Are news orgs moving away from social-media dependency? An ISOJ 2023 panel will discuss new strategies for audience development

Since the boom of social media that reaches billions of people around the world, news organizations have been relying on those platforms to increase and maintain their digital audiences. Changes in algorithms and the platforms’ priorities have negatively affected media companies, which led many newsrooms to seek other ways to develop their audiences.

New strategies created by news organizations to have more direct contact with current or potential readers include the development of multiple products that help them to reduce their dependence on social media platforms.

This is one of many topics of the 24th International Symposium on Online Journalism that will be held in person and online on April 14 – 15, 2023.

Media professionals involved in those strategies will be on the panel “Newsletters, podcasts, text messages, push alerts: Are news orgs moving out of social-media dependency?” at the ISOJ 2023.

The panel, moderated by Axios media reporter Sara Fischer, will be on the second day of ISOJ 2023, Sat., April 15 from 2 to 3 p.m. US Central Time.

ISOJ is a hybrid conference, so you can participate in person on the campus of UT Austin or online, through video streaming and other ways to engage remotely with speakers and other attendees.

Sign up today to experience the conference in person or online!

In addition to Sara Fischer, who will chair the panel, the session will include:

• David Cohn, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Subtext at Advance Publications. Subtext is a platform that lets news organizations, reporters and content creators text with their audience.
• Coleen O’Lear, head of curation and platforms for The Washington Post. She oversees more than 100 journalists responsible for optimizing and distributing the Post’s journalism across platforms.
• Zainab Shah, director of engagement and audience for THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering New York. She was previously the global lead for strategy and operations at BuzzFeed and the director of audience at Talking Points Memo.

To hear more about the growth of off-platform communication and a potential move from social media, register today to participate in ISOJ 2023 virtually or in person in Austin, Texas.

ISOJ, which began in 1999, brings together journalists, media executives, scholars and students to discuss the impact of technology on journalism today and in the future. It is an innovative conference that bridges the gap between the news industry and academia. 

For updates and additional information, you can visit ISOJ’s website, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. If you have any questions, please contact us at isoj@austin.utexas.edu.