How a teenage gamer built a 60-million-reader media empire
Riad Chikhani walked through the origin story of GAMURS Group.
200Stories
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Inside the rise of Australia’s biggest social-first news brand
Sam Koslowski walked through the origin story of The Daily Aus.
How a CFO turned accounting jargon into a 75,000-subscriber media business
CJ Gustafson explained how he built Mostly Metrics.
🎧 Riz Ahmed’s ‘Bait’ is a James Bond Audition Fever Dream
The Oscar winner tells me how his new meta comedy was a form of ‘therapy’
How a cloud computing consultant built a community-first media business focused on Microsoft software
Tom Arbuthnot explained how he founded Empowering Cloud.
How Austria’s biggest explainer podcast built a sustainable independent media business
Andreas Sator walked through the origin story of his podcast “Explain The World to Me.”
Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
Erin Brockovich, the environmental activist whose name and work you may recognize from the Oscar-winning movie Erin Brockovich, has created a tool to map data centers across the country, along with a form for people to report data centers and their impacts in their community.
Email Inspiration from Kiehl's Since 1851
A tender father-daughter portrait layered over a vintage Kiehl’s apothecary newspaper print roots the Father’s Day push in the brand’s heritage rather than a generic gift-guide template. “GIFT DAD KIEHL’S” set in oversized serif type closes the loop. The pairing of sentiment with archival texture is what separates this from every other dad-themed guide hitting inboxes this week.
Email Inspiration from Jeni's Ice Creams
A single, oversized waffle-cone shot on stark white — drips and all — is the whole hero. No need for explanatory copy when the product is this photogenic and the photography this confident. Restraint as a flex.
Email Inspiration from Stanley 1913
Cinematic low-key lighting and a Messi portrait reposition Stanley well outside its viral pink-tumbler era — this is collectible-collab territory. “Gold is the standard” pulls double duty for the product finish and the athlete. The drape of the curtain and the warm gold of the cup are the only colors that survive the dim — disciplined art direction at work.
Email Inspiration from Freaks of Nature
A black-and-white close-up of a sun-weathered surfer carries the headline “93 Days (Give or Take)” — a seasonal hook that sidesteps every tired Memorial Day cliché. The pivot from atmospheric editorial into a single bright-orange CTA gives the email both tension and a clear next step. Suncare brands rarely earn this kind of editorial gravitas.
Email Inspiration from Once Upon a Farm
Peach and cream packaging arranged in a tight grid against a soft coral wash makes a restock announcement feel like a product launch. Real fruit props at the base anchor the pouches back to their ingredients without spelling it out. The green “NEW!” sticker breaks the grid just enough to direct the eye where it needs to go.
Email Inspiration from Figma
Glitched, custom-warped type spelling “CONFIG” against a pixel-textured cyan wash signals immediately that this is a designer’s invite, not a generic webinar push. The aesthetic does the segmenting work — anyone who’d attend Config self-identifies before they read the dates. Event marketing too often forgets that the visual is the qualifier.
Email Inspiration from Ballerina Farm
Earthy kraft tones and a hand-painted heritage logo set up the new flavor lineup like a farmers-market display. The product wall arranged against a textured backdrop adds warmth to what could easily have been a sterile launch shot. Worth studying for any DTC brand that wants its packaging to feel grown rather than manufactured.
Email Inspiration from Samsung
Hero typography sits center-stage on a moody black backdrop, treating “Buy now. Get rewarded.” as a typographic statement rather than a promo stamp. The transition into product visuals against luminous wallpaper feels editorial — closer to a campaign launch than a discount push. Personalization in the subject line earns the open before the design has to.
Email Inspiration from Billie for Amnesty
Documentary photography paired with the Amnesty yellow makes for a viscerally direct ask — no soft soap, just the stakes and a clear “MATCH MY GIFT” CTA. The 4X match headline does the heavy lifting above the fold, exactly where urgency belongs in a fundraising email. A masterclass in cause-marketing restraint.
Email Inspiration from Hilma
A muted sage palette frames the giveaway prize in calm, deliberate stillness — letting the curated bundle of supplements, tableware, and a sippy cup do all the talking. The “$126 value” badge adds urgency without disrupting the layout’s quiet confidence. Co-marketing emails rarely feel this composed.
The Original Movie Rebellion Is Here. The Pope Saw It Coming
The box office is telling a story too loud to ignore
Social media APIs explained (in simple terms)
Social media APIs are basically “invisible,” but they power many of the marketing tools we use every day. Here’s how they work.
Tax Incentive Showdown: The Global Money War Heats Up
Where in the world runaway production is going — and why savings are becoming impossible (even irresponsible) for Hollywood to resist
How Brad Hargreaves turned a real estate newsletter into a six-figure media and data business
He walked through the origin story of Thesis Driven.
How The Economist captures the young generation in the age of AI
The Economist is one of the world’s most respected news brands, founded in 1843 and renowned for its high-quality, byline-free journalism.
How Joe Pulizzi built a media business servicing the Creator Economy
He described how he grew The Tilt to over 35,000 subscribers, launched a conference, and then sold the business.
How Salesforce Ben built a 20-person media company around enterprise software
Ben McCarthy explained how he built the B2B outlet.
10+ Best YouTube Podcasts You Must Watch in 2026 (All Genres)
Listen to the best YouTube podcasts! Check out our recommendations for funny, educational, sports and true crime podcasts on YouTube.
How a former institutional investor built a six-figure media business — and then pivoted into fintech
David Stein explained how he built Money for the Rest of Us
What Google AI Mode push means for publishers
Google’s new AI features for Search signal a further shift away from publisher traffic despite tools not yet being default.
Who are the UK’s political editors? From broadcast to print
All the UK’s political editors in broadcast and print journalism: From Chris Mason and Beth Rigby to Pippa Crerar and Steven Swinford.
How 1440 built a 4-million-subscriber newsletter empire by obsessing over unit economics
CEO Tim Huelskamp walked me through the company's origin story.
9 Best Klaviyo Alternatives for Ecommerce (2026) | Drip
Looking for a Klaviyo alternative? You're not alone. Klaviyo's pricing scales aggressively the moment your list grows, the interface takes weeks to learn properly, and most stores end up paying for complexity they never asked for. So if your bill just jumped a few hundred dollars overnight, or your team's still wrestling with segmentation tooling six months in, it's worth seeing what else is out there.
TikTok en Universal Music Group vernieuwen licentiedeal met AI-bescherming
TikTok en UMG sluiten een nieuwe meerjarige licentiedeal met uitgebreide tools voor artiesten en bescherming tegen ongeautoriseerde AI-tracks.
Goalhanger invests in creators via new Ventures division
Podcast production company Goalhanger has launched an investment and partnerships arm to back creator-led media businesses.
Dorset newsbrand relaunches after acquiring assets of defunct magazine
Regional website has relaunched after acquiring the domain and archive of the previously defunct Dorset Life magazine.
How Do You Improve Email Deliverability? | Drip
Improve email deliverability by authenticating your sending domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, sending from a warmed-up IP, keeping your list clean of inactive and invalid addresses, and writing content recipients want to open. Strong sender reputation and steady engagement are what mailbox providers reward with inbox placement.
Goalhanger invests in creators
The company has a new investment and partnership arm. Sponsored by Supporting Cast. The shows you listen to probably already use us. 🎙️ Supporting Cast powers subscriptions for some of the most trusted names in podcasting—because when your business depends on subscriber trust, the platform behind it matters. Let's talk about what we could build together. https://podnews.net/cc/3513 Visit https://podnews.net/update/goalhanger-ventures-investment for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.
How niche UK-based B2B brand became one of most cited in world by LLMs
A B2B brand that was previously fairly unknown outside its niche has become one of the most cited sources worldwide on AI answer engines.
News diary 25-31 May: Energy price cap decision, Meta shareholder meeting, Colombia presidential election
A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda this week, from the team at Foresight News.
On unsubscribes—and the one thing you can do about them
A cheeky title, a useful reframe,
Should social media clippers disclose they’re being paid?
PLUS: Why VC firms are hiring social media influencers
Content moderation guide: Tips, tools, and FAQs
Bots, trolls, and spam? Content moderation has you covered. Discover the tools, tips, and best practices to keep your social channels safe.
Social media compliance: 2026 guide for regulated industries
Social media compliance means following official rules and regulations when using social media to engage with the public. But it's not exactly that simple.
‘Rafa’ to ‘Raw’: Netflix Execs Reveal Their Shift in Sports Strategy
Adam Del Deo and Gabe Spitzer on what's driving the streamer’s changing playbook The post ‘Rafa’ to ‘Raw’: Netflix Execs Reveal Their Shift in Sports Strategy appeared first on The Ankler.
The Lead Magnet Strategy Getting 83% Opt-In Rates (And How to Build One) with Daniel Daines-Hutt
What if 83 out of every 100 people who read your blog post signed up to your email list?
The biggest shows become bigger still
Podcast listening is consolidating, it seems. Sponsored by Supporting Cast. The shows you listen to probably already use us. 🎙️ Supporting Cast powers subscriptions for some of the most trusted names in podcasting—because when your business depends on subscriber trust, the platform behind it matters. Let's talk about what we could build together. https://podnews.net/cc/3513 Visit https://podnews.net/update/uk-podcast-metrics-consolidation for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.
Why Audience Size Is the Wrong Metric — and What Publishers Should Measure Instead
A new book on purposeful community-building is not aimed at publishers, but its central argument lands squarely on one of the industry's most pressing problems: reach is not the same as relationship.
☀️ ‘Obsession’ Soars On Buzz As ‘Mandalorian’ Hits Target
NETFLIX keeps buying specs / More Cannes deals / SONY gets Julia Roberts pic
How to Increase Social Media Engagement [Free Calculator]
Here’s everything you need to boost your social media engagement, including pro tips, free tools, and inspiring examples of engaging posts.
You don’t have writer’s block. You have an idea problem
The blank page isn't the disease. It's the symptom. And you've been treating the wrong thing for years.
50 Young Hollywood Workers Tell All; What Disney TV Wants Now
Plus: How TV tanked Star Wars;
Day 29: The FOMO Approach to Getting Sponsors to Buy
The Exclusive Email List That Builds Urgency for Potential Sponsors.
How to Beat Email Fatigue and Build Healthier Inbox Habits
New ZeroBounce research shows professionals check email long after the workday ends and even during vacations. Here’s how to reduce email fatigue, build healthier inbox habits, and stay productive without feeling chained to your inbox. The latest research conducted by ZeroBounce indicates that the majority of professionals check work email after office hours.
The best enterprise social media compliance tools for 2026
From approvals to audit trails, explore social media compliance tools that help enterprises move fast without breaking rules.
Google Just Made Your YouTube Videos Optional
Creator economy update for May 23: Ask YouTube extracts video answers, Instagram’s 30-day rule bites, and how creators are making real money this week.
Advice from journalism funders for newsrooms seeking philanthropic support
Newsrooms who hope to win philanthropic support must first learn about what matters to funders. That’s one takeaway from a roundtable conversation hosted by the Lab for Journalism Funding, where funders shared advice with news leaders seeking to support their journalism in part through philanthropy.
Vox’s island of misfit toys
PLUS: People don't like listening to audiobooks voiced by AI
The Real Problem Behind Speed vs. Security in FinTech Marketing
Key Takeaways In FinTech, customer intent has a short shelf life. A stalled KYC flow, failed deposit attempt, or early churn signal only matters if teams can respond while the customer is still engaged. Most organizations struggle to do that without creating governance risk.
Hotfix roundup: May 18–22, 2026
A roundup of fixes released May 18–22, 2026.
Deutsche Welle’s blueprint to testing and scaling a TikTok news account
Audience development manager Erika Marzano shares her test-and-tweak strategy that has led to 37 accounts and 3 billion views last year on the vertical video platform
Email Inspiration from Astley Clarke
A single gold heart locket photographed against deep red velvet — the color contrast alone earns the open. ‘Hello, hearts’ sits in light italic beneath, letting the jewelry stay the loudest element on screen. For fine pieces this is the formula: one object, one rich backdrop, and type that knows when to whisper.
Email Inspiration from Panasonic
A sun-washed beach scene and the line ‘Take the Long Weekend with You’ tie the product to a moment instead of a spec sheet. Below the hero, a tilted polaroid-style collage adds a tactile, scrapbook texture that softens the tech and invites a scroll. Seasonal framing like this lets an electronics brand sell feeling first and features second.
Email Inspiration from REISS
No headline, no offer — just a full-length editorial frame of a model in scalloped linen against a bare studio wall. The styling is the message, and the silence around it reads as confidence rather than an unfinished send. A useful counterexample for teams who feel every email needs a banner: sometimes the clothes are the copy.
Email Inspiration from Four Seasons
An aerial shot of a Belize golf hole curling into turquoise water is doing nearly all the persuasion, and the layout wisely gets out of its way. Thin italic serif type and a pale sky-blue frame signal ‘private residences’ without ever saying ‘exclusive’ too loudly. When the destination is the product, give the photograph the whole stage.
Email Inspiration from Restaurant noma
Email Inspiration from Noma — real email campaign examples, templates, and design inspiration curated by Email Love. See what top brands are sending.
IPSO notifies Information Commissioner over ‘AI-generated’ Misan Harriman complaints
Press regulator says some Misan Harriman complaints appear to be AI generated and has notified the Information Commissioner.
Email Inspiration from Tillamook
Two smash burgers shot from above, a block of sharp cheddar still in its wrapper, and a headline in heavy condensed caps — the hierarchy is built for a three-second scan. The navy-and-cream frame keeps the food as the brightest thing on screen, and the recipe-adjacent angle gives subscribers a reason to act beyond ‘buy cheese.’ Utility and appetite appeal, working together.
Email Inspiration from Craighill
Most brand emails open with a product; this one opens with a geodesic dome against a hard blue sky. The architectural photograph reframes the brand as a point of view rather than a catalog, and the generous white margin lets the image breathe like a gallery print. A confident move for a design-object brand — lead with the worldview, sell the objects later.
Email Inspiration from Birthdate Co
Copy structured as a slow reveal — ‘It’s Just A Necklace… Except It’s…’ — turns a product description into a small piece of suspense. Each line peels back another reason the piece matters, from birthstone specificity to USA craftsmanship, while the gold-on-cream styling stays quiet enough to let the writing lead. Worth studying for anyone whose product needs a story before it needs a price.
Email Inspiration from Molton Brown
Marble, ceramic, and a cluster of bottles styled like a still life do the selling before a single line of copy appears. The restraint pays off — ‘Refreshing Rituals’ reads as an invitation rather than a pitch, and the warm neutral set keeps the focus on texture and form. A reminder that one strong product photograph can carry an entire above-the-fold.
Email Inspiration from Touchland
An Allure Readers’ Choice win becomes the whole creative here — the badge isn’t tucked into a footer, it’s the proof point the layout is built around. A cropped portrait of a model holding the Power Mist gives the award something tangible to sit beside, and the lime-on-charcoal palette keeps the editorial feel from tipping into press-release territory. When third-party recognition is your hook, design it as a hero, not a sticker.
TV in 3: Shonda’s Disney-Netflix Throuple — And Why Everyone Wins
Inside Rhimes’ return to ABC,
☀️ NEON, ROW K In Distro Talks; IMAX Explores Sale
NETFLIX gets Julianne Moore pic / ‘Housemaid’ cleans up LGF Q1 💰 / ‘Survivor’ finale pops
Day 28: The Content Series That Brought In 440 Subscribers
30 days of emails became a new lead magnet and kept new subscribers extremely engaged
Website-Audit: Kostenlose Analyse von Media Beats
Erfahre, wie das kostenlose Website-Audit von Media Beats Deine Website prüft,
Best DMARC Reporting and Monitoring Tools to Protect Your Domain
It’s no secret that email authentication isn’t optional anymore. With mailbox providers like Google and Yahoo tightening sender requirements, companies are under increasing pressure to implement DMARC correctly and continuously monitor it.
New podcast features from Spotify
And Inception Point AI retreats from fake doctors. Sponsored by Supporting Cast. The shows you listen to probably already use us. 🎙️ Supporting Cast powers subscriptions for some of the most trusted names in podcasting—because when your business depends on subscriber trust, the platform behind it matters. Let's talk about what we could build together. https://podnews.net/cc/3513 Visit https://podnews.net/update/spotify-investor-day26 for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.
No joke: Daily Mash banned from Facebook because platform doesn’t get irony
Satirical site The Daily Mash has been banned from Facebook for almost four months after the platform “struggled to understand humour”.
Ziggo zet DEPT aan het roer van social, influencer en UGC
VodafoneZiggo benoemt DEPT als Lead Social Partner voor het merk Ziggo. Het bureau krijgt regie over content, community, campagnes en alle creator- en UGC-samenwerkingen.
News Podcasting’s Video Shift Is Complicating the Economics
A Reuters Institute report finds news podcasts moving into video, leaving publishers with a hard question: which shows justify the extra cost?
The Click Is Dead (533)
This week, Joe and Robert start with Google's massive AI search shift and the uncomfortable reality for marketers, publishers and creators: the click may no longer be the point.
How Many Outreach Mailboxes Should You Use?
Deliverability rules from providers like Google and Microsoft have made mailbox management a critical part of any outreach strategy. If you send too many emails from a single mailbox, your campaigns may quickly run into spam folders, reputation issues, or sending limits. On the other hand, creating too many mailboxes without a clear strategy can increase costs, complexity, and operational headaches.
How to wire Auth0 to a Webflow Cloud App for server-side session validation
Learn how to add Auth0 authentication to Webflow with Webflow Cloud. Server-side token validation and gated content behind real auth checks.
How to replace Webflow's default order email with a fully custom SendGrid template
Learn how to send fully custom order confirmation emails from Webflow using SendGrid and a Cloudflare Worker.
How to add OpenAI text completion to a Webflow form with a Cloud App
Learn how to build a Webflow OpenAI form that processes text using the Responses API.
How to build a serverless app with Neon Postgres and Webflow Cloud
Learn how to connect a Neon serverless Postgres database to a Webflow Cloud App.
How to build full-text search for Webflow CMS using Elasticsearch and a Route Handler
Learn how to add full-text search to any Webflow site using Elasticsearch and a Webflow Cloud Route Handler.
Engineering “DMARC for All:” Building User-First Accessibility
Building on our commitment to an Inclusive by Design philosophy, we have evolved the dmarcian portal from a standard security interface into a highly adaptable environment. For our engineering team, the mission of DMARC for All isn't just a slogan—it’s a technical requirement that demands deep compliance and semantic precision.
How ‘Survivor’ Outplayed Hollywood for 50 Seasons
Lessons from reality’s big kahuna,
2025 Internet Crime Report: Nearly $21 Billion Lost | Phishing and AI Scams
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center released the 2025 Internet Crime Report, documenting internet crimes reported last year.
Ryan Reynolds & Rob Mac Bought a Team. And a Town to Root For
'You sit down in that seat, and you are all in unison together,' says Mac of the impact of 'Welcome to Wrexham'
A reality check with creator-led news brands: How to make it on your own
Jonathan Paterson, the BBC's former head of video, predicted last year that the trend of journalists with large followings starting their own independent, specialist titles – like Jim Waterson with London Centric and Will Hayward with his newsletter – would catch on.
This former TV writer now produces prestige audio dramas for Audible, iHeart, and Spotify
Aaron Tracy explained the economics of audio dramas and narrative podcasts.
7 Cannes Movies to Watch; Sarah Snook’s Post-‘Succession’ Power Play
'I think no one else knows what they're doing either,' the 'All Her Fault' star tells me of life as a performer
Pretty Pays: Visual Branding That Converts | Live with AI Meets Girl Boss
Get more from Carrie Loranger in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the app
James Harden, Carmelo Anthony & the AI-Powered Hollywood Pivot
Forget star production companies. This company creates athlete IP faster than Hollywood can call 'foul'
ITN launches paid subscriptions on Youtube to support archive content
News production company ITN has started to target Youtube users directly for the first time and is hoping some will become paying members.
🎧 Spidey, Nolan, Spielberg — Hot Movie Summer Is Here
The box office is back — but which summer movie will reign supreme? Plus: Spencer Pratt keeps gaining in the L.A.
☀️ What NETFLIX’s New Theatrical, Live Daily TV Moves Indicate
UNI returns to Bay, Damon for new pics / AMAZON’s new sports highmark / SPC makes Cannes buy
As goes CBS Radio News, so goes the idea that news media should serve the public interest
When CBS Radio News goes silent on May 22, 2026, Americans will lose access to news programming they’ve tuned into from their living rooms, kitchens and cars for nearly a century. The once-bipartisan idea that the nation’s media should exist to serve democracy continues to fade with it, too.
Just a few more days to submit your questions 💌
Just a quick reminder that I’ll be recording this quarter’s office hours early next week. Have a question about: a specific part of running your business? feeling overwhelmed or burnt out about your marketing? how other people tackle admin or slow periods? taking a next step you’ve been putting off? anything else business-related you’d like my input on? Send it to me, through the form or by commenting to this post, by this coming Sunday, May 24th, end of day.
Gift subscriptions
Turn your most engaged readers into a referral channel for paid memberships
Day 27: The 4-Hour Email That Boosted Engagement by 40%
One extra email. 40% more engagement.
Google Ends Ten Blue Links, Future Profits Crater, AI Influencers Backfire, and More…
A big thank you to consultant Laura Harvey, who is making her LinkedIn Playbook For Publishers freely available to readers of this newsletter.
Three per cent of flagship news bulletins focus on resolution or progress, study claims
An analysis of BBC and ITV News at Ten bulletins finds that most broadcast stories (80 per cent) focus on at least two crises or scandals, while a fraction (3 per cent) cover resolution or progress.
Canary to launch daily tabloid paper | Press victims lawyer on improved media standards
Plus French political title Contexte hits first profit on revenue of €12.9m and Murdoch son buys Vox,
Storytelling in Email Marketing: A Practical Guide With Examples
You write a valuable email, hit send, and wait. But all you get are a few opens, maybe a couple of clicks if you’re lucky, then silence. So you tweak the subject line, add more tips, and make it “more valuable.” And still… not enough engagement.
The 9 Instagram metrics you need to track in 2026
Overwhelmed by all the different Instagram metrics you could possibly track? Stick to these top insights for maximum impact.
Global podcast revenue rises to $9.2bn
But the growth isn't just advertising. Sponsored by Supporting Cast. Hello from The Podcast Show in London! 💂🇬🇧 You can find Supporting Cast this week at our booth on the gallery level—swing by, grab a chat, and let's talk subscriptions. Or, reach out to schedule a meeting: hello@supportingcast.fm https://podnews.net/cc/3501 Visit https://podnews.net/update/global-podcast-revenue for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.
Lawyer for press victims says media standards have improved
Media lawyer Louis Charalambous who represented high-profile victims of tabloid wrongdoing said journalism standards are much higher today.
How Do You Market to a Double-Sided Marketplace?
At last week’s SparkToro Office Hours, someone asked about how to incorporate audience research into a marketing strategy for a double-sided marketplace. That has lived in my head rent-free since.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every month
Three gentle strategies if you're tired of starting from scratch
Is Vox in good hands?
PLUS: What Audible's new payout system means for indie authors
What the Webflow community built with AI code components
Submissions from our AI code components challenge — and what they say about what's now possible for any Webflow builder.
Day 26: The 4 Emails That Reduced Unsubscribes by 4%
How replacing a single “do you still want to hear from us?” email lifted reactivation rates by 4% in the first month.
Sky News rolls out premium podcast subscription as listening numbers double
Sky News will debut a paid podcast service in June, offering ad-free listening, bonus content,
More than 340 local news outlets are limiting the Internet Archive’s access to their journalism
In January, Nieman Lab broke the story that major news publishers — including The New York Times, The Guardian, and USA Today Co. — had started blocking the Internet Archive due to concerns that AI companies might scrape the nonprofit’s repositories for training data.
WordPress 7.0 Release Notes
WordPress 7.0 introduces features that create a more cohesive editing experience and can boost reader engagement. You can now create slideshows from Galleries, build responsive grids, and use third-party videos as backgrounds. Editor workflow updates A more cohesive experience for editing patterns With WordPress 7.0, you’ll see some changes to the pattern editing experience.
Preparing for the second act of AI: agents, liquid content and AI deals
It's incredible to think how far generative AI has come in recent years. In last week's keynote speech at Newsrewired, Ezra Eeman, strategy and innovation director at the Dutch public broadcaster NPO, put us firmly in the picture. It was a wake-up call for news publishers to realise just how fundamentally news publishing is changing before our very eyes. And there's even more change on the horizon.
Art & Crafts Live: Building Worlds for Superheroes — and the Everyday Ones, Too
Artisans from 'Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat,' 'Paradise,' 'Wednesday' and 'Wonder Man' go inside the making of their acclaimed shows
2025 LMA Digital Innovation Awards winners
Local Media Association revealed its 2025 Digital Innovation Awards on Wednesday, celebrating the local media organizations, journalists and teams pushing the industry forward through creativity, audience engagement and innovation.
James Murdoch buys up half of Vox Media, grabbing New York and podcasts, but leaving The Verge and SB Nation
This is May 2026 in digital media: Arguably the two most prominent digital media startups of the 2010s are both being sold — one to the former host of NBC reality show “Real People” (1979-84) and one to the primary inspiration for Kendall Roy (2018-23).
New York’s YouTube TV Moment: Brandcast, Babish & NYT Cooking’s Glow-Up
A week in the Big Apple reveals where media is heading,
Email Inspiration from Neiman Marcus
A single Prada look — periwinkle dress, red kitten heels, dark glossy backdrop — treated like an editorial cover image. Minimalist nav (Women / Men / Shoes / Sale) sits clean above, and the headline ‘Prada SS26: Forever in Bloom’ arrives as a serif caption. Cleaner luxury department-store email design than most of the brands it carries.
Amazon’s Hockey Romance ‘Off Campus’ Has a ‘Bridgerton’ Plan
First-time showrunner Louisa Levy reveals her franchise play for a steamy show less 'Heated Rivalry' than people think
Email Inspiration from OVERTONE
Four bottles stacked into a paper-doll tower against electric cornflower blue — the product itself becomes the typography. ‘MEET THE GLOSS’ carries the pink-tinted serif you see in every dye-and-mask brand right now, but the rotated label arrangement is the part to steal. Color-block beauty merch done with restraint.
Email Inspiration from OUI the People
Saturated red-orange lighting and a contemplative model portrait with a vase of ranunculus push the email closer to a fashion editorial than a beauty drop. The ‘WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING’ headline frames the body as a curated review pull, not a product pitch. A reminder that social proof can be styled like art.
Email Inspiration from AppSumo
Pink-fringe gradient and a single product hero card — fire icon, wordmark, value prop — turn an inbox into a marketplace listing. The screenshot underneath skips polish in favor of dense functionality, which for a developer-tools audience reads as honest rather than busy. The greeting ‘Hey, Sumo-ling!’ carries the tribe-marketing voice without leaning on it.
Email Inspiration from Dosaze
Lifestyle interior shot of the topper installed in a real bedroom — not a sterile product render — sells fit and proportion in a single frame. The headline borrows from a customer review, then surfaces the actual quote in a cream-colored callout below. A textbook example of social proof leading the layout instead of decorating the footer.
Email Inspiration from Going
Mint-green nav strip and a pill-shaped destination photo set up a magazine-feature treatment for what is functionally a flight-deals brand. White serif on tropical water reads like a travel-mag cover, and the body copy starts with city history rather than fare prices. A pattern for any retention email that wants to feel less like a deal alert and more like an issue.
Email Inspiration from See's Candies
A glass of red wine and two confections on a white-marble countertop reframe the brand from boxed-chocolate gift to grown-up pairing. ‘Sip & Savor’ set in script-italic plays against the all-caps wordmark, a contrast that does more lifting than either type style would alone. Smart way to age up a heritage candy brand without losing the heritage.
Email Inspiration from Solo Stove
Star-and-stripes confetti banner sets a holiday-cookout pace without ever saying Memorial Day in the headline. The dark backdrop pulls fire-warm food photography forward, and ‘GET YOUR GRIDDLE IN TIME’ reads as a usefulness pitch rather than an urgency tactic. Notice how the brand uses repetition — two near-identical hero blocks — to keep scroll momentum.
Email Inspiration from King Arthur Baking
Wood-grain flatlay shoot — torn focaccia, a saucer of dipping oil, the starter bag tucked into the frame edge — does most of the convincing. The header keeps the page clean: brand mark, one line, one button. Notice how the product placement is incidental rather than centered, the kind of styling food brands lift from cookbook pages.
Email Inspiration from Ford Motor Company
Three documentary-style portraits — a farmer with a milk crate, a forager mid-step, a craftsman by the truck — collaged behind a centered Ford grille and the line ‘AMERICAN VALUE. FOR AMERICAN VALUES.’ The pricing news lives in the smaller body copy below, letting the brand statement do the work the discount usually would. A clinic in how to lead with values when your offer is utilitarian.
How to Record Streaming Video on Any Device (Mac, Windows, Mobile)
Record streaming videos is easy if you know what software to choose. We provide several different options for every device.
Email Inspiration from Alessi
Crisp white backgrounds and oversized product photography turn each kitchen object into sculpture. Tight typesetting and a restrained palette keep focus on the design objects themselves, proving that what you remove matters as much as what you add. Worth borrowing for any product-led brand that wants gravitas without shouting.
Email Inspiration from Armra
Bold serif typography paired with a moody, earthy palette signals premium positioning without saying a word. Product photography sits flat against richly textured backgrounds, mimicking a print magazine spread. The result reads as wellness as luxury, a vibe most supplement brands fail to achieve.
Email Inspiration from AG1®
A single hero product shot dominates the layout, framed by generous white space and a punchy gradient backdrop. The copy stays minimal, letting the green pouch and supporting headline carry the message. A reminder that even crowded wellness category emails can stand out by stripping away clutter.
The Economist launches Ashoka, its first weekly column dedicated to India
The Economist has launched its first-ever weekly column focused exclusively on India. Ashoka, penned by award-winning Asia correspondent Leo Mirani, aims to unpack the vast and dynamic forces shaping the world’s most populous democracy. The column's name is a nod to the ancient emperor, the wheel at the centre of the Indian flag, and the Hindi word which translates to "without sorrow" – reflecting the column’s aim to cover India’s achievements and challenges with clarity and balance.
The Lead acquires The Knot, expanding its local news network
The Lead, an independent network of national and local newsletters, has acquired The Knot, a fellow Substack title launched in 2024 covering the region of North Staffordshire.
In-app Notification Center
Mailtrap has added a notification center, where you can track changes and actions related to your account inside the app, such as: - Important account updates, - Recommended actions, - Warnings, - and critical issues.
French political title Contexte hits first profit on revenue of €12.9m
After a year of slowed investment and expansion into the EU market, Contexte has reached profitability for the first time without subsidies.
Star Wars’ Disney+ Hangover: A Fight to Make the Galaxy Feel Big Again
The fandom is deeply fractured as ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ arrives in theaters with low expectations
Local newsletter network The Lead buys Stoke-on-Trent title
The Knot will expand remit further outside original “good news” lens.
☀️ WB’s Big Cannes Buy, NETFLIX Sets ’70s Remake
‘Super Mario’ team goes to NETFLIX / EXCEL,
Future Proofing EMEA Organisations
As part of our ongoing thought leadership series, we are highlighting the diverse people who make up dmarcian. In this piece, our EMEA Director talks about future proofing organizations in a complex and regulated environment.
James Murdoch buys Vox, New York Magazine and podcast network
James Murdoch is buying Vox, New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network via his private holding company Lupa Systems.
Best AI Newsletter Generators: Which Tools Actually Save Time?
If there are two somewhat unexpected things we’ve seen take off in email marketing over the last few years, they would be: AI, and newsletters. AI needs no introduction. But newsletters? A few years ago, I’m not sure many of us would have predicted quite such a comeback. And yet, here we are.
Yellow top: The Canary launching daily left-wing tabloid newspaper
The Canary is launching a daily weekday national newspaper after an injection of cash from a used-car marketplace founder in 2025.
Day 25: How One Reddit Comment Drove 1,500 Newsletter Subscribers
She used Reddit to grow her local newsletter to 5,800+ subscribers.
Why Is Segmentation Important in Email Marketing? | Drip
Segmentation is important in email marketing because it makes every send more relevant to the person receiving it. Splitting a list by traits like behavior, purchase history, or lifecycle stage produces higher open rates, more clicks, and more revenue per send than the same message blasted to the whole list.
Substack Notes Drove 60% of My Subscriber Growth
I posted 1,400+ Notes and tracked every subscriber source.
Shortlist announcement for The Publisher Newsletter Awards 2026
MediaVoices are pleased to reveal the shortlist for the fourth year of The Publisher Newsletter Awards. From hundreds of entries, this shortlist of 160+ newsletters represents the very best, and we are delighted to be promoting and celebrating such fantastic work.
The new DMARC is here
DMARCbis the new DMARC is finally here. RFC 9989 - Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) RFC 9990 - Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) Aggregate Reporting RFC 9991 - Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) Failure Reporting It’s not DMARCbis any more, it’s just DMARC.
Facebook restricts local paper over drug-driver court report | Lammy vows anti-SLAPPs law
Plus Dow Jones CEO says Storyful merger will fuel growth to $1bn profit
Podnews Report Card unveiled at The Podcast Show
YouTube are winning podcast creator hearts, it suggests. Sponsored by Supporting Cast. Hello from The Podcast Show in London! 💂🇬🇧 You can find Supporting Cast this week at our booth on the gallery level—swing by, grab a chat, and let's talk subscriptions. Or, reach out to schedule a meeting: hello@supportingcast.fm https://podnews.net/cc/3501 Visit https://podnews.net/update/podnews-report-card-unveiled for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.
ActiveCampaign vs Autopilot/Ortto: Email Marketing Review
Between ActiveCampaign and Ortto (formerly known as Autopilot), ActiveCampaign has been the more well-known name in email marketing. But Ortto has popped up on marketers’ radars recently, especially after its April 2026 acquisition by Canva. Both platforms share many features, from email campaigns to automations and contact management.
Facebook restricts local newspaper for publishing drug-driver court report
A UK local newsbrand has had its ability to reach people on Facebook and monetise its page restricted by the platform over a court story.
‘Scamming’ landlord libel claim thrown out as Lammy promises legislation on SLAPPs
A County Court judgment for £10,000 made against a Mill Media reporter has been thrown out after a judge ruled it was an “abuse of process”.
Email Inspiration from Hermès
Editorial pacing — a single still life, a serif title, a generous margin — feels closer to a printed catalog than an email. The restraint signals confidence: there is no urgency call-out, just the object. Luxury senders should treat sparseness as a design choice, not an oversight.
Email Inspiration from Sony Online Store
Dark-mode hero with rim-lit hardware photography pushes the product forward and treats the launch like a film teaser. Restrained type pairs with cinematic lighting to keep the tone product-first. Worth studying for any tech launch wanting drama without resorting to gradient noise.
Email Inspiration from July
Architectural product photography against soft pastel grounds frames each suitcase as an object, not a utility item. The hierarchy is patient: hero shot first, color options second, copy last. A good model for hard-goods categories where the SKU itself is the story.
Email Inspiration from Snake River Farms
Tight food photography — marbling-on-marbling, grill-marks-on-cast-iron — does the persuasion before any copy has to. The brand leans on craft cues rather than discount language, even on a holiday weekend. Strong reference for premium-food senders avoiding the sale-banner reflex.
Email Inspiration from ALOHA
Bold flat-color blocks and oversized product cutouts give a wellness-food brand the confidence of a CPG launch ad. Each bar SKU gets its own color zone, so the lineup reads as a system, not a list. Borrow this for any product family that benefits from being shown together.
Email Inspiration from Year & Day
Soft-set table scenes and a warm neutral palette anchor every module, so the email reads as one continuous mood rather than a stack of blocks. Typography stays minimal — the imagery is doing the work. Useful study for tableware and entertaining brands relying on tablescapes to sell.
Email Inspiration from The Citizenry
Wide-format lifestyle imagery does double duty here: each scene shows the product in context and reinforces the artisan-sourcing positioning the brand is known for. Generous margins keep the layout magazine-like rather than catalog-like. A good template for any DTC home brand whose story matters as much as the SKU.
Email Inspiration from Moon Juice
Sun-bleached pastels and elongated bottle photography turn a supplements SKU into a still life. The pacing is unhurried — a single product, a single color story, no competing CTAs. Strong example of color-as-category-cue for any brand operating in adjacent wellness verticals.
Email Inspiration from ILIA
A sender name written as a personal byline — “Marissa from ILIA” — pulls a corporate broadcast into the inbox as a one-to-one note. Clean beauty cues come through in the soft neutrals and unretouched product photography. Worth borrowing if your founder or team voice is stronger than your house style.
Email Inspiration from Aesop
Restrained typography and a single botanical photograph carry the entire layout — proof that confident negative space communicates premium positioning more effectively than a busy hero image. The serif lockup sits low against a muted ground, letting the product narrative breathe. A useful reminder that luxury cues lean editorial, not promotional.
From brief to breakthrough: giving Frontify's product story a pulse with Rive
How OFF+BRAND built a scroll-driven, click-reactive interactive experience in Rive for Frontify.
Level up your Designer Extension with build mode updates
Empower your Designer Extensions for better support across all user roles.
7 of the Best Pride Month Email Examples We’ve Seen
Looking for inspiration for your Pride emails? Check out these 7 best Pride Month email examples from top brands.
Save the Date: Documentary Spotlight Returns on 6.7
The Ankler and Pure Nonfiction’s acclaimed series returns for Emmy FYC
How to doxx yourself: A practical guide for journalists
Putting your name and face on your stories builds trust with your audience, but there is a flipside. If you are not careful, you may be leaving behind a trail of information that may put you, your friends and family in harm’s way.
How ‘Abbott Elementary’ Lifts Teachers (But Isn’t Afraid of a Goofy Joke)
Creator and star Quinta Brunson and her costars on how the Emmy-winning show got bigger in season five
TikTok Business vs. Personal account: 2026 guide
We compare the features of TikTok Business vs. Personal accounts to help you decide which is best for your brand.
Self-Promotional Listicles Aren’t the Problem. Bad Content Is
Is Google cracking down on self-promotional listicles? Our client data suggests no. The real issue seems to be low-quality content.
Fixing the foundation: Early lessons from technology shared services in local news
For years, local media publishers have been fixing problems with duct tape — one-time vendors, making their own tools, keeping freelance “experts” on speed dial and setting up workflows that only make sense at the time. It worked, until it didn’t.
Exclusive: ‘SNL UK’ Showrunner & Cast on Surviving the Skeptics
James Longman, Celeste Dring,
This independent magazine publisher doubled down on print
Twenty Two Media Group founder Krista Faist explained how she bootstrapped two print magazines.
Social media data collection: A 2026 guide
Learn what social media data collection is all about, why it matters, and how to use it to improve your social performance.
Social media archiving in 2026: A compliance guide
Learn how to build a compliant social media archiving strategy for government and regulated industries, plus top tools for record-keeping.
🎧 Daniel Radcliffe’s Secret Sitcom Education
The Tony winner excels on Peacock's 'Reggie Dinkins' — and shares his private list of favorite half-hour comedies
Social mentions in 2026: How to track and respond
Find out what social mentions are, why they matter, and how to engage with them to build a strong relationship with your audience.
Tech journalist Joanna Stern on leaving the Wall Street Journal and moving on to New Things
Joanna Stern is no stranger to new things. It’s part of the job: Stern began working as a technology journalist in 2007, the year Apple launched the first iPhone, and has covered the shifts in the industry through the rise of smartphones, the mobile internet, and AI.
What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn
The spirit of the ’90s can live again
Cornwall Live risked identifying sexual assault victim, says IPSO
IPSO criticised a “lack of sympathy” from Cornwall Live which published details that could have identified a sexual assault victim.
NPR may be flush with gifts to transform its tech, but it still has to cut jobs
Last month, NPR announced two private gifts totaling $113 million — among the largest donations it’s received in its history. The $80 million donation, from philanthropist Connie Ballmer, is specifically for “ensuring NPR transforms its technology to meet the needs and serve the interests of public media audiences on whatever platforms or devices they may seek it.”
☀️ NETFLIX, AMAZON Cannes Action, DISNEYFOX Enlists Feig
FX wants Frankenstein / ROKU sets creator hub / WB sets ‘Hello Kitty’ team
Kit MCP is now available in beta
Turn your insights into action with the Kit MCP. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible AI tool directly to Kit to manage and analyze your email marketing with simple questions. Ask questions about your email list, analyze your email performance, and get your AI tool to create tags, broadcasts, or even sequences.
Day 24: The 4-Week Sending Cycle That Boosts Opens & Clicks by Double Digits
How sending to fewer subscribers helps more of your list actually see your emails.
Dow Jones CEO: Storyful merger will help fuel growth
Video verification and intelligence provider Storyful is being integrated into Dow Jones, 13 years after its acquisition by News Corp.
How Il Post built a sustainable subscription model while keeping its journalism free
Most of the Italian outlet’s revenue comes from paying subscribers, even though none of its news sits behind a paywall.
Views but no subscribers?
Most of the subscribe decision happens before anyone reads a post. If your Notes get views but no subscribers, your bottleneck is upstream — and you can't see it in your dashboard.
Future faces backlash over AI influencers | Telegraph tops IPSO naughty list
Plus Sky News to bundle perks from three podcasts in first online subscription
Rexona bouwt WK-campagne rond goalviering Tijjani Reijnders
Rexona koppelt zijn internationale WK-campagne aan de goalviering van Tijjani Reijnders. Ontwikkeld door Storyboard Agency, met limited edition shirts van Floor Wesseling.
Creation of AI influencers meant more human roles, says Future fashion brand
UK-based lifestyle and fashion magazine Sheerluxe has faced backlash followed its expansion of its AI “influencer” team.
Your questions answered: An AMA with Reddit and The Times
We embraced the popular Q&A format Reddit is known for to give you a platform-publisher perspective on this emerging space for news content and community engagement
What Is Behavioral Segmentation? | Drip
Behavioral segmentation is the practice of grouping customers based on what they do, such as purchases, email engagement, browsing patterns, and product usage, rather than who they are demographically. Ecommerce brands use it to send the right message at the right moment, which typically lifts revenue per send and reduces unsubscribes.
How Axios Local is shaping up to crack sustainable local journalism at scale
5-year-old Axios Local has yet to turn a profit, but Vice President and General Manager Liz Alesse is “bullish” on their prospects for cracking the local news puzzle.
Why Meta should actually share revenue with its creators
PLUS: Legacy media outlets are finally experimenting with paywalled podcasts.
Win Report: Are you selling what your customers are buying? (+26%)
Win Reports help you grow your business by showing our methodology at work. Each Win Report showcases a real-world test, sharing the research, insights, and techniques that led to the win. In the next three minutes, we’ll show you how replacing a lifestyle hero video with a benefit-led one increased conversions by 26%. DiamondBack Covers manufactures premium, American-made aluminum truck bed covers.