It’s generated controversy over its fundraising, its paywall, and its staffing. But it’s also about as close as a major American city has gotten to a digital news site that can go toe-to-toe with the local daily newspaper.
“Having a machine-learning framework to say who’s likely to churn, register, and subscribe has been a critical step in us making those experiences more tailored.”
Being a Quartz Member ($100/year) will now be required for access to all of its stories — one more case of a quality publisher finding that advertising revenue isn’t enough to allow a readership without limits.
The billionaire owner on unions (“I think they did the unionize thing out of desperation”), esports (“We must start fighting for the 16-year-olds all the way to the 30-year-olds, because that’s not our demographic”), and hiring the intern.
It’s a few years behind its East Coast brethren in New York and Washington. But tens of millions in new investment and ambitious digital plans are showing a path back to its former prominence — and beyond.
What’s the kind of story worth putting outside a hard paywall? The kind of civic storytelling that shows that you’re “covering the city like no one else.”
One finding: “Need-to-know material converts (related to how to live your life, understand the world), while nice-to-know (guides, arts, reviews) converts badly but is key for retention.”
“My team believes that by investing in the subscribers we have and making the subscription experience better and better, we’ll be able to help all parts of the subscription business.”
Hofseth, Anders. "Emily Bell thinks public service media today has its most important role to play since World War II." Nieman Journalism Lab. Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, 2 Apr. 2018. Web. 13 Dec. 2024.
APA
Hofseth, A. (2018, Apr. 2). Emily Bell thinks public service media today has its most important role to play since World War II. Nieman Journalism Lab. Retrieved December 13, 2024, from https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/04/emily-bell-thinks-public-service-media-today-has-its-most-important-role-to-play-since-world-war-ii/
Chicago
Hofseth, Anders. "Emily Bell thinks public service media today has its most important role to play since World War II." Nieman Journalism Lab. Last modified April 2, 2018. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/04/emily-bell-thinks-public-service-media-today-has-its-most-important-role-to-play-since-world-war-ii/.
Wikipedia
{{cite web
| url = https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/04/emily-bell-thinks-public-service-media-today-has-its-most-important-role-to-play-since-world-war-ii/
| title = Emily Bell thinks public service media today has its most important role to play since World War II
| last = Hofseth
| first = Anders
| work = [[Nieman Journalism Lab]]
| date = 2 April 2018
| accessdate = 13 December 2024
| ref = {{harvid|Hofseth|2018}}
}}