley, eager to maintain good relations with the president, has tightened its moderation policies. Above all, these platforms are driven by commercial and capitalist logic: is it possible to develop a discourse that challenges these models while still relying on them to spread that message?

6. MODELS (Nieman Lab) — The freelance journalist’s livelihood is becoming increasingly precarious, editorial positions are growing scarce, and launching one’s own media outlet isn’t always an option. Some are therefore trying to strike a balance by creating pop-up newsrooms. This is the case for five climate journalists behind “Betting the House,” which will have five months to investigate the housing crisis.

7. CLIMATE (CJR) — Last summer proved it: covering climate news is intense, grueling, and can sometimes be distressing—for journalists and the public alike. CJR spoke with 12 reporters who specialize in this topic to gather their advice: focus on the human scale of the impact, explore solutions-based journalism, and adapt to shorter attention spans.

8. STRATEGY (Adweek) — After years of relying on traffic from Google, Wikipedia is making a major strategic shift. The reason: a decline in its “real” traffic and more bots than ever before. This phenomenon is undermining its business model—which relies on user contributions and donations—and is pushing the encyclopedia to adopt a more aggressive marketing strategy.

9. MODERATION (The Print) — Are off-topic comments flooding the comments section under your podcasts? It might not be spam. With social media restrictions recently put in place in various countries, young people are turning to other spaces to chat… including podcast comments sections, as NPR has noticed on its own episodes.

10. AI (Wired) — You may have heard about this fly brain whose entire network of neurons has been digitally mapped by researchers. Since then, internet users have been training it to play video games, park a car, or fly a drone. A Wired journalist tried using it to generate article headlines. The result, at the very least, leaves no doubt that there’s no human touch involved.

See you in two weeks!

FOR THE NEXT ISSUE

We'll be back on Thursday with the latest issue of our "Coulisses" newsletter. Haven't signed up for all our newsletters yet? Update your preferences so you don't miss them.

Until then, take care of yourselves and your social media.

This newsletter was prepared by Owen Huchon with the team at Médianes.

Médianes

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