Publishers versus coders – should this really be a fight, or would both be better off cross-mutating into a super breed, asks Digital Media Service’s Michel Malkoun
Up until recently, publishers were still in shock over the digital revolution that swept the Middle East and North Africa region. What started off as a joke or a condescending reaction to the youth of today from well-established journalists became a wake-up call, which swiftly turned into admiration for what the youth were able to achieve in such a short period of time. Traditional journalists are still in awe of how swiftly ‘millennials’ are consuming media and how this new breed can simultaneously engage in a discussion with their friends via text (on their mobile phone) while looking at – and conversing with – their parents, and are still able to keep an eye on their television screens.
In the wake of shock comes healing, after which one gets back to life. But can publishers actually follow through and return to their routine lives or is it simply too late?
They say Facebook counts as the world’s single largest media owner. But Facebook doesn’t create a single piece of content. Meanwhile, thousands of journalists are struggling to retain their jobs. As the traditional creators of content become extinct, it is becoming evident that what is mightier than a sword may no longer be the pen. That honour now goes to the algorithm.
The algorithm – created by teenage coders – continues to dictate what society should be reading and who they should be influenced by. So guess what? Today’s influencers are not the ones we learned about in school such as Molière, Hugo, Garcia- Marquez or Hemingway. They are more and more becoming the likes of Bieber, Kardashian and, sadly, maybe even your next-door neighbour. Their influence does not rely on the quality of their text or analysis, but rather on the seconds of video which they generate and release (snackable).
It’s no wonder then that journalists and publishers are feeling so out of place. Traditional publishers are learning, trying and experimenting with different things, rewriting within the boundaries of 140 word counts, creating snappy headlines and filming their stories in animation for today’s on-the-go readers.
Throughout history, humans have shown resilience when faced with grave obstacles such as famine, earthquakes and wars. These events always end up forcing humans to work harder on their evolution. What I have witnessed, during my interaction with so many publishers over the past five years, is nothing short of proof that they are out to beat this new challenge of the century: publishers versus coders. But should this really be a fight, or would both be better off cross-mutating into a super breed.
Publishers are adapting to the new rules of engagement. They are developing a better understanding of the algorithm, building their content management system to enable journalists with quicker ways to upload stories, creating social accounts or footprints, respecting their followers and replying in real time to their questions. They are filming their stories, often in 360 degree formats, navigating the viewability questions and so on. They are also leveraging new technological advancements, which enable them to become that much more adaptable to the new world.
Data is being utilised to understand audience fragmentation and how audiences are consuming content across different screens. The publishers’ responsibility is to be present on every platform where their content will appeal to audiences natively, programmatically and visually. This translates into rewriting and addressing their stories with a greater understanding of today’s platforms.
In the end, this shift will result in much stronger publishers, who are not only equipped with deep-rooted basic skills in writing and developing content but ones who are armed with a robust technological know-how, that will any day – blindfolded – help them beat any machine or algorithm. Are we there yet though? The answer is definitely not and despite knowing that the road is a long and treacherous one I am happy to see a new breed of publishers in the making. They will ultimately conquer all these challenges.
With new skill sets being added to earlier learning, the bar continues to be raised for what active publishers’ can consider to be accomplishments. Although applaudable, this pattern is not enough. The digital space is a very fluid environment where the minute you think you have figured it all out – or are about to seize an opportunity – the opportunity moves that much quicker or farther. Today, publishers are about to be squashed again, in between Apple, Google and Facebook. They have started yet another race for dominating the internet, fuelled by the vicious stock market. Who will own a publisher’s CMS? How will they deliver value to content owners without advertising? And how will they control the publishers’ rankings? This race is gearing up to be detrimental to the internet in general but more specifically will negatively impact publishers. In the absence of figuring out a viable commercial model during this new battle – which allows publishers to continue being paid for creating valuable content – the ‘big three’ have placed in yet another challenge. As the plot unfolds and the rules of the new game become clearer, publishers are beginning to roll up their sleeves. They are learning how to survive amid the future, which is swiftly approaching. The only question which remains: is this the remedy or the disease?
Michel Malkoun is chief operating officer at DMS