The relationship between journalists and their audiences is changing. Increasingly, influential writers are building their own publications, cultivating loyal readerships and establishing a direct relationship with the people they reach.
Platforms such as Substack accelerate this shift, giving journalists greater editorial freedom and new opportunities to earn money from their work. For businesses, it’s changing the media landscape and challenging traditional assumptions about how to engage.
The rise of newsletters
Independent newsletters have proved extremely appealing to writers both new and established. In fact, Muck Rack found that 37% of journalists now publish independently under their own name or brand, while around 60% of these “creator journalists” have more than a decade’s industry experience.
For writers, the attraction is clear: the freedom to pursue stories they care about and control how they’re presented. Jim Waterson’s London Centric illustrates the appeal of building a publication around a particular journalistic interest. And editorial control means no longer having to tell readers: “I don’t write the headlines.”
Newsletter monetisation
Of course, for the biggest names, there’s the access to their own reliable revenue streams. That’s by no means a given for any writer, particularly as the Reuters Institute for News report found that only 10% of the UK’s population pays for online news, and 80% of that goes to legacy media brands.
And while a loyal readership can support subscription revenue, that income is far from guaranteed. Even so, the prospect of being paid to write what you care about is a powerful draw for journalists.
What the rise of newsletters means for comms teams
At Headland, we’ve been working with platforms and journalists to understand what the newsletter shift means for businesses. We’ve hosted Substack to discuss its model, while regular conversations with journalists bring firsthand insight to the data.
Our experience highlights three ways businesses can adapt their approach to engage with Substack writers and independent journalists.
- First, get to know the writer before you pitch. At our recent event, Emma Rowley, Head of Partnerships at Substack, advised reading writers regularly and making an informal introduction before approaching them with a story.
- Second, tailor your offer to their interests. Understand what each journalist wants to cover, then consider what you can provide that will make a compelling story. For a tech company, that might mean exclusive access to people, products or places. For a food manufacturer, it could be an event or masterclass.
- Finally, recognise the influence of smaller audiences. A specialist newsletter with a trusted writer can carry real weight with the people you want to reach. Look beyond subscriber numbers to understand who reads it, why they value it and how your story could be relevant to them.
The fundamentals of good media relations still apply: build lasting relationships, tailor your approach and read what writers publish.
A new map of influence
But businesses also need to rethink where they look for influence. A familiar masthead or a large audience tells only part of the story; a specialist writer with a small, engaged readership may matter far more to the people you need to reach.
As influence becomes more dispersed, understanding those relationships will become as important as tracking coverage. Businesses will need to look beyond reach to understand who earns their audiences’ trust, what shapes their conversations and where they can make a useful contribution. The opportunity is to become a valued part of those conversations long before there’s a story to pitch.
Read more from Headland: Insights & News