A Deep Dive on Axios | Jordan Zaslav, Axios HQ

Jordan Zaslav, COO at Axios HQ, joins Erik to talk about the inspiration and launch of Axios.

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Turpentine Media
March 18, 2024

Jordan Zaslav, COO at Axios HQ, joins Erik to talk about the inspiration and launch of Axios. He shares his key lessons learned along the way and the importance of the smart brevity approach. They also chat about AI's impact on media and the need for companies to adapt.

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"I hope that we can welcome [AI] with open arms because it's coming or it's here, like it or not.I  think figuring out how we,  for journalists, for creatives, for people, how can we look at it as a tool to not have to do the most boring,  thoughtless parts of the job and allow our most creative people, our most brilliant, our smartest people, instead of filing a news desk story that could be filed by anybody  to spend their time working on real investigative journalism or spend their time working on analyzing a deal and the long term impacts it's going to have on an industry.That's what I want. That's what I want as a news consumer, right? I don't read Primack so he can tell me something verbatim that  anyone could aggregate and rereport. I read it because he puts the BFD up and his take on what a deal means for an industry is better than anybody else.   If we can view it as in each of our disciplines, how do we take all that other work off our plate so that we can spend our time  on the most impactful stuff, I think it's huge."

Jordan Zaslav

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].

LINKS:

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@jz (Jordan)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:48) Smart Brevity Approach

(04:12) Key to Axios' Success

(06:38) Exploring Axios' Business Model and Diverse Offerings

(11:45) Sponsor: Turpentine

(16:23) The Axios HQ Product

(18:17) What Has Made the Most Money at Axios.

(21:11) Challenges of Media Business Growth

(25:13) Audience Selection on Digital Media

(30:07) Value of Different Audiences

(32:28) Post-Internet Challenges and Cable's Future

(37:57) Embracing AI in Media: Opportunities and Challenges

(41:56) Wrap