The Addition

Co-hosts Chuck Joiner and Charlotte Henry discuss data that suggest Apple TV+ is not all that popular. Is it contributing to peak streaming? And who is happy to chop and change streaming services each month? https://youtu.be/CLLemYuPsJg Streaming Fatigue: is It the Beginning of the End for on-demand Streaming? – CableTV.com Americans’ New TV Habit: Subscribe. Watch. Cancel. Repeat. – New York Tmes The Addition on YouTube Charlotte Henry on Twitter Charlotte Henry on Threads Charlotte Henry on TikTok The Addition on YouTube The Addition blog MacVoices Chuck Joiner on Twitter MacVoices on Twitter Chuck Joiner on Mastodon

This week Ben Mullin of the New York Times joins the show to discuss a row engulfing NPR after a long-serving editor hit out at the organisation in an excoriating essay. Uri Berliner had worked at NPR for 25 years. Then he released an essay for The Free Press and went on its podcast, raising a number of concerns about the direction of the organisation he clearly cares for. He expressed fears about a lack of ideological diversity and coverage of some key stories. The fallout was swift and significant and Berliner has since left the organisation. We try to unpack everything that has happened and explain the importance of NPR. I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust. Ben Mullin at New York Times Ben Mullin on Twitter Charlotte Henry on Twitter Charlotte Henry on Threads Charlotte Henry on Instagram Charlotte Henry TikTok The Addition on YouTube

It's the latest episode of TV+ Talk and that means we've been chatting Apple TV+ for a year! This month, my co-host Chuck Joiner and I chat about everything that has happened over that time. Of course, we had to pick out our favourite movies and series from the last year or so. Watch to find out what mine are! We also discuss what we are watching and much more. https://youtu.be/Aprhasunkho

The Addition Podcast is back! This week, guest Kelly Guimont joins host Charlotte Henry. They discuss Jon Stewart's revelations about Apple, tech companies becoming media companies, the most streamed shows and more. Jon Stewart claims Apple wouldn't let him interview FTC chair on his podcast – Axios These Are The Most Popular TV Shows of the Streaming Era - Bloomberg The Danger of Tech Firms Becoming Media Companies Kelly Guimont on Mastodon Charlotte Henry on Twitter Charlotte Henry on Threads Charlotte Henry on Instagram Charlotte Henry TikTok The Addition on YouTube

It's a busy TV+ Talk this month as Chuck Joiner and I return to discuss all things Apple TV+. We look at where Apple TV+ sits in the current streaming landscape and discuss Lionel Messi's impact on the service and its sports coverage. Being the time of year it is, we touch on how award season is going for Apple as well.Of course, we couldn’t ignore the Apple Vision Pro. There is a debate about whether we actually want to watch movies with a computer strapped to our faces. For more on that, listen to the episode I did with Jeff Gamet on the topic. Plus, there are a couple of new shows I’m looking forward to.* Apple Vision Pro - Yes or No?* The Addition on YouTube* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blog* MacVoices* Chuck Joiner on Twitter* MacVoices on Twitter* Chuck Joiner on Mastodon This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

The media has had a rocky start to 2024. Very rocky. Amongst other things, there has been a constant stream of redundancy news from some of the biggest legacy players and The Messenger shut down. However, not everything is bad. Not only are there are journalists continuing to do great work, there are huge opportunities for people to create new kinds of media.Claire Atkinson, a contributing editor to The Ankler who writes The Media Mix newsletter and is penning a book on Rupert Murdoch, joins the show to discuss it all. Hopefully, we can at least lift some of the gloom!* L.A. Times to lay off at least 115 people in the newsroom - LA Times* The Messenger Never Stood a Chance* Grammys Bring in 16.9 Million Viewers in 2024, Up 34% From Last Year - Variety* Claire Atkinson’s newsletter* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Instagram* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blogICYMI This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Every month, I join Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane and the DTNS crew to discuss all things tech and media. It is always a great conversation. This month, we chatted about Netflix - its deal with WWE and its apparent move away from “prestige TV”. I thought I’d share the audio in this feed. You can also watch the segment on The Addition YouTube channel.* Full Episode* Daily Tech News Show on Twitter* Daily Tech News Show on Patreon* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Instagram* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blog This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Apple tried to upstage the goings-on at CES by announcing more details about its AR headset the Apple Vision Pro. The $3499 device will shortly be arriving with customers who pre-ordered it. Apple has largely promoted it as a collaboration and productivity device, as well as highlighting how it might be used for fitness. However, on this show, we’re interested in how it might be used to consume media.Jeff Gamet returns to discuss whether or not someone is ever going to put on a Vision Pro and settle down to a movie. Are we going to end up like the characters in Wall-E? We also decide that AR/VR headsets are not acceptable on aeroplanes. * Apple previews new entertainment experiences launching with Apple Vision Pro* The British Tech Network* ‘The Context Machine’ podcast* Jeff Gamet on Mastodon* Jeff Gamet on Instagram* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Instagram* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blog This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

The social web is fracturing and subscription fatigue is real. Could this allow blogging to make its return in 2024? Maybe! Robb Dunewood of DTNS and The Tech Jawn has been making blogs and podcasts for decades. He returns to the show to discuss the potential revival. One thing is for sure, owning your content is importantWhatever kind of content you make, monetising matters too. Affiliate links are a hugely useful, but sometimes disparaged, revenue generator. We discuss their importance and how to be an effective affiliate. * Rubb Dunewood’s website* Robb Dunewood on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blogListen wherever you get your podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

AI dominated the discourse for much of 2023 and it looks like it is going to be the same in 2024. I’m wary of making The Addition another AI-dominated publication. However, the story really matters. Furthermore, not all publications are prepared to sit back while the bots scrape their work to train Large Langauge Models (LLMs). For free. Indeed, the New York Times is engaged in a legal battle with OpenAI and Microsoft after what it alleges is a mass breach of copyright. There is much that is fascinating about this case. For me, it stood out how vital the New York Times’ work seems to be to ChatGPT. It is also worth noting how keen publishers are to take this on early, instead of being caught short as they have been with other tech developments.Charlotte Tobitt, UK Editor of Press Gazette, has done some great reporting on this ongoing legal battle. She joins the show to discuss it all.* Why New York Times lawsuit seeks destruction of OpenAI and Microsoft LLMs - Press Gazette* OpenAI says ‘high-value partnership’ was on cards with New York Times before lawsuit - Press Gazette* Charlotte Tobitt at Press Gazette* Charlotte Tobitt on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Few people are in any doubt that 2024 is going to be another tumultuous year for the media industry - for good and bad. There is certainly going to be a lot to discuss on this show! To start the year, ‘The Addition Podcast’ looks ahead with Adweek’s Mark Stenberg, who shares his predictions for the 12 months to come. The way AI develops is going to be fascinating to watch. It is also going to be really interesting to compare how companies look at the start of this year and the end of it. We are likely to see a lot of M&A activity across the industry. To start the show, we also briefly reflect on the departure of Richard Beckman from The Messenger and what it means for that publication going forward. * Richard Beckman note * 2023 Predictions - Another Pivot to Video? * Media Predictions For 2024 * Mark Stenberg on Twitter * Mark Stenberg at Adweek * Charlotte Henry on Threads * Charlotte Henry on Twitter * Charlotte Henry TikTok * The Addition on YouTube Get full access to The Addition at newsletter.theaddition.net/subscribe

Few people are in any doubt that 2024 is going to be another tumultuous year for the media industry - for good and bad. There is certainly going to be a lot to discuss on this show! To start the year, ‘The Addition Podcast’ looks ahead with Adweek’s Mark Stenberg, who shares his predictions for the 12 months to come.The way AI develops is going to be fascinating to watch. It is also going to be really interesting to compare how companies look at the start of this year and the end of it. We are likely to see a lot of M&A activity across the industry. To start the show, we also briefly reflect on the departure of Richard Beckman from The Messenger and what it means for that publication going forward. * Richard Beckman note* 2023 Predictions - Another Pivot to Video?* Media Predictions For 2024* Mark Stenberg on Twitter* Mark Stenberg at Adweek* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Merry Christmas! Things are winding down for the year, and I hope you’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing at The Addition. I love having you as a listener! But keeping this up is hard work. The only real way this newsletter and podcast can continue in 2024 is if readers take out paid subscriptions. It would mean a lot if you did so. Think of it as a Christmas present for both of us - you get access to all the newsletters and the full archive, I get a new paid sub! Thank you so much for all your support.Well… it has been quite a year in media. We’ve had sackings and hirings, startups and sales. AI has dominated much of the conversation. Oh, and some stuff happened with Twitter. For this final podcast of 2023, I am joined by Peter Houston of Media Voices to analyse it all and look ahead to 2024. We also discuss the consequences of his frankly bizarre decision to start a print publication earlier this year!I think the conclusion we came to in the conversation is that there are undoubtedly real problems and big issues to be tackled in the industry, but the next 12 months will offer some real opportunities too. I look forward to chatting through them all with some great guests from January!* Media Moments 2023* SPECIAL EPISODE: A Crossover With Media Voices* Media Voices* Magazine Diaries* Grub Street Journal* Starting a Print Magazine... in 2023?!* Peter Houston on Twitter* Peter House on LinkedIn* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition blog* The Addition on YouTubeICYMI This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

The BBC is always under huge scrutiny. That will only increase over the next 12 months as it has to navigate coverage of both the UK and US elections. There are also issues surrounding local coverage and flagship shows like “Newsnight”, both of which are being reduced in various ways. Adam Sherwin, who reports on arts and media for the i, joined the show to discuss all the controversies plaguing Aunty. The BBC is in many ways a great institution, but there can be little doubt that it gets itself in a tangle too, often unnecessarily so. We’ve seen that in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, for instance. Its news coverage becomes a lightning rod for so much else and the corporation can spend too much time talking about itself. It is hard to see how we’d be better off with it gone, though. Our conversations tries to unpack all these contradictions.* The British Media Has Disgraced Itself Over Israel* It Doesn't Matter Whether or Not You Watch Newsnight* Huw Edwards set to leave BBC News after internal inquiry, insiders say - i* Adam Sherwin on Twitter* Adam Sherwin at the i* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition blog* The Addition on YouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

It’s a two-podcast week - the final “TV+ Talk+” 2023 is here. It's a special show this month as Chuck Joiner and I assess the year that has been in Apple TV+. This includes a final review of "The Morning Show" (spoiler alert) and discussions about "The Buccaneers" and "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters". “The Morning Show” was quite chaotic, with a lot of storylines going on all at once. They wrapped it up pretty well though (mostly). There were some excellent individual performances in the show too - we didn’t even mention Billy Crudup!My personal favourites on Apple TV+ this year have been “Shrinking” and “Slow Horses”. (“Mythic Quest” might also sneak in, but technically only one episode of the show was released in 2023!)We also have a rundown of what there is to look forward to in the next couple of months. I’m looking forward to thriller “Criminal Record”, starring Peter Capaldi. There is a lot slated already and it looks like 2024 is going to be a big year for Apple TV+.* The Addition on YouTube* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry on TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blog* MacVoices* Chuck Joiner on Twitter* MacVoices on Twitter* Chuck Joiner on Mastodon This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

This week’s show is a bit different. I joined Chris Sutcliffe and Esther Thorpe from the Media Voices team for a special crossover episode. We discussed the state of broadcast media - both how things stand as 2023 comes to an end and what might be next. It is all on the back of me having had the pleasure of writing the broadcast chapter of their soon-to-be-released “Media Moments 2023” report.There is, of course, a bit on the BBC. We mostly focus though on changing viewing habits and the importance of broadcasters owning unique, original content. This obviously includes live sport but hit shows really matter as well. We take a look at the state of the ad market too.Register to receive the “Media Moments 2023” report.* Media Voices* Esther Kezia Thorpe on Twitter* Chris Sutcliffe on Twitter* Media Voices on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* The Addition blog This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

The world of tech is rarely quiet, but it has been particularly frantic over the last few weeks. Firstly, we had Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrove resign over comments relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The major conference in Lisbon did go ahead successfully, but some of the world’s companies had already pulled out by then. After that, we had the Sam Altman/OpenAI drama, in which the story seemed to change by the hour. Things seem to have stabilised… for now… and Altman is back as CEO. Journalist and author James Ball returns to the show to discuss it all. We also further ponder the consequences of AI for journalism and the wider world.* Web Summit fights back after wave of cancellations, CEO exit - Politico* OpenAI set out to show a different kind of tech giant was possible. It might prove the opposite. - Techtris* James Ball on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTubeBuy “The Other Pandemic” by James Ball[Affiliate links - buying may earn a commission that helps support The Addition]* Amazon* Bookshop.org* Waterstones This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

After all the OpenAI chaos in recent days, it seemed valuable to return to a conversation about AI from earlier this year with Adweek’s senior media reporter Mark Stenberg. Of course, we don’t discuss the Sam Altman brouhaha - because it hadn’t happened! However, much of what we touch on has only become more pertinent.It is clear that AI tools are going to seriously disrupt journalism. We’ve already seen some publications try to get Large Language Models (LLMs) to create content. It did not end well. But we are only at the start. There are also concerns about what the AI revolution will mean for journalism jobs, especially the more junior ones. We also talked about some fairly significant AI-related changes from Google. Publishers are not very happy about them.* How Publishers Are Preparing for Google's AI-Enhanced Search - Adweek* Mark Stenberg on LinkedIn* Mark Stenberg on Twitter* Mark Stenberg at Adweek* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

It has been seven very trying few months in Hollywood, with first the writers, and then the actors, going on strike. Thankfully, unions representing both groups have now struck agreements with the studios and everyone is back at work. Sean McNulty, author of The Wakeup at The Ankler, joins the show to explain how the difficult deals were done and where we go from here.Even though the strikes are over, the ripple effects will continue. There is a cascading effect on release dates and the economy has taken a hit. However, it can only be a good thing for everyone in the industry that these issues are settled. For now.* Sean McNulty on LinkedIn* The Ankler* The Wakeup* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry on Threads* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTubeThanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring the show this week. With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Skip trips to the grocery store and count on HelloFresh to make home cooking easy, fun, AND affordable – that’s why it’s America’s #1 meal kit!And they are giving listeners to “The Addition Podcast” FREE breakfast for life! Go to HelloFresh.com/additionfree and use code additionfree and get one breakfast item per box while your subscription is active. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com

Life as a foreign correspondent can seem daring, dangerous and… fun. Often, it is! You get to travel the world and meet fascinating people, but there are also huge risks that come with the job, especially if you are a freelancer reporting on war zones. We are seeing those issues in real-time right now with the imprisonment of Evan Gershkovich and the deaths of journalists covering conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.Lynne O'Donnell has reported from places like China and Afghanistan for decades, covering some of the biggest moments in recent history. On this week’s episode, she discusses those experiences and sheds some light on the reality of working in a war zone.* Lynne O’Donnell on Substack* Lynne O’Donnell at Foreign Policy* Lynne O'Donnell on Twitter* Lynne O’Donnell on Threads* Charlotte Henry on Twitter* Charlotte Henry TikTok* The Addition on YouTube* Charlotte Henry on InstagramHave You Read?TikTok is Changing Comedy - Stand-ups are shooting to fame on the short-video app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theaddition.substack.com