In 2024, media companies must hit the platform reset button

Reliance on traditional big tech platforms will only continue to negatively impact revenue and audience strategies

It’s been a long time coming. But 2023 has signaled that it’s finally time for publishers to reconsider the volatile, often one-sided, relationship that many of them have with some of the biggest tech platforms.

Media companies have been impacted by multiple developments over the past year, as platforms have progressively deprioritized news, canceled or reduced their news-related programs and products, or made the presence of news content on their platforms much less user-friendly.

These moves are the latest in a long line of changes that have pulled the rug out from underneath the feet of content creators. And while the tech tide may again turn in the favor of media companies, history tends to repeat itself. Publishers, therefore, should be wary about how warmly they embrace any future overtures from our tech overlords, as well as rushing headlong into the next new thing. Too often some publishers have dived into new initiatives like Mastodon or WhatsApp Channels, without a clear strategy or goals (content, engagement, monetization) in mind.