So much media consumption isn't real

Summary:

The main point of the article is to highlight the challenges and realities of media consumption in various formats, including podcasts, web content, newsletters, and literary fiction.

Some highlights:

• Apple Podcast App Update: The latest iOS update has affected the podcast industry, particularly for shows that publish frequently. The change in automated downloads has led to a significant decrease in download numbers for some top podcasts, impacting their ability to exaggerate their listener base to advertisers.

• Challenges in Measuring True Audience Size: The newsletter highlights the challenges in accurately measuring audience engagement across various media formats, such as web traffic, video watch time, and newsletter metrics. The prevalence of bot-generated web traffic and inflated metrics contribute to a distorted understanding of true content consumption.

• Creator Economy and Strikes: The newsletter discusses the idea of a creators' union and whether the Creator Economy could organize a comprehensive "strike." Despite efforts by various organizations, skepticism remains about the feasibility of creators gaining significant leverage over major social media platforms.

• Literary Fiction's Sales: Contrary to the belief that "literary" fiction doesn't sell well, the newsletter argues that literary fiction can be commercially successful. A significant portion of the NYT bestseller list consists of books that could be labeled as literary fiction, challenging the notion that it caters only to a niche audience.

• Challenges Faced by Local Newspapers: The newsletter points out the difficulties faced by local newspapers, using the example of the LA Times. Despite doing good journalism, the LA Times struggles to become a must-read for readers in Southern California, highlighting the broader challenge of getting people to pay for local news.