Dear Media Companies, You’re Setting the News Compass for Your Readers

It seems like there’s a battle everyday for credibility in the news, with much of it playing out on social. In the wake of the U.S. election, many publishers have seen audience surge and subscriptions break records — a recognition of the desire, by some, for insight and analysis beyond partisan battle lines.

Media companies, news outlets, and journalists are constantly looking for new ways to establish a consistent voice on social that is urgent and provocative without being alarmist. These organizations and individuals are also using data to establish credibility and break through clutter.

At #SMWNYC, The Atlantic brought together a group of top editors from leading media companies for a conversation about this battle for credibility, and to understand how news outlets approach audience growth and retention in a tornado of fake news, constant noise, and tough decision-making.

Further analysis and commentary from this #SMWNYC talk

Key takeaway: Your audience is a community around your work, you want them to have tools to decipher fake news v. truth #SMWFakeNews #SMWNYC

— Enjie (@LaEnjie) February 28, 2017

So true that being committed to the truth is not a political position. #SMWNYC #smwfakenews

— Arabella Meyer (@arabellacm) February 28, 2017

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It's important to give the whole story, audience better off-@HeatherLandy #SMWFakeNews

— Enjie (@LaEnjie) February 28, 2017

Incumbent on journalists to make sure they tell the whole story and not pick & choose. @HeatherLandy so true! #SMWNYC #smwfakenews

— Arabella Meyer (@arabellacm) February 28, 2017

We don't assume a lie. We will say something is inaccurate. #SMWFakeNews @Colarusso42

— Ashley Christiano (@adchristiano) February 28, 2017

"Figuring out the puzzle to local news is really a key part of this," @Sarahlellison says #SMWNYC #SMWFakeNews

— Elaine Piniat (@epiniat) February 28, 2017

The number of full-time reporters are half of what they used to be! And they used to be in Midwest. Wild. #SMWFakeNews

— Enjie (@LaEnjie) February 28, 2017

Reasons US audience has become adversarial to news media: proliferation of outlets, draining of local news when ad rev crumbled #SMWFakeNews

— Gretchen Lembach (@GretchenLembach) February 28, 2017

The stakes are super high, because you've lost the benefit of the doubt. #SMWFakeNews @Colarusso42

— Ashley Christiano (@adchristiano) February 28, 2017

Journalists and media outlets are now more than ever a compass for relevant news, stewarding audiences-@Colarusso42 #SMWFakeNews

— Enjie (@LaEnjie) February 28, 2017

You have to be hyper accurate…You're separating noise from importance. #SMWFakeNews @Colarusso42

— Ashley Christiano (@adchristiano) February 28, 2017

If you'd been approaching topics with intellectual rigor and backed by data, journalism is business as usual –@HeatherLandy #SMWFakeNews

— Enjie (@LaEnjie) February 28, 2017

We're out there to create a narrative around a world where uncertainty is at a level not seen since World War 2. #SMWFakeNews @Colarusso42

— Ashley Christiano (@adchristiano) February 28, 2017

The best thing a news brand can get from the current political environment is getting to know their voice. @jjgould #SMWNYC #SMWFakeNews

— SMW New York (@smwnyc) February 28, 2017

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