December 6, 2023
Declining Newsrooms and Digital Changes Drive Downsizing
A tumultuous year for media continues with more downsizing across the digital landscape. Audio streamer Spotify is cutting almost 20% of its workforce after CEO Daniel Ek said the company had invested too many resources from 2021-2022. Citing a shrinking television audience, BBC News is eliminating 127 newsroom positions to make space for nearly 150 digital-focused roles.
The decline of local newsrooms is accelerating as social media shuffles. This year in Ohio, newspaper publisher Gannett has shut down 16 community newspapers—a growing trend across the country. More news outlets are turning to Reddit to share news as increasing numbers of users and advertisers move away from X. A federal judge has halted legislation in Montana intended to ban TikTok—the law was to go into effect January 1, but will now be litigated in court.
Leaders Looking for Executive-Level Communicators
Good communications have never been more important for executives. From the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to OpenAI’s management mishaps, companies have been marred by poor communications. To better protect reputation, more corporate boards are recognizing the role of executive-level communicators. As executives reevaluate communications, businesses should exercise caution and prioritize authenticity when commenting on sensitive issues.
Muck Rack has shared insights from its annual State of PR and Marketing Leadership Report—new data show the continued consolidation of marketing and public relations leadership roles in communications. Findings also report a rising emphasis on internal communications across business sectors.
Coalitions and Governments Pressure Platforms to Counter Misinformation
From climate change to political campaigns, misinformation is rapidly spreading across social media. The Climate Action Against Disinformation Coalition commissioned research that showed false narratives quicky spread across X about recent flooding in Latin America. Nearly 5,000 Facebook accounts have been shut down by Meta—the fake social media profiles had shared polarizing political content to influence upcoming U.S. elections.
Platforms and policies are determining how information flows. Canada’s Online News Act aims to mitigate misinformation by protecting news media organizations. Google and the federal government of Canada have reached an agreement that will allow Google to continue sharing Canadian news in exchange for annual payments to news companies.
Sequence Summaries: Digital Downsize, Executive Insight, and Misinformation Monitoring
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