Twelve of The Fix’s best stories in 2023

Editor’s note: a version of this article previously appeared as a special edition of The Fix Media’s flagship newsletter. Subscribe to get everything you need to know about the European media market every Monday, along with monthly special reports.

As we head into the new year, let’s take a bit of time to review some of the great stories published by The Fix in 2023 you might have missed.

Over the past year we published dozens of useful articles, which are available in our archive. In this list, we’ve picked twelve of our favourite articles across different genres and themes – ranging from inspiring success stories and useful case studies to analysis of important news industry trends. 

Guides and advice

• “How to cover AI – a guide for journalists”.

AI is not only a tool for journalists: it is also a crucial reporting field, Alberto Puliafito writes. In May he prepared a roundup of suggestions for reporters on how to cover this important story.

• “‘Climate journalism that works’ – key insights from the European Broadcasting Union report”.

A report from the European Broadcasting Union guides us towards understanding the challenges and possibilities of climate journalism, which could be a turning point for journalism in general. Alberto Puliafito summarised key findings.

• “How to audit your newsroom for audience listening”.

Cracking the code of trust, loyalty and engagement often leads to a call for deeper audience listening. Here’s a breakdown by Morten Ro of what that means – and what misconceptions often lie in the way of doing better. Brought to you from a typical newsroom near you.

• “How journalists – and newsrooms – can get better at project management”.

Anton Protsiuk interviewed The Wall Street Journal’s Robin Kwong, who authored a must-read guide on newsroom project management.

• Bonus – The Fix’s solutions journalism newsletter course

It’s not technically an article, but rather a series of email newsletters. Authored by experienced newsroom leader Emma Löfgren, this course guides readers how to introduce solutions journalism in their newsroom. Subscribe for free to get seven course instalments weekly.

Success stories and case studies

• “How Polish publisher OKO.press earned over half a million euros from readers’ tax donations”.

Sofiia Padalko interviewed OKO.press, a Polish nonprofit outlet, which uses local fiscal law to the benefit of its reader revenue model.

• “How Outriders grew from one newsletter to having thousands of members and a knowledge-sharing platform”.

Hleb Liapeika spoke with the Polish publisher that offers lessons in diversifying revenue and going beyond the staid news formats.

• “Building a podcast network from scratch is a tough job. Here’s what we learned”.

David Tvrdon shared the lessons he learned a year into building a podcast network in Eastern Europe.

• “Training journalists to innovate – interview with DPG Media’s Director of Campus Gerbert van Loenen”.

A look at how a major European media company is approaching training for its 2,100 journalists, by Anton Protsiuk.

Review and analysis

• “Ethical dilemmas in wartime journalism – insights from Ukraine”.

How do you balance journalistic standards, civil duty and personal feelings when your country is at war? Iryna Hoiuk spoke with a frontline reporter and a media expert.

• “Fake debunking of fakes – how Russian propaganda hijacks the fact-checking news format”.

Veronica Snoj showed how, since invading Ukraine, Russia has mastered the use of the fact-checking news format and used it for false claims, both for domestic and international audiences.

• “How LinkedIn became the next best option for journalists and media leaders after Musk took over Twitter”.

Microsoft-owned social platform for “managing your professional identity” has been growing in popularity for some time, and now it’s enjoying its special place, David Tvrdon wrote.

• “Italian news media is dominated by white men. What explains the lack of diversity?”

News debates in Italy are almost always led by white men who come from a privileged background. Obstacles abound for those who try to break this norm, Angelo Boccato and Francesco Guidotti wrote.

Source of the cover photo: generated with DALL-E

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