Ch-ch-changes are coming to MediaShift, the publication I started more than 12 years ago as part of PBS. Starting today, the business will focus exclusively on our online trainings, including panels and peer group trainings, events like our private roundtables, and our studio work for outside companies and publishers.
We will not be updating the website on a daily basis with feature stories, and we are suspending publication of our daily and weekly newsletters, as well as the weekly MediaShift Podcast. The EducationShift and MetricShift verticals and newsletters will not continue. Most of our staff has been let go.
This was not an easy decision for me, but it was a necessary one. Running an independent online publication is incredibly rewarding but also very stressful and time-consuming. It is time for me to step away from this work to clear my head and consider what might come next. I have nothing in mind but am open to new adventures in media or beyond.
I want to thank all the amazing people who have worked for MediaShift over the years, all our funders and sponsors, and most of all the MediaShift community of people who have made our events, newsletters, podcast and everything else such a big success.
FAQ
What comes next for the MediaShift site, newsletters and podcast?
I have talked to numerous media companies, associations and journalism schools about buying these and keeping them up and running in the months ahead. I am hopeful that this will happen so the site can continue and serve the media industry.
Is this another example of the failure of a pivot to something, the power of the duopoly, or some other trend killing online publications?
Not at all. The only trend here is that it is hard work running an independent online publication. I think we figured it out, but this was more about my own personal burnout than any trends.
What happens to the site and its archives?
The site will continue to be live with the archives intact, and I expect there will be occasional posts related to our online panels, trainings or other initiatives. But regular stories and roundups are suspended for now.
What was the secret to MediaShift’s success and survival all these years?
Frankly what kept us going was collaboration and always thinking about new ways to serve our audience. We definitely diversified revenue streams to include advertising on our site, newsletters and social media feeds; events such as J-School Hackathons and Platforms + Publishers private roundtables; DigitalEd online trainings, sponsored panels and our new Peer-to-Peer Network; and our MediaShift Studio producing editorial work for outside companies, startups and publishers. Keeping a sharp focus on training, how-to’s, case studies and guides made sure we weren’t yet another publication chasing the news cycle.
What will MediaShift focus on going forward?
We will continue to run a series of sponsored online panels, including “How to Get Better Engagement Metrics” on April 18, and “Loyalty & Revenue: The New User Metrics” on May 2. Follow the links to sign up!
We also recently launched our new DigitalEd Peer-to-Peer Network, with peer group trainings for publishers. If you’re interested in joining one of the groups, be sure to apply here.
MediaShift also has a Studio that has worked with associations such as the NAB, non-profits such as Philanthropy University and others to produce editorial and even podcasts.
If you’re interested in any of these programs, or have ideas about what might come next, be sure to get in touch with me at mark [at] mediashift [dot] org.
Farewell for now!
Mark Glaser is publisher and founder of MediaShift. He is an award-winning writer and accidental entrepreneur, who has taken MediaShift from a one-person blog to a growing media company with events such as private roundtables between platforms + publishers, and weekend hackathons; the weekly MediaShift Podcast; and digital trainings. You can follow him on Twitter @mediatwit.