RIDING THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MEDIA INDUSTRY

Clay Shirky has said publishing “isn’t an industry any more — it’s a button,” and that truth is having an impact on everything from books and newspapers to television and music. Our conference is called paidContent — but both parts of that phrase are undergoing fundamental disruption, as the media landscape continues to change more quickly than at almost any other time in our history. The rise of digital media, new content-creation and distribution platforms and new media players of all kinds is changing the way that media is consumed, the way it is created, the way it is distributed and most importantly the way that it is paid for.

How do traditional content-focused companies need to change their behavior as a result of these changes? What are some of the models and opportunities that show the most promise? What new technologies or platforms are already a major influence, or are likely to become one in the future? And what are some of factors that will help determine who succeeds and who doesn’t? Those are the kinds of questions that we want to help our attendees answer, and our speakers and moderators will be there to do that.

• The rise of the digital new media entity

  Sites like BuzzFeed, Reddit and Tumblr are known for their “viral” hits and eccentric user communities, but they are also becoming new media players in their own right, hiring political reporters (BuzzFeed) and doing interviews with the president (Reddit) and getting bloggers to cover political conventions (Tumblr). How is that changing the landscape for media?

• Personalization, algorithms and smart content filters

  With the rise of the social web and user-generated content networks, there has been an explosion of content for users to consume. That means more choice — but it also means a lot more noise. We look at some of the ways media companies are trying to solve this problem.

• Are apps or the web the future of mobile content?

  Some media companies and content producers have pinned both their audience and their revenue hopes on standalone apps, while others see them as a dangerous distraction. What do you need to know in order to make the choice?

• How to monetize digital content – advertising or paywall?

  Some publishers and content companies are betting their future on subscription revenue from readers and users, while others are keeping their content free and banking on advertising revenue to pay the way. What are the pros and cons of each?

• The future of advertising: when ads become content

  The rise of the web, and specifically the mobile web, are forcing companies to change the way they think about advertising. Traditional banner advertising is becoming less and less useful — but what will replace it? We look at how some innovators are approaching this challenge and the potential of “native advertising.”

• The evolution of the book industry

  A book can now be virtually anything — a magazine-length piece, a collection of newspaper articles, or even a series of TV-style episodes, which readers subscribe to and pay a monthly fee for. Authors can interact with readers and publishers are trying hard to remain relevant. We’ll give you some insight into this new future and what it means.