#audience-development

#audience-development

"I understand and see that filmmakers are being forced to embrace newer models of reaching audiences directly, doing their own marketing/social media, and even booking theatrical screenings on their own. Or placing their features online to bypass gatekeepers. But not all filmmakers/artists were cut out to be direct-to-consumer types. They should be able to focus on their art form and make the best final product they can."

For years, audience research such as Next Gen News has shown that news consumers seek affinity and trust from individuals, not institutions. Audience members want to follow faces, not mastheads. News publishers who think that offering salary, benefits, and a byline is incentive enough for a journalist to bring their own audience to the publisher are fooling themselves. The creators news consumers follow on YouTube, TikTok, Substack, and Ghost offer personality, affinity, and transparency.