Media companies and personalities turn to email newsletters to engage directly with fans
Consumers seek curated, digestible content from trusted brands and voices
E-mail is one of the oldest ways to communicate on the Internet, and it’s making a comeback in media. E-mail newsletters are on the rise as consumers seek curated, digestible content from trusted brands and voices. Plus, learn about the biggest media company you’ve probably never heard of and the English expression “spring up.”
Also in Today's Lesson
Transcript
What’s old is new again: E-mail newsletters are making a comeback
Lesson summary
Hi there everyone, I’m Jeff, and this is Plain English lesson number 434. We help you upgrade your English with current events and trending topics every Monday and Thursday. The full lesson is at PlainEnglish.com/434. The producer, JR, has made sure of that. And the full lesson includes a free transcript. So that’s all for you at PlainEnglish.com/434.
Coming up today… media brands and individual writers are turning to e-mail newsletters to engage directly with their fans. Think of it as the “direct to consumer” revolution, only in terms of the news media. Today, we’ll talk about some of the companies helping us consume the news this way. Today’s English expression is “spring up,” and we have a quote of the week. Let’s get started.
Newsletters are the new way to skim the news
E-mail is one of the oldest ways to communicate on the Internet. Early internet users remember the rush of excitement we’d get when receiving e-mail; there was even a neat little voice clip like in the movie “You’ve Got Mail;” it meant someone wanted to send us a personal message.
Today, e-mail is a hassle and a significant source of stress. And increasingly, it’s not a way to communicate one-on-one. Personal communication has migrated from inboxes to messaging, both on computers and on mobile devices. E-mail, meanwhile , is increasingly where we keep receipts, get notifications, and engage with brands.
At the same time , reading the news has gotten a lot more complicated. Major news sites are refreshed with new content throughout the day, often sending notifications of new stories to your phone. Blogs have exploded in popularity, both independent blogs and those associated with established media sites. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media sites include news and current events. So, you might have noticed, do podcasts.
Faced with this sensory overload, consumers have turned to trusted brands and voices to curate a selection of items that fit their interests. Opening a news or social media app can lead to exhaustion and mental overload, but opening a newsletter from a trusted brand, once a day, with a brief selection of items aligned to your interests…well, that’s a whole lot more manageable.
Several e-mail only media companies have sprung up to fill this niche. The Skimm and Morning Brew are two of the most successful. The Daily Skimm is a daily newsletter with a short, easy-to-read, digestible summary of the news that day. This is not where you go for in-depth reporting or analysis. But if you just want an overview of the news, it does the trick. The Skimm has over 7 million subscribers and is marketed to urban women.
Morning Brew has a similar product, but for businesses. The Brew, as they call it, has about four stories per day, each only a few paragraphs long. They include stats, business headlines, and links to longer, more in-depth articles. They sprinkle in quizzes, puzzles, trivia, and jokes throughout the week.
E-mail newsletters are attractive for journalists at major media sites, too, because that’s where the eyeballs are. The New York Times, one of the biggest media sites in the U.S., offers over fifty different newsletters, each with its own niche, ranging from parenting to soccer to technology. Some are available to paying subscribers only. The Atlantic, Politico, and others are also riding this wave.
The trend is beneficial to the writers and the readers. Readers can self-select into receiving one or a handful of newsletters that align with their interests. The newsletters contain content you want to read; they’re delivered right to you on your phone or computer. It’s like getting a customized newspaper delivered to your door. You don’t have to actively go out and search for news that interests you.
Writers like newsletters because they generally have the freedom to be more opinionated and to express more of their own personalities. They also don’t have to deal with comment sections or being taken out of context (or worse) on Twitter. They’re not required to create content that will generate a lot of page views or become a viral hit on Facebook.
Writers also like it because they can make money directly from readers. I mentioned last week that consumers are willing to pay for media content and that some are willing to pay for multiple subscriptions. Popular writers have discovered that some consumers are willing to pay a small amount of money to get exclusive subscriber content. And Substack is letting them do it.
Substack may be the biggest media company you’ve never heard of. Substack allows writers to create free and subscriber-only e-mail newsletters. In exchange for a ten percent cut of the subscription fee, Substack handles the administration of the email list and payment processing. So, with only a few clicks of a mouse, a writer can start a business by sending a newsletter and charging a small fee. All told, over 250,000 people are paying writers directly for content on Substack. The most popular writers make up to $7 million a year, according to the company.
Who’s on Substack? Here are a few names. Andrew Sullivan was an opinion writer for various mainstream publications, but he got tired of being torn apart on social media and having a tense relationship with his editors. His Substack newsletter, The Weekly Dish, includes his own writing, links, and—this is cool—he publishes thoughtful disagreements with his own point of view. Five dollars a month.
Richard Rushfield is an entertainment and culture writer; his newsletter is called The Ankler, and it offers news and his opinion on the news from Hollywood. Matt Taibbi used to be an investigative reporter for Rolling Stone magazine.
Large media companies would only bother with topics that are likely to appeal to a wide audience. But the beauty of Substack is that you only need a few thousand people paying $5 a month to make good money. That allows writers to choose a niche—sometimes a narrow niche.
Edith Zimmerman is an illustrator, and she sends her readers comics. One was called “Mystery Plant,” in which she’s asking her plant, “Who are you?” It’s a niche, but people also pay $5 a month. Historians, economists, scientists, artists: all have found success on Substack. Many of them have Substack newsletters to complement other work they do, such as freelance writing, consulting, or teaching.
Better than the RSS feed
I get a few newsletters, and I have to say, this is an excellent way to get the news I want to get without going to look for it. I get Morning Brew, the business newsletter. I get one weekly newsletter in Spanish and a couple more about current events. I still use traditional news media apps, but the newsletters are a refreshing way to get an overview of what’s going on.
Back in the early days of the Internet, an RSS feed was supposed to be the way you’d get customized news. Websites would publish RSS feeds—essentially a coded list of links—and consumers would subscribe to them using special software. Google Reader was one example. The idea was that you could open your RSS reader and see a list of articles that would interest you. But it never really took off because RSS feeds were as crowded as the media websites that powered them.
Google canceled its Reader software years ago, but the humble RSS feed did survive. RSS feeds are the technology behind almost every podcast.
¿Hablas español?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into Spanish. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .
How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
你说中国话？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parlez-vous français?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Você fala português?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
日本語は話せますか？
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Parli italiano?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
The transcript of this lesson is available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun?
The transcripts of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Turkish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Mówisz po polsku?
The transcript of Plain English lessons are available with interactive translations into your language. In each lesson transcript, we select about one hundred difficult words, phrases , and expressions for translation. Polish translations are available starting at Lesson 278.
How is this different than simply using a translation engine?
Translation engines are powerful tools for communicating in the modern world . However, they often miss the context and can either mislead you or leave you confused . Our human translators are here to make sure that you’re getting not only the correct definition, but also the full context .How can I use the translations in my studies?
Most members use the translations as they are listening to the lesson and reading along . When you come across a word you don’t understand, you don’t have to press pause to discover the meaning . You can simply hover your mouse over the highlighted word . This lets you learn the definition of the word without having to press pause on the audio.
Do the translations work on mobile?
Yes! Instead of hovering over a highlighted word, just tap on it .
Can I see a sample?
Yes, please visit PlainEnglish.com/sample to see a sample episode with the Spanish translations.
How can I access the translations?
Translations are included in two memberships: Plain English Plus+ and Starter. Choose a plan and get started today!
Audio
The fast version of this lesson is available for subscribers of Plain English Plus+.
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