Around The Bloc

Brooke Hartley Moy , CEO of InFactory AI , unpacks the rapidly changing relationship between artificial intelligence and the media industry. She brings rare perspective from across Silicon Valley and publishing, having worked at Google and Slack before co-founding an AI infrastructure company focused on helping publishers navigate the AI era. We discuss: Why AI companies increasingly depend on hum...

Madeleine White from The Audiencers and Poool unpacks how publishers build sustainable reader revenue. Recorded live in Paris, this conversation explores how media companies move audiences from casual readers to loyal members and subscribers. We discuss: How paywalls actually work Freemium, metered, and dynamic models Why most readers never convert Membership vs subscriptions Community-driven jour...

In this episode of Around the Bloc , we’re joined by journalist and editor Marcela Kunova to discuss the growing crisis of trust in media. We talk about: Why public trust in journalism is collapsing Media ownership and political influence How algorithms fragment reality The dangers of activism and propaganda Low journalist pay and industry pressure How to rebuild pride and credibility in reporting...

How do you build a serious newsroom in one of the hardest media environments in the world? In this episode we speak with the Daily Maverick's Styli Charalambous about building a public-interest journalism organization from a five-person startup into a 100+ person newsroom — while navigating political corruption, market collapse, and constant financial pressure. The conversation explores what...

Publishers Stopped Being Media Businesses But Most Still Haven’t Noticed. What business are the in now?  Listen to find out. Ep. 2 of Around the Bloc, with James Hewes, publishing and media veteran. In this episode we discuss: – Why publishers don’t really run “media businesses” any more – they run audience businesses, and what breaks when you ignore that – How smaller, specialist niche media bran...

What is a subscriber actually worth — and how should publishers measure it? Joined by Abby Spooner from Atlas Consulting, we break down lifetime value (LTV) in simple terms and explain why understanding subscriber value is critical for digital publishers, news organisations, and media businesses building sustainable subscription models. We also explore how LTV and the LTV:CAC ratio help publishers...