The Addition

We want transparency and honesty from our politicians. We want our media to hold the powerful to account. One of the best ways to do the latter is via long-form interviews. This week’s guest, Rob Burley, has been involved in producing many of them over the last 30 years but is worried that too many broadcasters, particularly the BBC, are abandoning the format. He gives a powerful insight into his...

Maybe it was always this way, but things feel particularly chaotic in the media industry right now. From sales to shutdowns to Twitter changes, a lot is in a state of flux. Mark Stenberg from Adweek returns to the show this week to discuss the state of things. Never underestimate the power of niche! In particular, we look into what is going on in terms of M&A. There were a huge number of deals don...

You may have noticed that the media world has undergone some seismic changes over recent years. And Ben Smith has been there for them all - from reporting for New York tabloids to turning Buzzfeed into a major news brand and having a column for the New York Times. He now runs Semafor, a globally focused news publication he founded with ex-Bloomberg News exec Justin Smith. It is a typically ambitio...

Chuck Joiner and Charlotte Henry are back with the second episode of “TV+ Talk” - the YouTube series and podcast in which, each month, we discuss the key issues around Apple’s streaming service. This time around we looked at the comedy series “Shrinking” and the movie “Tetris”. Chuck had a bit of a surprise for Charlotte too!* “Shrinking”* “Tetris”* The Addition on YouTube* Charlotte Henry on Twit...

Things are never quiet in Hollywood. Luckily, The Ankler exists to explain it all. Founded on the back of Richard Rushfield’s own newsletter, it has grown to become an example of a great Substack business. And there is a lot going on in Tinseltown right now. The drive to get people back into cinemas post-pandemic continues, with more and more “in theatres only” releases happening. There have also...

There is so much content across all the different streaming platforms right now it is almost overwhelming. So The Addition is here to help! Jeff Gamet returns to the podcast to discuss what he is watching now, what I am watching now and what is on our “to watch” lists. There is plenty to recommend for your viewing pleasure, whether serious series, comedy specials, 30-minute sitcoms or movies. HBO/...

This week’s episode is a bit meta. It’s two Substackers discussing Substack! Without a doubt, the platform has had a transformative effect on the media landscape. It has both coaxed major columnists away from their highly-paid gigs and helped mere startups (like this one) get off the ground. Over the last year, the company has consistently been launching new products, but what comes next? Substack...

The BBC is always under scrutiny, but lately, it is having a particularly tough time. In recent weeks, it has faced difficult questions about its chairman Richard Sharp, transitioned to a combined news channel for both the UK and the rest of the world, and been tangled up in a major impartiality row thanks to Gary Lineker. All the while, significant numbers of layoffs are happening, with years of...

It has been a tumultuous time for TikTok. The UK government joined the ranks of those banning the short-form video app on (most) official devices, with the BBC also urging staff to delete it. Then CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared in front of Congress. Wall Street was not that impressed by his performance, but creators were, as he calmly handled increasingly daft questions from US lawmakers. It’s fair to...

The idea for “TV+ Talk” came about after I joined “MacVoices” to discuss Apple’s streaming service with Chuck Joiner. We had a lot of fun, so we decided to do it more regularly! The aim is to publish an episode about once a month, depending on our schedules. There is a lot happening on Apple TV+ so there should be plenty to talk about. Of course, if there is a show or movie on the service that you...

You may just have noticed that a new season of “Ted Lasso” has begun on Apple TV+, but is the series still delivering as it once was? Kelly Guimont joins the podcast to discuss the opening episode and what we might expect to come next. There are spoilers for season three, episode one so watch that and then come back and join us! Given that this is likely to be the last season of “Ted Lasso”, and e...

Shannon Morse has been making online video for… a long time. Long before we called doing such work being a “creator”, in fact. She joins the show to discuss the current state of the creator economy. How has vertical video changed the game? Can creators actually make money from it? On TikTok in particular, the benefits may go beyond earning some extra income, but it is noticeable that those who sta...

It is International Women’s Day and to mark the occasion Charlotte Tobitt, UK Editor of Press Gazette, joins the show to reflect on five decades of Cosmopolitan and discuss the future of women’s media. We explore whether glossy magazines can survive the challenge posed to them by influencers and creators. Cosmo is certainly doing some very interesting and pioneering digital innovation. Some women’...

There has been a huge amount of news, both good and bad, coming out of the media industry in recent months. Sometimes it is worth taking a breath and looking at where we currently are. There are not many betters guests I could have to do this than Graham Ruddick. He has covered business and media for a number of major publications such as The Times, Telegraph and Guardian, and now runs the Off to...

Local news is the subject of much agonising within the media industry. This traditional route into journalism, learning the craft at local outlets, is increasingly closed to young hacks on both sides of the Atlantic. Numerous publications are being run down or have closed. Yet they are so important to many communities who want to be informed about what is going on around them. The team at 6AM City...

If you think this year is going to be big for streaming and the entertainment industry, you ain’t seen nothing yet. That’s the argument put forward by this week’s guest, Tom Merritt. He explains, convincingly, that a variety of deal deadlines mean that some big decisions will have to be made early next year and this could see meaningful change and consolidation in streaming. There’s the question o...

Many of us take watching the latest hit Netflix series for granted. But how do you enjoy such content if you’re blind? Steven Scott from “Double Tap” joins the show to discuss the various accessibility features that services make available to help with this. He also highlights their varying quality. First, the show goes back to basics. What accessibility features for blind people are already avail...

Big-name glossy magazines still attract plenty of attention, even if newsstand numbers are dwindling. The truth is, many people engage with a magazine brand despite rarely/never picking up a print copy. As I’ve said before, I personally really enjoy settling down with a print magazine one after a day staring at a screen. The world of magazines goes beyond the mega-brands though. There are a pletho...

A new year is always a good time for a reset. It is all too easy for any individual or industry as a whole to keep doing the same old thing. That is no different for publishing, with its ongoing combination of opportunities and struggles. What, then, should publishers be looking to change in 2023? Journalist, lecturer and trainer Adam Tinworth has thoughts. Some of them are going to be controversi...

Since its public launch a few weeks ago, ChatGPT has captured the imagination of many in the media. And scared plenty of others. What does an AI tool that can quickly write paragraphs of (mostly accurate) text mean for journalists, ad copywriters and others? Like the image-generating tool Dall-E, there is no doubt that it will eventually have a major effect, but is it time to freak out? We are see...

One story sucked all the air out of the tech and media space in the final quarter of last year - Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Well, more accurately, it was multiple stories and a variety of incidents that all led back to the same person and the same company. There was a lot to unpack - from the battle for Musk to actually buy the company to his erratic and hypocritical behaviour after the deal...

To wrap up the “2023 Predictions” mini-series, and indeed “The Addition Podcast” for this year, host Charlotte Henry is joined by Kelly Guimont. They look at what Apple will do with its media offerings next year. If you missed the previous episodes in this mini-series, you can still listen to the conversations with Brian Morrisey from The Rebooting and Mark Stenberg from Adweek. A large part of th...

This week, host Charlotte Henry is joined by Mark Stenberg, senior media reporter at AdWeek. We discussed a variety of issues, including why publishers will pivot to video (again), the risk of traffic from Google dwindling, the importance of newsletters and events to connect with your audience, and whether independent publishers can survive and even thrive in a recession.* Newsletters are finally...

To start off a new mini-series predicting the world of media in 2023, host Charlotte Henry is joined by Brian Morrissey, who has seen various peaks and troughs during his career. Amongst other things, he edited Digiday and now runs The Rebooting on Substack. He has a deep understanding of the difficulties that media outlets can face during an economic downturn and the opportunities available to th...

Rachel Cunliffe, Senior Associate Editor at the News Statesman, joins host Charlotte Henry to discuss the work of modernising a magazine that has been around for over 100 years, the art of picking the right medium to tell a story and why print still matters.* New Statesman reaches highest circulation for 40 years as expansion continues - New Statesman* “The Magic of Magazines” with Peter Houston -...