Are you looking for a powerful tool for environmental journalism? Try Global Forest Watch. While you are learning the tool, you are also learning the right approach, thanks to this guide written by Alberto Puliafito.

👋 So what news has this week brought us in the field of media?

Here are this week's stories picked by our team:

▪️Axel Springer, Europe’s largest publishing house that owns multiple news brands in Germany and the United States, announced restructuring plans that would shift its focus on the American market.

▪️Substack announced that it reached 2 million paid subscriptions across the newsletters hosted by the platform, up from previously reported 1 million over a year ago. The company says it has over 20 million monthly active subscribers, a figure which includes readers with free subscriptions.

▪️US government-funded broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) has faced a scandal over its hiring of journalists who formerly worked for Russian propagandist channels.

📍 Find out more in this week's digest.

The Economist is famous for its data journalism: distinct infographics, complex interactive works, data-driven projects.

What does the work of a data journalist look like from the inside? We asked Sondre Ulvund Solstad and here is the answer.

📰 What's Inside The Fix Weekly Newsletter: Addressing news avoidance with explanatory journalism and positive news

▪️The articles featured pertain to the story of one positive news outlet, an introduction to explanatory journalism, the second part of our environmental journalism series, and a look into the work of a data journalist;

▪️Interesting insights on Bellingcat's approach to Discord, and Politico’s European expansion from Italian journalist Francesco Zaffarano and our colleagues at Press Gazette;

▪️Great opportunities from The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Free Press Unlimited, Media Development Foundation, and International Press Institute.

📍Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more news on the European media space!

From Copernicus to Environmental Justice Atlas, from the Global Environmental Crime Tracker to Global Fishing Watch: resources for environmental journalists in the third part of The Fix’s Environmental Journalism Guide compiled by Alberto Puliafito.

US publisher Mother Jones successfully navigated the shift to digital as a nonprofit. We speak with CEO Monika Bauerlein about their work and the lessons it can offer to other nonprofit outlets.

👋 So what news has this week brought us in the field of media?

Here are this week's stories picked by our team:

▪️The Financial Times launched FT Edit, its app that offers access to a daily selection of eight articles for a fraction of the normal subscription in the United States. The product, which aims to attract new readers who can’t afford a (relatively expensive) full subscription, was first launched in the UK early last year.

▪️Mass protests erupted in Georgia this week over a controversial “foreign agent” bill that could, among other issues, worsen media freedom in the country. The bill, which critics say had been modelled on the infamous Russian law targeting alleged “foreign agents”, was passed in the parliament on Tuesday thanks to the support of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

▪️Reach, one of the UK’s largest newspaper publishers that operates outlets like the Daily Express and Daily Mirror, posted its yearly results for 2022, showing a decrease in revenue and profit year-on-year driven by rising newsprint costs in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as by an advertising market downturn

📍 Find out more in this week’s digest.

Generation Z is already a part of the workforce — and they are changing the landscape of news consumption. But how exactly are they affecting the newsrooms?

In some ways, Microsoft Bing’s AI-powered search engine is more powerful than ChatGPT. Discover how to get access and how it works, thanks to this guide by Alberto Puliafito.

Russian propaganda has failed to win over Europe, but it hasn’t stopped trying. A report by the European External Action Service looks at Russian information manipulation techniques, from official state media to impersonation of Western outlets like this fake Charlie Hebdo cover. We summarised its key findings.

There are numerous benefits to embracing explanatory journalism in your newsroom. It can be useful in fighting misinformation, and boost your revenue, argues Emma Löfgren. Our cheat sheet should help to get you started.

📍Read the full article for more tips.

👋 So what news has this week brought us in the field of media?

Here are this week's stories picked by our team:

▪️The BBC found itself embroiled in a crisis in recent days over the corporation’s decision to suspend Gary Lineker, one of its most prominent hosts, because of his tweet criticising the UK government’s immigration policy. 

▪️The New York Times is testing a new daily news podcast, with plans to launch it later this year, according to Axios. The podcast is called “The Headlines” and will feature a brief look into the day’s biggest headlines.

📍 Find out more in this week's digest.

Like dozens of independent outlets, Tribuna Belarus has been blocked in Belarus since 2020.

The sports outlet now compiles a list of athletes who supported the Russian aggression and publishes much more content in Belarusian. We interviewed Tribuna’s CEO Maks Berazinski.

📰 What's Inside The Fix Weekly Newsletter: How generative AI will change newsrooms

▪️The articles featured pertain to the transformation of Microsoft Bing, Russian propaganda in Europe, Mediahuis’s AI experience, and how a banned Belarusian sports outlet operates;

▪️Interesting insights on The New York Times testing a new daily news podcast and how Deutsche Welle and NBC News are leveraging TikTok to reach and engage new audiences from our colleagues at Axios, Italian journalist Francesco Zaffarano and Digiday;

▪️Great opportunities from Global Investigative Journalism Network, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Free Press Unlimited, and BBC Media Action.

📍Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more news on the European media space!

🎧We're updating and expanding our list of top podcasts for journalists and media managers. Whether you're looking to take a break, learn something new, or stay up-to-date on the latest trends in publishing, the audio format is a great way to do it.

How can you better convert visitors into paying subscribers? Registration is an essential middle step.

Madeleine White of Poool and The Audiencers shares advice on how publishers can launch a registration wall strategy successfully.

Timing is a useful skill. When Twitter seemed in danger, Mastodon rose to the fore and took a slice of the pie – but, as Clubhouse shows, there must be substance and value behind an ambitious project to stay on top. We looked at the platform's impressive growth last autumn and the current state.