Nine passes left to attend the Digiday Publishing Summit
For the last three weeks, Digiday examined “the modern publisher.” Each week we sat down with a leader in the publishing industry who is rethinking its approach to digital media. The series is made possible through the sponsorship of QuadrantOne.
Jim Bankoff is building a new media empire. As the head of Vox Media, he oversees a slate of digital outlets — including SB Nation and The Verge — that are gaining popularity and influence. There’s a thread to what the former AOL exec is trying to accomplish: use superior technology to produce better content and better advertising.
The lines between a tech company and a media company have not been so much blurred as altogether erased. Technology makes things better, and, as Bankoff explains in the video below, since we’re in a tech-driven medium, media companies should be no different.
“If you’re operating in this medium, technology has to lead the change,” Bankoff said. “Now, of course, premium-quality editorial — something that we care deeply about — you can’t produce it, you can’t even get to that, unless you can empower people with technology.”
The industry has moved beyond an inflection point: everyone realizes that the Web (and digital culture) is not only a big part of the present but also the future. And while startup media companies like Vox have this baked into their DNA, many legacy media companies still face hurdles they haven’t been able to overcome. They know the issues quite well — outdated technology, obsolete business models and, in some cases, talent who has yet to adapt to the new medium.
“It’s not that they don’t get it, it’s just that there are obstacles too entrenched to overcome,” Bankoff said.
Watch the full video below.
More in Media
Substack creators attribute their boost in subscribers to the platform’s community tools
Substack’s ongoing efforts to win over creators by becoming a community platform are winning over writers who value being part of a vibrant creative community.
Media Briefing: Here are the hurdles to Perplexity’s pitch as the publisher-friendly LLM
Publishers are cautiously optimistic about Perplexity’s new revenue share model, but remain concerned about issues of adoption, payment terms and transparency.
How Gabriella Gomez built a six-figure career on TikTok Live without signing sponsorship deals
Top U.S. TikTok Live star Gabriella Gomez has made livestreaming on TikTok into a lucrative career — without relying on brand partnerships.