Simon Owens
@simonowens.bsky.social
Media industry journalist who runs a newsletter and podcast. You can reach me at [email protected]
Food creators typically see a surge in traffic during the holidays, when people are hunting for recipes to cook for big family gatherings. This year, though, many top recipe bloggers aren’t seeing that spike at all — their instructions are being absorbed into Google’s AI summaries instead. Even wors
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet — And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Food creators typically see a surge in traffic during the holidays, when people are hunting for recipes to cook for big family gatherings. This year, though, many top recipe bloggers aren’t seeing that spike at all — their instructions are being absorbed into Google’s AI summaries instead. Even wors
One of the biggest challenges facing historians -- and anyone wanting to digitize old text -- is that many handwritten letters are incredibly tedious to decipher. But in just the last few months AI tools like Gemini have gotten shockingly accurate -- not only at transcribing text but also providing
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org
November 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
One of the biggest challenges facing historians -- and anyone wanting to digitize old text -- is that many handwritten letters are incredibly tedious to decipher. But in just the last few months AI tools like Gemini have gotten shockingly accurate -- not only at transcribing text but also providing
Since 2022, NPR has heavily invested in leveraging its digital channels to drive donations back to its member stations. This year it generated over $18 million for those member stations, with 31 stations receiving more than they spent on licensing NPR content.
NPR reports ‘exceptional’ performance of its digital revenue-sharing programs
Proceeds from NPR Network donations and podcast subscriptions will be distributed to stations in January.
current.org
November 25, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Since 2022, NPR has heavily invested in leveraging its digital channels to drive donations back to its member stations. This year it generated over $18 million for those member stations, with 31 stations receiving more than they spent on licensing NPR content.
Nothing’s worse than when a podcast cuts to commercial when you’re in the middle of a weightlifting set and you just have to sit there and raw dog some podcast ads without being able to skip them.
November 25, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Nothing’s worse than when a podcast cuts to commercial when you’re in the middle of a weightlifting set and you just have to sit there and raw dog some podcast ads without being able to skip them.
Benny Johnson was famously fired from Buzzfeed News for his serial plagiarism. Now he's one of the largest MAGA influencers and given the VIP treatment from top administration officials. He's also regularly caught making bald-faced lies in service of Trump's agenda -- a loyalty that has rewarded him
MAGA influencer Benny Johnson’s job is to have no principles. Business is booming.
www.mediamatters.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Benny Johnson was famously fired from Buzzfeed News for his serial plagiarism. Now he's one of the largest MAGA influencers and given the VIP treatment from top administration officials. He's also regularly caught making bald-faced lies in service of Trump's agenda -- a loyalty that has rewarded him
The rise of video podcasts has fueled a surge in new deal activity, with podcast networks touting their ability to monetize across audio, longform video, shortform vertical video, and even streaming services.
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Podcast Companies Look to Cash in on Industry Hype
The increasingly visual industry is benefitting from a broader exuberance surrounding the video-creator economy.
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:24 PM
The rise of video podcasts has fueled a surge in new deal activity, with podcast networks touting their ability to monetize across audio, longform video, shortform vertical video, and even streaming services.
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
In 2024, Kamala Harris was fairly conservative when it came to media appearances and often passed on the opportunity to go on many friendly podcasts or collaborate with video creators who were sympathetic to her politics. My guess is that the 2028 Democratic nominee won't make that same mistake.
How Democrats are building their own digital media army
The 2024 election spurred Democrats to seek out podcasts and social media creators to spread their message and catch up with their Republican counterparts.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM
In 2024, Kamala Harris was fairly conservative when it came to media appearances and often passed on the opportunity to go on many friendly podcasts or collaborate with video creators who were sympathetic to her politics. My guess is that the 2028 Democratic nominee won't make that same mistake.
Well folks, we’ve reached that time of year where we’ll soon find out whether I’ll actually keep running outdoors during the winter or wimp out on the first cold windy day. So far I’m like 0 for 10, but this year I bought a bunch of winter running gear, so here’s hoping.
November 25, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Well folks, we’ve reached that time of year where we’ll soon find out whether I’ll actually keep running outdoors during the winter or wimp out on the first cold windy day. So far I’m like 0 for 10, but this year I bought a bunch of winter running gear, so here’s hoping.
It's remarkable how publishers have come full circle with their social media strategies. A decade ago, many built large social teams only to be burned when platforms—especially Facebook—cut back on referral traffic, triggering widespread layoffs. Today, those teams are no longer focused on driving c
DMG Media expands social media publishing team with senior hires
Sponsored content funds DMG Media's publishing operation on Tiktok and Instagram.
pressgazette.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 1:51 PM
It's remarkable how publishers have come full circle with their social media strategies. A decade ago, many built large social teams only to be burned when platforms—especially Facebook—cut back on referral traffic, triggering widespread layoffs. Today, those teams are no longer focused on driving c
Big Cabal Media has become one of the fastest-growing media companies in Africa and is now operating live events, a research firm, and even a film studio.
simonowens.substack.com/p/inside-big...
simonowens.substack.com/p/inside-big...
Inside Big Cabal Media’s Ambitious Plan to Build Africa’s Next Great Media Company
CEO Tomiwa Aladekomo explained how a company that started out as two blogs expanded into live events, a research firm, and even a film studio.
simonowens.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Big Cabal Media has become one of the fastest-growing media companies in Africa and is now operating live events, a research firm, and even a film studio.
simonowens.substack.com/p/inside-big...
simonowens.substack.com/p/inside-big...
You may have noticed that Mark Wahlberg's been starring in lots of absolutely terrible straight-to-streaming movies lately. While this used to be a sign of an actor's waning star power, these movies have actually been incredibly lucrative for him, earning him up to $20 million per role. While stars
How Mark Wahlberg Became The King Of Streaming
As theatrical releases decline, the 54-year-old actor has become the most bankable star on Netflix, Amazon and Apple—earning $20 million or more a movie—in a major paradigm shift of Hollywood economic...
www.forbes.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:04 PM
You may have noticed that Mark Wahlberg's been starring in lots of absolutely terrible straight-to-streaming movies lately. While this used to be a sign of an actor's waning star power, these movies have actually been incredibly lucrative for him, earning him up to $20 million per role. While stars
The Philly half marathon is a lot of fun
November 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
The Philly half marathon is a lot of fun
After a 30-year career writing tech columns for USA Today, Jefferson Graham was ready to try something new: becoming a travel YouTuber.
simonowens.substack.com/p/how-a-form...
simonowens.substack.com/p/how-a-form...
How a former USA Today columnist launched his own travel channel on YouTube
Jefferson Graham recently licensed his show PhotowalksTV to the Scripps News channel.
simonowens.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
After a 30-year career writing tech columns for USA Today, Jefferson Graham was ready to try something new: becoming a travel YouTuber.
simonowens.substack.com/p/how-a-form...
simonowens.substack.com/p/how-a-form...
It's kind of amazing that all the major social media platforms have had homepage personalization going back at least 15 years, yet I can hardly think of any examples of news publishers personalizing their homepages. To be fair, the vast majority of publishers don't produce a high enough volume of co
Wall Street Journal and Washington Post tech chiefs on personalisation for publishers
Personalisation for publishers. Tech chiefs from the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal on why personalisation is the future.
pressgazette.co.uk
November 20, 2025 at 11:44 PM
It's kind of amazing that all the major social media platforms have had homepage personalization going back at least 15 years, yet I can hardly think of any examples of news publishers personalizing their homepages. To be fair, the vast majority of publishers don't produce a high enough volume of co
The Atlantic now actively tracks the bots that regularly scrape its website and then determines whether the platform associated with a particular bot is sending the magazine any meaningful traffic. For those bots that send no traffic, the Atlantic simply blocks them using Cloudfare's newly-released
Inside The Atlantic’s AI bot blocking strategy
The Atlantic's CEO explains how it evaluates AI crawlers to block those that bring no traffic or subscribers, and to provide deal leverage.
digiday.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:21 PM
The Atlantic now actively tracks the bots that regularly scrape its website and then determines whether the platform associated with a particular bot is sending the magazine any meaningful traffic. For those bots that send no traffic, the Atlantic simply blocks them using Cloudfare's newly-released
I watched half the first episode and kept thinking "that woman looks a lot like Kim Kardashian." It somehow never occurred to me once that it was actually Kim Kardashian.
Ryan Murphy's trashy melodrama further cements his parallels with Lee Daniels and Tyler Perry. But even fans of "so bad it's good" trash TV would throw their hands up in agony at Murphy's new show starring Kim Kardashian. n.pr/4o70r9S
The limitations of trash TV, as seen in 'All's Fair'
Ryan Murphy's trashy melodrama further cements his parallels with Lee Daniels and Tyler Perry. But even fans of "so bad it's good" trash TV would throw their hands up in agony at Murphy's new show starring Kim Kardashian.
n.pr
November 20, 2025 at 10:45 PM
I watched half the first episode and kept thinking "that woman looks a lot like Kim Kardashian." It somehow never occurred to me once that it was actually Kim Kardashian.
Is there really an audience for a right-wing newspaper tabloid in California? Well, one thing to remember is that more people voted for Trump in California than just about any other state other than Texas and Florida. When you also consider the LA Times's recent stumbles, it's not hard to understand
Rupert Murdoch’s Last Hurrah: Conquering Hollywood With the 'California Post'
California is a veritable news feast—politicians with national ambitions, climate disasters, the twin industries of Hollywood and tech. And News Corp sees a media weakness to exploit.
www.vanityfair.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Is there really an audience for a right-wing newspaper tabloid in California? Well, one thing to remember is that more people voted for Trump in California than just about any other state other than Texas and Florida. When you also consider the LA Times's recent stumbles, it's not hard to understand
Patreon CEO Jack Conte partnered with the New York Times on both an op-ed and video explaining Patreon's pivot to embracing a content discovery algorithm. It's kind of funny how much of what he says aligns completely with what Substack's founders have been saying for a few years now (in fact, severa
I’m Building an Algorithm That Doesn’t Rot Your Brain
YouTube video by New York Times Opinion
youtu.be
November 20, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Patreon CEO Jack Conte partnered with the New York Times on both an op-ed and video explaining Patreon's pivot to embracing a content discovery algorithm. It's kind of funny how much of what he says aligns completely with what Substack's founders have been saying for a few years now (in fact, severa
Defector generated $4.65 million in revenue for its fifth year, which is only slightly above what it generated in its fourth year. It seems pretty clear from this report that the explosive growth it experienced in its early years is now over, and so the worker-owned publication is focused on making
Defector Annual Report, September 2024 – August 2025 | Defector
Published on November 19, 2025 Purpose of this report Defector celebrated our fifth birthday in September 2025. It is a great honor, and something of a burden, to be publishing a fifth Annual Report. ...
defector.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Defector generated $4.65 million in revenue for its fifth year, which is only slightly above what it generated in its fourth year. It seems pretty clear from this report that the explosive growth it experienced in its early years is now over, and so the worker-owned publication is focused on making
The Guardian now has 400,000 paid members in the U.S., and its American operation is on track to generate $50 million this year. As a U.K.-based outlet, it also enjoys a distinct advantage: its leaders feel less pressure to normalize Republican behavior than many U.S. news organizations do. As a res
Betsy Reed on covering Trump and the ‘normalization of extremism.’
The editor in chief of Guardian US says staying above the fray doesn’t cut it.
www.cjr.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:22 PM
The Guardian now has 400,000 paid members in the U.S., and its American operation is on track to generate $50 million this year. As a U.K.-based outlet, it also enjoys a distinct advantage: its leaders feel less pressure to normalize Republican behavior than many U.S. news organizations do. As a res
The podcast Ted Cruz started in 2019 generates over 2 million downloads a month. Given the role of podcasts in the 2024 election, his show may give him a key advantage heading into the Republican primaries for 2028.
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Forget Joe Rogan. The Next Big Podcast Bro Is in the Senate.
Ted Cruz may see a new path to the White House in today’s changing political-media ecosystem.
www.politico.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The podcast Ted Cruz started in 2019 generates over 2 million downloads a month. Given the role of podcasts in the 2024 election, his show may give him a key advantage heading into the Republican primaries for 2028.
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
For nearly 50 years, the National Business Review generated healthy advertising revenue from a wide range of B2B and luxury brands. Then one day a few years ago its owner decided to do away with advertising entirely.
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-this-b...
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-this-b...
Why this business news outlet ditched advertising to focus entirely on paid subscriptions
Todd Scott believes the National Business Review's sole mission should be servicing its readers.
simonowens.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:11 PM
For nearly 50 years, the National Business Review generated healthy advertising revenue from a wide range of B2B and luxury brands. Then one day a few years ago its owner decided to do away with advertising entirely.
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-this-b...
simonowens.substack.com/p/why-this-b...
I've long been a believer that a huge portion of Google traffic drove no long term value for publishers and mostly just distracted them from delivering true value to their core audiences. Google Discover traffic in particular provides little more than a sugar high. There are lots of media outlets --
A new generation of media startups is built to survive 'Google Zero'
New media startups like The Bulwark and Ankler Media are building their businesses with a focus on loyal subscribers over Google or Facebook traffic.
www.businessinsider.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I've long been a believer that a huge portion of Google traffic drove no long term value for publishers and mostly just distracted them from delivering true value to their core audiences. Google Discover traffic in particular provides little more than a sugar high. There are lots of media outlets --
I would argue the reason the Economist is a great media business has nothing to do with it publishing great journalism; instead, it’s a great media business because it has built and maintained a powerful brand. Its subscribers like seeing themselves as the kind of people who read the Economist. The
The Economist's Ferrari approach
Luke Bradley-Jones on modernization without dilution
www.therebooting.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I would argue the reason the Economist is a great media business has nothing to do with it publishing great journalism; instead, it’s a great media business because it has built and maintained a powerful brand. Its subscribers like seeing themselves as the kind of people who read the Economist. The