Media Insider: The Post Launches Ad-Buying Market, Fortune Elects Top Editor, NewsGuild Investigates Gannett

Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s roundup of media news stories from the week.

MEDIAPOST | RAY SCHULTZ
‘The Washington Post’ Launches Premium Ad-Buying Marketplace

The Washington Post launched Zeus Prime, a premium ad-buying network that connects brands and U.S. publishers. The new marketplace helps brands quickly purchase and place ads on reliable publisher sites. Advertisers can select national, regional, and local sites to run ads on, upload creative, and modify the text or image. The Washington Post says its goal is to build a “results-driven solution for the digital ad landscape.”

Continue reading about The Post: The Washington Post announces the addition of 41 editing roles.

CNN | KERRY FLYNN
Gannett under fire for staffers working overtime without pay

The NewsGuild has launched an investigation into the workplace culture at Gannett in response to a public Twitter conversation about unpaid overtime work. In a letter alerting Gannett to the investigation, the NewsGuild also asked Gannett to communicate its commitment to comply with labor laws and to agree to the union’s labor protections proposed in the ongoing union bargaining. In response to the letter, Gannett states, “The company also takes any formal allegations made by current or former employees seriously and we investigate each thoroughly. As part of that commitment, Gannett has an ethics hotline or website where concerns may be submitted on an anonymous basis. We see this as just another example of The NewsGuild’s agenda to share misinformation as it attempts to organize and expand its membership ranks.”

NewsGuild also released a report on culture and harassment at the Pittsburgh Guild.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | BENJAMIN MULLIN
Fortune Appoints Insider’s Alyson Shontell as Top Editor

Fortune has signed a multiyear contract with Alyson Shontell to become its next top editor. The digital media veteran will focus on helping the magazine expand its digital-subscription business. Shontell plans to bolster Fortune’s digital business by striking deals to syndicate Fortune articles outside its paywall and by launching an e-commerce initiative, such as reviews, guides, and other product-focused articles. Shontell will take on her new role on October 6, succeeding Clifton Leaf, who stepped down earlier this year.

Read Next: New York Daily News ousted its top editor in an unexpected shakeup.

THE NEW YORK TIMES | ALEXANDRA ALTER
Lena Waithe, Gillian Flynn to Start Book Imprints

Gillian Flynn and Lena Waithe have become publishing partners at Zando, an independent publishing company started by Molly Stern. Gillian Flynn will be a publisher with her own imprint, Gillian Flynn Books, and Lena Waithe will start an imprint dedicated to publishing memoirs, young adult titles, and literary fiction. Flynn and Waithe will each acquire and publish around six books over a three-year period and oversee marketing and promoting of the books. Flynn and Waithe plan to focus on finding emerging and underrepresented authors and selling books in unconventional ways.

Another woman uplifting underrepresented stories: Mo Abudu built a media empire aimed at bringing Nigerian stories to the world.

THE STREAMABLE | MICHAEL KING
The Next Streaming ‘Plus’ on Your Screen Could Be Local News

As more and more viewers shift from traditional television viewing to streaming, local broadcast groups have begun testing digital platforms to stream local news content to their viewers. For example, CBS stations have joined forces with CBS News to create rolling news channels that live within the CBS News app and Gray Television uses its digital bandwidth to stream content through the VUit app and website. Shifting focus to digital platforms would allow local stations to stream their regular local newscasts and provide additional content to their viewers. It would also help generate new viewers by providing an option to view content at a time and place that is more convenient for the viewer.

More on the future of local news: Is 24/7 Digital and Sunday-Only Print the Future for Local News?

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Erin Wade is a Senior Customer Content Specialist with PR Newswire. She is also an animal lover and aspiring world traveler. Tune into her insights as a social curator at @TotalCSR.