Kieren Weisert’s Post

Time to advertise on GB News!? Whilst this FT article is about CNN in the US...there may be parallels here. The article says CNN will lay off people in it's TV group and invest more in digital the FT reader. However, comments and this single stat below suggest that as well as a trend away from TV, there could be a trend away from CNN. The article states: "Just 1.7mn households watched Trump’s inauguration on CNN — down from 10mn in 2021. In comparison, more than 10mn viewers watched the inauguration on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News." I watched the inauguration speech online and saw some coverage elsewhere. The best TV coverage was on GB News. Some of the other coverage I saw wasted quite a bit of time attacking Trump. In terms of 'value per minute spent' actually watching the inauguration came top as Trump said what he's going to do. So...what does this mean for advertisers? The spread of advertisers I saw on GB News was different to other channels. Reading some commentary relating to X in recent months there's a clear aversion to or disdain for some media amongst some advertising and marketing industry commentators. Does this extend to GB News? The Fox/CNN viewing stats referred to above reflect the US political scene. This has some parallels in the UK. Whilst campaigning in the general election many people had clearly had enough of the political establishment. Only half of people of voting age voted. Whilst Trump has a mandate, this can't really be said for Starmer...who won partly because the Tories lost. UK opinion polls suggest that (amongst those who state a preference!) we are equally divided between Labour, Conservative and Reform with the Lib Dems and Greens (if you add them together) as a fourth segment and nationalists or local/independents as a fifth segment especially in local elections. The sixth and largest segment is 'none of the above.' It may well be that GB News appeals to one or more of these segments. Should that put advertisers off? Assuming GB News has a large enough audience, I'd say not. The main finding from years of advertising effectiveness work is that reaching people in a medium they like is a good idea. My suspicion is that many GB News viewers have turned away from other channels, as some in the US have turned away from CNN. This started in 2020/21 and may have continued. I do not have detailed stats to back this up...but do have enough anecdotal evidence to suggest it's worth exploring! Maybe someone already has. In the meantime interesting that our bank (Revolut) is advertising on GB News as did an old client Doro.

Trump's effect on traditional media! Cable news networks are seeing significant viewership changes. Fox News viewership increased by 60%, averaging 2.6 million viewers, while MSNBC's primetime audience fell 54% and CNN declined 40% overall, with shows like MSNBC's Alex Wagner reaching their lowest ratings to date. Traditional media outlets are responding to these changes. The Los Angeles Times, for example, is restructuring its editorial approach, as its owner Patrick Soon-Shiong recently appeared on Fox News to outline the newspaper's plans to increase the diversity of viewpoints in coverage and separate more clearly between news and opinion. Viewers have realized that polarised news is not an indicator of the country's mood. You need an unbiased media, something we need to have in our country as well. Source: Chamath's newsletter

Can local TV news be reinvented? I met Investigative Journalist and Northeastern University Professor Mike Beaudet at a spring symposium, “What Works in Local News,” hosted by Professor Dan Kennedy and Ellen Clegg. Kennedy publishes a daily newsletter on the topic. The pair host an always fun and informative podcast, and they’ve co-authored the must-read, "What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate." Everyone in news should follow their work and buy the book. At the one-day symposium, Beaudet spoke during an afternoon session about a years’-long study—Reinventing Local TV News—that is looking at TV news’ evolving audiences and how broadcast news professionals may be able to re-engage younger audiences. It was a fascinating session, and E&P’s Editor-in-Chief Robin Blinder and I planned a follow up with Beaudet for a deeper dive into what the study revealed. After all, engaging younger audiences is critical to all news platforms (broadcast, print, digital, audio and video) today. At the link, read about how the study is structured and its findings so far. And please share your comments and suggestions below about how best to communicate news in ways that appeal to younger readers, viewers and listeners. #TVnews #LocalNews #BroadcastNews #GenZ #NewsAudiences #DigitalEngagement https://lnkd.in/ewa_Hmpi

Listening To Audiences Is Key To Local TV's Survival. An interesting read. #Advertising #Marketing #PublicRelations #Media #AdvertisingAgency #MediaBuying #Television #Radio #Outdoor #DigitalMedia #SocialMedia #Branding #SilverStateWonders

💡 As CNN announces mass layoffs and a strategic shift, it reflects the broader realignment of the #media landscape. Social platforms are now the primary stage for news consumption, driving a social-first approach that reduces costs and reshapes newsroom structures. Interestingly, this shift takes us back to a time when journalists wore multiple hats—writer, researcher, filmmaker, and editor—an approach that aligns perfectly with the demands of social media storytelling. Audiences today seek niche, digital-first media brands that don’t compromise on journalistic quality. Outlets like SEMAFOR, Puck, and Zeteo are proving that focused, high-caliber journalism can thrive in a social-first, digital-driven world. Meanwhile, many journalists are embracing the independence offered by newsletters, podcasts, and other personal media ventures, creating direct connections with their audiences. It’s never been a better time to launch a media brand, no matter the size. Take me, for example: watching specialized knowledge influencers rise on TikTok has been my main source of news . The tools and platforms are here, and the shift in habits shows the world is ready for innovative voices to step up and shape the conversation.

I think Opinion columns help put the news in context. CNN's Opinion section was one of my go-tos for explainers on international news, but today the team were told they're no longer required. Perhaps the team will be reconstituted somewhere else but for now CNN's pivot to video, away from text-based content has claimed a valuable part of the journalism landscape. Read my second exclusive of the day below. #CNN #layoffs #Opinion #streaming

Not to be a hater but I'm skeptical Now, to be fair, it could work CNN.com is one of America's most visited news sites and there is going to be a very powerful advertising arm - even if it is declining - in CNN TV to promote it (Also, just an aside, I think the gut reaction comparison to CNN+ seems a bit unfair) But what is the value prop of a subscription? What's the B2B play? I don't immediately get why anyone would pay for a CNN digital subscription outside of habit / inertia And maybe that is enough to turn greater profit given they are a trusted name in news But what I want to know is Do news consumers see them as a premium brand such as a New York Times where a subscription is almost a badge of honor among a certain type of person (urban, educated, opinionated)? Or are they more in the category of USA Today which also has a paywall? A lot of the details are yet not known but here are my predictions - or maybe just what I would do: 1. The coverage of CNN digital will shift to focusing more on exclusive news (maybe even deals down the line) versus more longer form, thematic coverage 2. Re point 1, there will be a revitalization and further importance put on the CNN Business brand to support garnering that exclusive news 3. Similar to Bloomberg print and TV, we'll likely see more CNN print journalists on air to promote the digital channel further, among other efforts 4. I do think CNN digital will try to take a lot from the NYT's approach - even down to fun crossword games (going beyond just news content into more interactive/experiential aspects) Now I could be cooking, or I'm just flailing in the kitchen, but we'll have to wait and see to know for sure

M*sk to buy MSNBC? - Why it doesn´t matter and why it does. "It seems Elon Musk, now with a foot in the door of the Oval Office, fancies himself as a broadcasting entrepreneur and controller of a left-leaning channel that he has criticised in the past." "But at this stage in the Comcast scheme, the channels are being sold as a complete package and not subdivided into individual prospects. “We are looking forward to the planned spin of our cable networks, which will create a new company owned by our shareholders—none of these assets are for sale,” a Comcast spokeswoman said." On one level this wouldn't make sense. The pendulum is swinging away from #traditionaltv in the US and its influence is on the wane, as the #USelections showed. The #newmedia sphere, podcasts, online videos, influencers and talking heads showed themselves more influencial than traditional #broadcastmedia. MSNBC particularly has seen huge drops in its audiences post-election (link below), as having attacked Trump before the election, after his win, several commentators changed their tune. If you build a partisan audience, and then do a 180 on your partisanship, what do you expect? So, if M*sk was to take it over, it would lose its remaining liberal audience, but it would be in a saturated space, with right wing partisan shows Fox, Newsmax etc, what would a right-wing MSNBC bring? All #cablenews audiences in the US are in decline, including Fox the most popular. What would be the commercial logic or even in reach terms, if it wasn't a commercial project and more about propaganda. So, if this was to happen, I don't think it would have much impact, and may even lead to a further decline of traditional news audiences, cutting the chord and pushing people online. Maybe it would go digital on X and be promoted through manipulating algorithms? However, where it does matter is in the precedent it sets. It's oligarchic and plutocratic. If you're fantastically rich and don't like the stance of a news channel, just buy it and change it. The amount of power that puts into one person's hand, someone who has vested interests and is able to influence news coverage is extremely disturbing. More than creating a partisan organisation, what this seems to show is an attempt to try to squeeze out the space of alternative points of view, and monopolising news coverage. “Media assets themselves have always had sort of political positioning, but now the business of media is getting just as deeply politicised,” said Craig Moffett, a senior analyst and co-founder at MoffettNathanson, talking to the WSJ." More than ever, we need #independentmedia in the #newsmedia space and stronger #publicservicemedia that bring us facts and let audiences make up their own opinion, rather than more partisan news with special interests behind them. #news #mediaindustry #tvindustry #television #tvnews #fakenews #fakenewsmedia #freemedia #psm #psb #broadcasting

The television news landscape just experienced a significant shift, highlighted by the announcement of the closure of Scripps News, E.W. Scripps' 24-hour news channel, set to end operations in one month.Despite achieving viewership milestones, such as attracting 1 million viewers during a September 2024 debate, the channel’s inability to secure major advertisers amidst political polarization has forced its shutdown, leading to over 200 job cuts. Scripps News’ struggles are indicative of larger challenges faced by other all-news platforms, which are shutting down or scaling back in response to a changing media landscape. Founded in 2015 as Newsy, Scripps News began as a cable channel and later transitioned into a full-time service for TV and streaming platforms like Tubi and Pluto. It gained a reputation for providing objective, documentary-style programming and live news coverage. However, despite its commitment to unbiased journalism and growing audience numbers, Scripps News couldn’t overcome one of the biggest obstacles in modern media: the lack of advertiser support. As E.W. Scripps CEO Adam Symson explained in a memo to staff, advertisers have grown increasingly reluctant to support national news outlets, largely due to concerns about brand safety in a politically polarized environment. Even though Scripps News earned recognition for its objectivity, the volatile nature of today’s political climate made advertisers wary of associating their brands with any national news platform, regardless of its impartiality. This failure to secure advertising revenue, despite strong journalistic credentials, illustrates a larger problem facing the news industry. Objectivity, once the hallmark of reputable journalism, is no longer enough to ensure financial sustainability. The challenges faced by Scripps News underscore the economic pressures and the changing dynamics of consumer habits in today’s media ecosystem. Scripps News is not the only 24-hour news platform struggling to remain relevant. For decades, channels like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC dominated the television news landscape by providing around-the-clock coverage of breaking events. However, as consumer habits evolve, the relevance of traditional TV news has diminished significantly. Today, audiences have unprecedented access to real-time news through digital platforms, social media, and mobile apps. Consumers can receive breaking news instantly through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and news apps. This shift has reduced the demand for 24-hour TV news, as viewers are increasingly turning to digital alternatives that allow for more flexible, on-demand.While Scripps News tried to adapt by expanding its presence on streaming platforms like Tubi and Pluto, it faced stiff competition from other digital-native news outlets like Vice, Vox, and Axios, as well as traditional networks like NBC News and CBS News, which have made significant investments in their own digital and streaming offerings.