Facebook subscriptions: Could Meta still be a friend for publishers?

One publisher trying out subscriptions on the platform thinks it could benefit others too.

Report by Charlotte Tobitt for Press Gazette

Facebook owner Meta has been “unfriending” news for more than two years, ending a long period of wooing the publishers who create much of the content shared by its users.

But while Meta may have stopped giving grants to publishers and sharing ad revenue with them, it may yet hold the key to selling online subscriptions for some titles.

Pulman’s Weekly News, a small newsbrand based in Axminster, Devon, now has more than 500 subscribers (of 1,700 Facebook followers in total) who pay £3.49 a month, less than a month after turning on Facebook subscriptions.

This suggests a total of at least £1,745 monthly from Facebook alone (Meta has said it is not taking fees on these transactions until at least the end of 2024.)

Owner Duncan Williams said: “I have always been an advocate of utilising Facebook and there is much good sense in being in the centre of today’s most popular digital arena, which is where the majority of our audience and readers already have account access, rather than expecting readers to create separate accounts on a standalone platform or paywall system.”

Williams has run Pulman’s Weekly News, founded in 1857, since 2018 when it closed in print. He previously made headlines when he bought West Country newspaper series View From for £1 two weeks after it was closed by by the previous owner but ended up being ruled personally responsible for hundreds of thousands owed to the group’s former employees and forced into bankruptcy.

Despite this experience Williams remains in local news and described working on Pulman’s as “very much a labour of love”.

“To be honest, my own family think I am crazy,” he said. “My younger brother has made a fortune in banking and thinks I am quite mad putting all my money into local media. But I still have a belief in this industry, and I always will.”

Pulman’s is also funded by a combination of Facebook advertorials, e-newsletters and providing social media design and management services for local businesses. Williams supplements it with his own freelance journalism and creating commercial videos for social media advertising.

Facebook subscribers to the Pulman’s page receive access to a dedicated subscriber discussion group, exclusive posts, videos including live broadcasts, photos and polls, a subscriber badge next to comments, and five highlighted featured comments a month on live videos.

Williams believes Facebook groups, often maintained by people prominent in their communities, are where many people now turn to for their local news in the absence of having reporters for every town and village. He described groups as “essentially the new local newspaper”.

A Charitable Journalism Project report published last year noted that Facebook was “by far the most important” social media service for local news information and that local pages and groups filled a gap in many communities. One focus group participant in Lewisham cited their local group and said it is the first place they look and “a lot of it’s trash to be honest, but a lot of it’s very useful”.

Williams feels that now a Facebook page “is actually of more value to a local publisher than a standalone website” and he has therefore been posting directly to the Pulman’s page for years rather than giving people a tease and asking them to click through – the website mimics a social media feed rather than having a traditional layout. He works with advertisers to accommodate them on the page itself and support this style of posting.

Williams said this had helped him pass the eligibility test as Meta wants people creating content specifically for the platform rather than primarily posting external links.

Facebook first introduced subscriptions, formerly known as fan subscriptions, in 2018. But they have never taken off among news publishers and may now represent an opportunity to claw something back from the platform.

To be eligible, a Facebook page must meet certain criteria including having either 10,000 followers or at least 250 return views. It must also have reached either 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the previous 60 days, and be in compliance with Facebook’s monetisation policies.

Williams said: “I feel that as soon as this is made aware to most publishers, they will want to try it.”

Duncan Williams - media owner

According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report this summer, Facebook does remain the most-used social media platform for news (17% in the UK) even though this is down from a peak of 28% in 2016.

Gen Z (currently aged up to 26) have particularly moved away from Facebook and towards Instagram, visual mobile-first media and then Tiktok since 2018.

But in a world where the platform makes up a sizeable amount of time spent yet referral traffic has plummeted and publishers nonetheless continue to post on the platform to stay in front of the Facebook native audience, topping up revenue with subscriptions from that crowd could be a nice added extra source – especially as Substack has shown people are willing to pay for a community and content they care about.

See Press Gazette -

https://pressgazette.co.uk/social_media/facebook-subscriptions-news-publishers/

How regional newsrooms can use AI to protect the ‘lifeblood of local journalism’

Regional journalism experts appear optimistic generative AI can help their snowed-under newsrooms.

By João Santos for Press Gazette 

A WAN-IFRA survey has found that half of newsrooms are already deploying generative AI in some form or another.

Large language models quickly garnered the attention of Reach, Buzzfeed, Conde Nast and other publishers across the globe over the past six months for its potential to streamline editorial processes.

In particular the free-to-access ChatGPT has fast shown its potential to reinvent the way content is produced and journalism is done. But in local news outlets hard-pressed for time and staff, is the adoption of AI likely to be an opportunity or a threat?

AI vs the humans in local journalism

A number of UK regional news publishers have already realised that AI-generated news stories could free up journalists to concentrate on more meaningful reporting.

Duncan Williams, the managing director and proprietor of Pulman’s Weekly News in south east Devon, said: “AI has got huge advantages to help journalists, particularly in the regional sector, but it’s not yet at a level where it’s going to be able to write nitty-gritty stories.”

Rather, he said he believes the more in-depth stories produced by human journalists will carry increased significance. He wrote an op-ed in his newspaper last month emphasising the importance of human bylines for trust.

“As an editor, I would not dream of publishing a story by someone I did know the name of or who was not a trusted and credible human source,” he said. “Bylines not only protect my readers, but they also hold journalists accountable for their work.”

Dr Joy Jenkins, an assistant professor of Journalism at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, has worked extensively on how new technologies can be sustainably introduced into local industries.

She said: “AI can be used on more basic types of reporting in order to free up journalists to do the more investigative, in-depth types of stories they’d like to do but don’t always have the time and resources to produce.”

Eliz Mizon, a media writer and communications lead at Bristol Cable, believes AI could help local journalists carry out important “institutional accountability and community cohesion” roles, potentially reversing a trend that has seen around 300 local newspaper title closures since 2005 and left others hanging by a thread.

Will AI help or hurt regional journalist numbers?

A recurring worry that crops up in discussions of AI and news is whether the technology will end up replacing journalists, particularly in light of the economic headwinds that have encouraged many publishers to lay off staff in the past year.

Jody Doherty-Cove, Newsquest‘s special projects editor, is currently at the forefront of developing, coding and implementing AI tools for over 180 newsrooms across the UK, having just helped the Gannett-owned publisher establish its first AI reporter positions.

He explained: “A common misconception in the public discourse is the notion that AI, like some malevolent force, is poised to supplant human journalists in a ruthless bid to cut costs.

“Local journalism is a craft that requires investigation, relationship building, and nuanced understanding – elements that no machine, no matter how sophisticated, can truly replicate.”

Dr Jenkins agreed, explaining that AI should be seen as a “really affordable and helpful” tool which, if used properly, can be an “extremely effective way for local journalism to maximise its resources”.

Pulman’s owner Williams added: “It would streamline both the numbers of staff required to run our titles in an economic fashion and also the actual revenue streams that are the lifeblood of local journalism.”

This is the approach that Kallum Gethins, managing director at Dorset News and editor at View From Weymouth, has taken when incorporating AI into the running of both publications.

“If we find a story, we gather the facts, make a short sentence and then bring that into the AI software which produces a three to four-paragraph article, we proofread it and publish it,” he said. “The whole process takes about ten minutes.”

Much like the advent of social media and citizen journalism, AI could therefore lower the barrier of entry into the industry, making quality and consistency more affordable.

Gethins said: “I think that all organisations should implement AI because it could help their business massively, especially if the organisation is brand new and can’t afford journalists. For instance, we probably won’t be using AI-originated content in the long term and will look for potential journalists to join our franchise.”

The challenges ahead for AI in local journalism

As automation seeps into the media industry, the utility of AI in local journalism could be as far-reaching as the industry demands.

As well as editorial tasks, Dorset News’ Gethins has begun using different AI software engines for administrative work, for example producing email templates suited to potential investors and creating budget plans.

Automation could magnify the results of advertising campaigns and help integrate local papers more fully into social media, something which, Dr Jenkins explained, has been a historical struggle for many publications.

However there are considerable challenges to overcome before AI can be fully integrated into journalism in a way that is both ethical and practical.

Doherty-Cove said: “We must ensure that AI-generated content does not escape the watchful eyes of human editors who, with human oversight and rigorous fact-checking, can ensure AI-generated content meets their exacting requirements.”

Chatbots such as ChatGPT rely on what the user feeds into it, as the data on which they were trained is in some cases out-of-date. This means the fundamental newsgathering framework which leads to a fully-fledged story is, for the moment, outside the purview of generative AI programmes.

But as Dr David Ryfe, a professor and director at the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, put it: “Clay Shirky wrote over a decade ago that it is much faster to lose something than to build something else to stand in its place. That is what is happening to local journalism.”

Source: https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/regional-newspapers/how-regional-newsrooms-can-use-ai-to-protect-the-lifeblood-of-local-journalism/

Independent publisher reveals fresh expansion plans

Report by David Sharman for HTFP.co.uk

An independent publisher has revealed plans for expansion after announcing a new work experience scheme.

Pulman’s Weekly News is set to offer three long-term internships in the new year after receiving funding from the UK Government Apprenticeship Scheme.

The internships will specialise in social media journalism, podcasts and vlogging, and local sport respectively.

Duncan Williams, who currently runs the historic South-East Devon title as a digital-only concern, hopes he will then be able to take the interns on permanently after six months.

He said: “We are independent and local. Although we are a small media company, our passion and belief in the importance of regional news underpins our determination to push Pulman’s forward into the digital age.

“Multimedia expansion is the key to our growth strategy, with Pulman’s already producing live video streaming and regular news bulletins via Chesil Radio Station in West Dorset.”

Duncan previously recruited freelance journalist Nikki Latham and photographer Neil Dobson to aid the project, with the hope of increasing the size of the Pulman’s team and expanding its coverage again in future.

Source: https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2023/news/independent-publisher-reveals-fresh-expansion-plans/

Entrepreneur vows to expand after regional press return

Report by David Sharman for HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk

An entrepreneur declared bankrupt after buying a group of defunct local newspapers has revealed his ambition to re-enter to the regional press industry.

Duncan Williams has returned to publishing using the name of historic South-East Devon title Pulman’s Weekly News, which he is currently running as an online news aggregation service.

He has recently taken on freelance journalist Nikki Latham and photographer Neil Dobson to aid the project, with the hope of increasing the size of the Pulman’s team and expanding its coverage again in future.

Mr Williams, pictured, previously worked in publishing for titles including Sorted magazine and bought the View From series of newspapers in 2018 for £1 after they ceased publication.

However, the purchase sparked a long-running legal battle in which he was found to be liable for money owed to more than 20 View From staff who had been made redundant prior to the deal being agreed – rather than the papers’ previous owner Peter Masters.

The affected staff were awarded notice pay settlements and additional payments by an employment tribunal after Mr Williams was declared bankrupt in 2020.

Pulman’s recently won a Corporate Livewire Prestige Award, which recognises the work of small and medium-sized businesses.

Speaking to HTFP about his new venture, Mr Williams said: “Independent news has a vital role to play in maintaining the views and democracy of our regional towns and communities.

“I believe historic media brands such as Pulman’s can actively grow with the digital age to offer increased communication reach and utilise the popularity of social media trends to rebuild a healthy culture of engagement with regional news.

“Pulman’s Weekly News Group Ltd has been fortunate enough to employ a freelance journalist and photographer whose skills have contributed towards this award.

“As we move forward with increased marketing revenues, Pulman’s aim to gradually increase the team and continue to expand our local coverage.”

Pulman’s was founded in 1857 to cover the towns of Axminster and Seaton in East Devon, Lyme Regis in Dorset, and other villages in East Devon, West Dorset and South Somerset.

It was assimilated into the View From Axminster free title in 2012 by then-owner Tindle Newspapers.

Prestige Award for Digital Marketing Company

A FAMILY owned digital media company based out of Market Street in Launceston, has been presented with a Prestige Award.

The South West England Prestige Award highlights work undertaken by Pulman’s Digital Media throughout 2020/21.

The award, which was collected by local IT employee Duncan Williams, acknowledges Pulman’s ongoing digital development and commitment to offering increased value to local South West businesses by using social media and mobile applications to assist marketing.

Duncan, who is a former pupil of Launceston College, said: “During the recent lockdowns, Pulman’s has been able to focus on winning some high profile clients who have requested digital solutions that have gone on to help fund regional South West social media services at a reduced rate. This is good news when so many local businesses are struggling to get back on their feet after a difficult 16 months of trading restrictions.

“Back in the day, Launceston College pioneered early CSE Computer Studies courses which I remember attending, even though the computer systems were very basic. Little did our generation know at the time how important computers and digital technology would become.”

The impressive list of clients who have now been provided with digital marketing services out of Launceston includes the English cricket team, the ‘The Barmy Army’ (the English cricket fans), West Ham United, and Hayle-based PPE supplier Exhibit One Clothing.

Duncan added: “We have even installed not-for-profit online platforms for church services who were keen to continue reaching congregations during a period of time where churches were forced to close and delivery of their printed materials had ceased. Digital technology can actually be a force for good when people feel isolated. Zoom has become a communication phenomenon.”

Duncan Williams collected the award on behalf of Pulman’s Digital Media, a family owned digital media company based out of Market Street in Launceston

Pulman's Wins Again!

 

Pulman's Weekly News has now been awarded Best Local News Publication –  West Country in the  2021 Global Business Awards hosted by Corp Today Magazine.

Pulman's Weekly News & Advertiser Series was put forward to Corp Today’s dedicated team of in-house researchers who have handpicked each of their 2021 award winners. This proven approach ensures that they award on merit, and not popularity, and recognise the very best in the business.

Michael Banks, MD of Pulman's Weekly News, said; “To be acknowledged as Best Local News Publication for the entire region is a further feather in the cap, especially in these uncertain times.  Our news coverage has now evolved to provide both video and online reporting, and I am delighted the team have won such a prestigious award in such a wide-reaching area. Included in this new area are neighbouring towns within Dorset, who benefit greatly from their own bespoke PR brands, such as Experience Lyme Regis.

“The effort put in by our team and in particular past developmental guidance from digital media entrepreneur Duncan Williams, drawing upon parallel success with Reach Plc and InYourArea projects, as well our own individual feature writers, contributors and staff, all represents a collective belief we all share in the future of hyperlocal media. I am proud that we have been awarded such a significant prize in difficult times which highlights the quality of our work on behalf of the West Country communities and small business advertisers we serve.”

Corp Today Magazine who claim readers consisting of 138,000 ‘C’ Level professional, VPs, Consultants, VCs, Managers and advisors, will announce the award winners in all categories shortly.

News Team Wins Regional Media Innovator Award 2020

Congratulations to Pulman's Weekly News digital team named "Best Local News Publication 2020 - West Country" by Corporate Vision Magazine in their Media Innovator Awards.

PULMAN'S WEEKLY NEWS & ADVERTISER SERIES was founded in 1857 by West Country publisher George Philip Rigney Pulman. For generations his papers have been highly regarded by communities as a reliable source of news and for their local advertising services. Today this honourable tradition continues. New and growing readership demands have required a gradual transition from print to digital.

This long-term technology investment has already resulted in the company being presented with the West Country 'Media Innovator Award' for 2020 by Corporate Vision Magazine.

Says Devon born Managing Editor, Duncan Williams: "This validation for our digital outreach, particularly during these Covid-19 aware times, has been been most welcome. We are seeing more readers and businesses needing to read, promote and connect to our local news services than ever before."

Backdated wages secured for staff of defunct British newspaper group following two-year legal battle

Report by Daniel Wilkins for MidweekHerald

The publisher at the centre of a row over the defunct Pulman’s View From series of newspapers, which covered parts of East Devon, has secured backdated pay for former employees.

Duncan Williams told the Herald he has reached an agreement with the insolvency agency for 29 staff from the View From titles to get their wages.

It follows a two-year legal battle after Mr Williams appealed having to assume more than £500,000 worth of debt when he launched a bid to revive the titles.

He said: “As a trade union member myself, I support what the staff have been through.

“I always said to them I would appeal this.”

Mr Williams purchased the View From titles, which included papers covering Sidmouth, Honiton, Axminster, Seaton and Lyme Regis, in January 2018.

He set out to revive the titles, as well as launch an award in honour of George Pulman, who founded the papers in the 1850s.

Mr Williams said: “It wasn’t a capricious act – it was genuinely to do something that would celebrate that heritage.

“But the debts were astronomical – I have been chased by debt collectors for two years.”

He set up a crowdfunding campaign in the hope of attracting investors to help him revive the titles.

In doing so, he needed to give investors a guarantee and took on the liabilities of the company.

This prompted a two-year legal battle, and, despite an appeal, Mr Williams was told by the courts he had assumed more than £500,000 in debt, which included the unpaid staff wages.

Mr Williams told the Herald that securing the agreement for former staff to be paid was a ‘tremendous relief’ to him.

However, this is not the end of the road for Mr Williams, as he is still repaying debts owed to those who contributed to his crowd-funding.

He said the lack of advertising revenue due to the coronavirus made the papers’ relaunch unfeasible.

He added: “The AI digital technology I have developed would have been part of the plan to relaunch, and that still is the intention, but, in the current climate, it would be crazy to pursue this.”

https://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/former-staff-of-view-from-get-backdated-wages-1-6672693

GEORGE PULMAN - VICTORIAN MEDIA MAN

- Remembering a rural publishing pioneer who was also a committed Christian.

Many West Country communities know the name George Pulman well. He is considered something of a Victorian media mogul who founded Pulman's Weekly News way back in 1857.

His media brands continued to be a prolific news source for over 150 years throughout the prime agricultural counties of Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

Pulman's news was always renowned for its reliability and trustworthiness. What was published by Pulman's journalists could be considered as being true.

What people may not know is that George Pulman was also a lifelong committed Christian who worshipped regularly at his local town church in Axminster, Devon.

To help rouse local attendance, George would enthusiastically play the church organ on a Sunday morning. There he went on to meet and marry his young wife, who was likewise drawn to become a regular member of the same Axminster congregation.

Throughout his life he believed in the importance of building community: through Church, rural life and local news. He always upheld values of truth and helped give voice to many West Country causes and concerns that might otherwise have been cast aside and forgotten.

Journalism was a task that required the utmost responsibility and was a profession treated with great respect.

So in today's era of fake news and political propaganda, perhaps it is time to remember the values of one of the news media's earliest pioneers.

A man of faith who built a regional media empire in the wake of the industrial revolution which lasted through multiple generations.

The 'Pulman's Award' and bursary continues to uphold the same values of George Pulman and is open for nominations throughout the year.

George Philip Rigney Pulman: 1819 - 1880

Publisher liable for money owed to journalists still plans to reopen weeklies

Report by David Sharman for HoldTheFrontPage

A publisher at the centre of a row over a series of local newspapers which ceased publication in January has reiterated his determination to reopen them over time.

Duncan Williams, left, bought the View From titles, which cover areas of Dorset, Devon and Somerset, in January following their closure by previous owner, Sunday Independent publisher Peter Masters.

A court has since ruled Mr Williams is liable for money owed to a group of 28 former View From employees who were made redundant when the titles ceased publication.

But he has restated his intention to appeal the decision and says he is still working to get the eight View From titles as well as Axminster-based Pulman’s Weekly News reopened, although he accepts this will not happen in one go.

As part of the relaunch plan, he has set up a video news channel entitled View News which also aims to offer a PR service to local businesses, converting press releases into videos which would then be carried on the newspapers’ social media channels and websites.

The View From titles served towns and villages including Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Weymouth, Seaton, Honiton and South Somerset, while Pulman’s Weekly News covered Axminster.

Said Duncan: “The titles will all be brought back incrementally. As they have been traditionally free, budgets need to be securely in place first off before relaunching the entire portfolio in one fell swoop.

“Revenues from video advertising and social media are designed to enable this.”

Duncan added: “Despite the recent controversy surrounding their acquisition, I remain very happy indeed with the Pulman’s Weekly News brand.

“Their founder George Pulman was an influential Christian publisher of the Victorian era whose vision I much admire and whose community values are certainly part of what makes local media so vital to regions.

“Likewise, I remain delighted with the View News series, which I know have suffered from sharply declining advertising revenues, repeat closures, rumpuses and relaunches. However, the technology upgrades I have personally invested in are hoping to remedy this.

“To be clear to all of my investors, banks and advertising agencies: I have no intention whatsoever of going bankrupt. The employment tribunal decision will be appealed.”