NN: Of mice and algorithms

[View this email in your browser]( [NewsWhip]( Of mice and algorithms Hi there, For those of us who went into journalism, we may have been bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, thinking we'd break some big stories, maybe save the world. You know, casual goals like that. But the best-laid plans of mice and men go awry. In the digital age, how do we compete with everything else that's out there? Despite those concerns, data shows that people are still hungry for the news. A [Pew Research report]( this week reveals two-thirds of Americans expect to get their news from social media. That's growing on some platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and Instagram. Indeed, according to a panel from ONA, Facebook's algorithm shift hasn't been the nail in the coffin for referral traffic this year. Far from it: The above image, from Parse.ly's "Beyond Facebook: How to Survive and Thrive After Newsfeed Changes" session, shows that after an initial dip, Facebook referrals have recovered. This echoes what we've seen in terms of social engagements too. Above, we looked at August's [top 25]( and the average Facebook engagements across their content since August 2017. These are the publishers that have thrived in spite of platform shifts. Media is an evolving space. It's one where you need to keep a keen focus on what's getting the attention of audiences. According to [Dan Rather]( at ONA last night, “When I got into journalism I had a deadline a day, when I got into TV I had two deadlines a day...Today we have a deadline every nanosecond. “The pace of change has been so great it can eat away at your confidence. Don’t let it do that." So what will matter? “Real reporting. Integrity reporting will always have an audience," said Rather. “I’ve made every mistake in the book at least twice. You should dedicate yourself to a lifetime of improving your writing... Good writing is the bedrock of your craft.” What about mistrust in the press and misinformation? "People should be skeptical of the news. Not cynical, but skeptical.” Want more insights? Check out our [latest analysis]( on the influence of hyper-politics on social media here. (P.S. To those of you in Austin, happy ONA! Come visit us in the exhibit hall!) The Top Stories of the Week: September 8th - 13th Here are the top stories this week on Facebook, from our [NewsWhip Spike]( platform. This week, the top story was about the passing of musician Mac Miller. Other stories were focused on the anniversary of 9/11 and the impact of Nike's influencer campaign with Kaepernick. Four of the top stories came from UNILAD. We took a look this week at how UNILAD and LADbible have evolved into [viral powerhouses](. From what we've seen, it comes down to their: 1. Audience-first strategy 2. Emotionally-charged storytelling 3. Content that encourages comments 4. Understanding of what works platform-by-platform 5. Adapting to changes in audience consumption and platform trends [Check out our full analysis here.]( How Facebook Watch stacks up to Facebook videos and YouTube​ [Read here >]( 5 tips for successful socially-conscious marketing campaigns​ [Read here >]( How often do the same stories succeed in different publications? ​ [Read here >]( Noted - Two-thirds of Americans [discover news]( on social media, with more this year from Reddit and YouTube - A new [Snapchat feature]( will allow publishers to create curated stories from users’ Snaps - Pinterest has surpassed [250 million]( monthly active users, at a pace of adding 50 million monthly active users a year - Quartz is launching [a newsbot]( that will be embedded in Samsung’s rich messaging service, as more tech companies push into "[rich messaging]( - Plus, here's how the [Quartz obsession]( newsletter is doing, a year later. Apparently, we really love random facts - Instagram influencers share how they write a good [Instagram caption]( - For fun: After reuniting on Facebook, this man marries [his secret childhood crush]( from the 1950s That's all this week! We're hanging out down in Austin at ONA today and tomorrow, so we'll have more fresh insights for you next week. If you were sent this newsletter and would like to subscribe, you can [do so here](. Let us know [on Twitter]( if you have any ideas for us to research. Have a great weekend, Gabriele and the NewsWhip team. [NewsWhip Spike]( [NewsWhip Analytics]( [Resources]( [Blog]( [Contact](mailto:%20hello@newswhip.com) Millions of stories, videos, and social posts are published each day, sparking billions of interactions. NewsWhip transforms this ocean of social data into actionable insights to inform your content strategy. NewsWhip products show you what audiences are engaging with in real time and what has performed best historically – in every vertical. Copyright © 2018 NewsWhip, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you opted in for the NewsWhip blog newsletter and updates. Our mailing address is: NewsWhip 47 Merrion SquareDublin, Ireland [Add us to your address book](//newswhip.us3.list-manage.com/vcard?u=f5077bc53c4be33ce14998bdd&id=6f54ba6e9d) Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.