Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media industry newsletter. If you've received it, then you either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you.

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Let’s jump into it…

Quick hits

The Texas Tribune served as the gold standard for non-profit, local news. So why is it laying off journalists? [Nieman Lab]

I have to admit that I was once extremely bullish on the future of Arc, but this is further evidence that it's extremely difficult for a media company to act like a tech company, even when Jeff Bezos is your owner. [Semafor]

It's becoming increasingly common for TV/streaming networks to cancel TV shows after a season has already completed filming. Imagine doing all that work only to have your work locked away in a vault somewhere just so it can become a tax write-off. [The Guardian]

The founder of The Nib reflects on his 10 years running the publication. "The Nib was a lot of things, but probably the most unique thing about it was being a publication run entirely by cartoonists." [Bor Comics]

"Blurbs do not help sell books because the average consumer doesn’t care about them. Blurbs also do not help publicists secure reviews or other publicity." [Publishing Confidential]

This is a smart choice to run CNN. [Reliable Sources] CNN needs someone who fundamentally recognizes that linear TV is a dying medium and that there needs to be a near-singular focus on a digital transition. That's the focus Mark Thompson had when he was leading The New York Times's transition from print.

How B2B publisher Skift built a well-rounded and resilient media business

In 2011, Rafat Ali launched Skift, a B2B publisher that covers the travel industry. Since then, he’s diversified into multiple business models that include memberships, research, events, and advertising. He’s also acquired multiple other B2B media outlets.

In a Zoom call this Thursday, he’s going to answer our questions about the balancing act between simplifying a media business and embracing the complexities necessary for growth and stability. He’ll walk us through the early mistakes he made by not thinking through all the best revenue models that shield a media business through both economic boom times and downturns.

Walter Frick will also be joining the call. Today, Frick runs Nonrival, a newsletter where readers make predictions about business, tech, and politics. For nearly three years he ran Quartz’s membership program. He’ll answer our questions about what motivates readers to convert into subscribers and what he learned when Quartz made the radical decision to completely remove its website paywall.

This is an interactive session where you’ll be given the opportunity to ask questions and contribute, and it’ll be jam-packed with actionable tips that you can steal and use in your own monetization efforts.

Date and Time: Thursday, August 31 at 1 p.m. ET

Zoom link:...