Publishers are repeating the pivot-to-video mistake with new platforms
Source: Simon Owens's Media Newsletter
The original "pivot to video" wasn't about video—it was about chasing algorithmic distribution on Facebook and YouTube, which platforms then deprioritized once publishers had invested. Publishers are now making the same structural error with new platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts), building audience on rented land rather than owned channels. This guarantees another round of dependency and collapse when algorithms shift. The lesson isn't to avoid video; it's to stop outsourcing audience ownership to platforms.