iOS 11’s Impact on Publishers, Google Tool for Automating Content Sorting, Luxury-Focused Print Launches, Shondaland-Hearst Partnership, TFP’s Infographic Pick of the Week
Welcome to Technology for Publishing’s roundup of news, stories of interest, and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing posts about what iOS 11 changes mean for publishers, how the Google Cloud Natural Language API can help media outlets automate content categorization, luxury-focused publishers launching print magazines, Shonda Rhimes’ content distribution partnership with Hearst, and more.
Changes coming with the release of Apple’s iOS 11 on Tuesday drew the attention of news publishers large and small given 1) mobile is now the predominant platform for news consumption, 2) the iPhone accounts for 40% of the U.S. smartphone OS market, and 3) Apple News, which is built into iOS, is the leading news app in the U.S. That’s according to a Columbia Journalism Review breakdown of what Apple is introducing with the new OS and the impact on media companies. While some changes stand to benefit publishers, others are causing alarm—particularly a new “intelligent tracking prevention” feature that will block advertisers from capturing data that enables them to track consumers and target ads.- Here’s another rollout of interest to publishers: the Google Cloud Natural Language API. In a blog post, Google details how Cloud Natural Language can now automatically sort content into more than 700 different categories, making it a particularly useful tool for media and publishing companies, which have typically had to sort and label their content manually. Per the blog post: “Natural language processing adds an intelligence layer to their newsrooms that will allow editors to understand what their audience is reading and how their content is being used.”
- Print as a new platform? Yes, it’s officially a trend, Digiday says—among high-end publishers, that is. As Facebook and Google decimate the digital advertising landscape, “print still offers stability and opportunity for luxury publishers,” it reports. The article cites examples such as Hodinkee, Goop, and Monocle, three high-end publishers that have recently turned to print to capture ad dollars still up for grabs. “Print’s never going to go away for luxury advertisers,” says Damali Campbell of media agency Assembly.
- And for all you Gladiator followers out there: Acclaimed writer, director, and producer Shonda Rhimes is partnering with Hearst to launch Shondaland.com, a new platform that will distribute her production company’s content across Hearst properties. According to Adweek, Hearst’s 200-million consumer base will get access to popular Shondaland content—including advice, articles, interviews, videos, and more—while Rhimes’ company will be able to tap Hearst’s “publishing services, branded content structures, data, and other marketing and sales opportunities.”
On the Technology for Publishing Blog
- Data visualization done right: National Geographic’s infographic charting the rise of billion-dollar weather events like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma provides a great example of how to make complex data relevant and understandable. Check it out on our blog.
- ICYMI: Our Media Metrics post brings you the latest on branded content, Google AMP pages, Snap’s earnings, the growth of mobile ads, global media spending, and more. Also see Monica Murphy’s InDesign Tip on how to use the Balance Ragged Lines feature to create visually appealing headline text automatically.
- TFP’s e-Book Building Apps with Adobe Experience Manager Mobile is the go-to guide for creating great apps. Get it on Amazon!
Image: Digiday
Visit our blog for highlights of interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world every Friday, and sign up for TFP’s This Week in Publishing newsletter. Think we missed something great? Let us know! Leave a comment below or drop us a note.
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
