Build Franchises, Not Traffic: Media's New Reality

Resources

Books

• "The End of Mass Media--and What Comes Next" - This is the title of the podcast episode, implying it's a central theme and likely draws upon existing ideas or frameworks related to this topic.

Videos & Documentaries

• "Sora" - Mentioned as a tool for AI to create social media content, indicating its relevance to the discussion on AI and content creation.
• "Vio" - Mentioned alongside Sora as a tool for AI to create social media content, suggesting its role in the evolving media landscape.

Research & Studies

• "The Super Bowl" - Mentioned as an example of a topic that many publishers created repetitive web pages for to capture search traffic, illustrating a past strategy for SEO.

Tools & Software

• Adobe Acrobat Studio - Mentioned in an ad segment, highlighting its PDF capabilities and AI assistant for research and presentations.
• Beehiiv - Mentioned as the platform Brian Morrissey moved his newsletter to from Substack.
• ChatGPT - Discussed extensively as an AI tool that is impacting the media industry, with a focus on its ability to send less traffic but generate more subscriptions.
• Google Discover - Explained as a feature within Google that directs traffic to publishers, particularly news publishers, and its potential impact if removed.
• Notion - Mentioned by Peter Kafka as a tool he uses for organizing information, though he finds its engagement features annoying.
• OpenAI - Mentioned as a company that, along with Google, is a major player in the AI space and a subject of lawsuits from publishers.
• Substack - Discussed as a platform for individual publishers, with its success in getting people to pay for content highlighted, but also its limitations in creating a middle class of creators.
• Vanta - Mentioned in an ad segment as a trust management platform that helps businesses automate security and compliance.

Articles & Papers

• "What time does the Super Bowl start" - This specific search query is used as a classic example of content created primarily for SEO rather than human consumption.

People Mentioned

• Barry Weiss - Mentioned as an example of a person who left a traditional media outlet to pursue independent publishing, similar to the progression of other creators.
• Ben Smith - Mentioned as someone Peter Kafka did a "stunt podcast" with earlier in the year, looking for optimism.
• Brian Morrissey - The guest on the podcast, described as a sharp observer of the business of digital media, host of "The Rebooting," and a one-man media business operator.
• Cara Swisher - Mentioned as a personality that Vox Media has collected and focuses on, indicating a shift in how media businesses are branding themselves.
• Curtis Sliwa - Mentioned as a New York personality that Peter Kafka likes, used as an example of someone who might be discovered by people in a hypothetical scenario.
• Donald Trump - Mentioned in the context of distrust in media and how he has contributed to it, and how he can now leverage AI-generated images as a way to further sow doubt.
• Ed Zitron - Mentioned as a tech critic and previous guest whose conversation with Peter Kafka provoked reactions.
• Emily Sandberg - Mentioned as an example of an individual publisher on Substack who is expanding her operation.
• Jeff Schiller - Mentioned as the person in charge of revenue for Vox Media, who discusses the personalities collected by the company.
• Lochlin Cartwright - Mentioned as someone who hosted a party that Brian Morrissey was not able to attend.
• Nellie Bly - Mentioned alongside Barry Weiss in the context of independent publishing.
• Oliver Darcy - Mentioned as an example of a creator on Beehiiv who is adding writers to his publication.
• Peter Kafka - The host of the podcast, also mentioned by Brian Morrissey as a personality collected by Vox Media.
• Polly - Mentioned as someone Peter Kafka talks with regarding Vox Media's revenue strategy.
• Rider - Mentioned as a fast-growing startup that trusts Vanta for compliance.
• Scott Galloway - Mentioned as a personality that Vox Media has collected.
• Vivek Shah - Mentioned as the operator of Ziff Davis, who is suing OpenAI and is a subject of discussion regarding his companies' dependence on Google traffic.

Organizations & Institutions

• Airbnb - Mentioned as the company where Brian Morrissey's podcast co-host was previously head of design, providing an outsider perspective.
• Axios - Used as an example of a media company that is aggressive about capturing email sign-ups from its readers.
• Business Insider - Mentioned as Peter Kafka's other employer, alongside his role as Chief Correspondent.
• CVS Caremark - Mentioned in an ad segment about prescription plans and healthier choices for members.
• Conde Nast - Mentioned as a traditional media company that had to adapt from print to digital.
• Epic Games - Mentioned as a client of AWS that uses their services to scale Fortnite.
• Forbes.com - Mentioned as a past employer of Peter Kafka, where their business was heavily reliant on Yahoo.
• Google - Discussed extensively as a dominant platform controlling internet distribution and search, and its impact on media companies.
• LangChain - Mentioned as a fast-growing startup that trusts Vanta for compliance.
• Meredith - Mentioned as a traditional media company that had to adapt from print to digital.
• OpenAI - Mentioned as a company that, along with Google, is a major player in the AI space and a subject of lawsuits from publishers.
• Paramount - Mentioned as a company that will likely experience massive layoffs due to business model changes.
• People Inc. - The newly rechristened name of a publicly traded company (likely Ziff Davis) whose market value is low due to lack of distribution control.
• The Rebooting - Brian Morrissey's podcast and newsletter, which is a must-read for people who run media businesses.
• Time Inc. - Mentioned as a traditional media company that had to adapt from print to digital.
• Turning Point - Mentioned as an example of a media operation that is monetized differently and has different purposes than traditional media.
• Vox Media - Discussed as an example of a media company that is changing its business model to focus on personalities and franchises, and is Peter Kafka's employer.
• Ziff Davis - Mentioned as a publicly traded company, run by Vivek Shah, that is suing OpenAI and is heavily dependent on Google traffic.

Websites & Online Resources

• cvs.com/caremark - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied by the mention of CVS Caremark and their prescription plans.
• rebooting.com - The website for Brian Morrissey's "The Rebooting" podcast and newsletter.
• strawberry.me/unstuck - Mentioned in an ad segment for career coaching.
• vanta.com/vox - Mentioned in an ad segment for Vanta, offering a discount for startups.

Other Resources

• AI Overviews - Google's AI-powered feature at the top of search results, discussed as a factor impacting publishers.
• Email Newsletter - Discussed as a method for media companies to build more durable audiences in response to platform dependency.
• Golf Media on YouTube - Mentioned as an example of a vibrant and interesting media niche that is exploding on YouTube.
• Information Space - A term used to describe the broader landscape where media companies compete with various other participants.
• Polybagging - An old term for inserting extra materials into magazines or newspapers, used as an analogy for how publishers might "stuff" catalogs into their content.
• Search Authority - The concept of having strong ranking in search engines, which publishers leveraged for various purposes, including affiliate marketing.
• The Verge - Mentioned as one of the few instances where a media outlet might control its own homepage and audience.
• Trend Subway Ads - Mentioned as a form of analog advertising that has seen a revival, even becoming a performance art piece.
• Video Gaming Side - Mentioned as the industry Peter Kafka's co-host is from, providing an outsider perspective on media businesses.