Citing five publications taking part in Apple
News+, Digiday reports Apple
is giving unequal aid to participants of the subscription news and magazine
service, with much of the company’s assistance seemingly focused on larger publishers.
Perhaps most detrimental to Apple’s next-generation news hub
is a reported lack of support for adapting publications, both physical and
digital, into the custom Apple News+ format.
According to sources, Apple in pitches leading up to the
release of News+ presented a customized version of soccer magazine Eight by
Eight, suggesting all publishers would be furnished with their own specialized
design assets and templates.
“They basically said, We will help you out by providingtemplates,'” a source told Digiday.That has not been the case.
Beyond giving input on in-house templates designed by larger
outlets, Apple has not provided its own solution for publications to insert
into their respective workflows. Instead, the tech giant is outsourcing
template design work to outside vendors, a strategy that has yielded mixed
results, the report said.
Publishers of physical magazines who opted out of customtemplates, or simply could not afford to roll their own tools, are left to rely
on “buggy” conversion software that scans and converts article PDFs
into a format digestible by Apple News+. Apple’s provided tools are reportedly
not up to snuff, leaving magazines no choice but to commit resources toward
re-editing the copy and design of each issue.
Further, the tools are standardized, meaning output is
largely homogenous. For publishers looking to stand out in a crowded industry,
and have done so with successful print design, Apple’s answer to digital
adaptation is sub-optimal.
The result is a disparity in design that sees some magazinesdisplayed with custom article templates, interactive graphics and special
animated cover art, while others are simple PDF scans. Publishers are
reportedly vexed by the uneven user experience.
“You think of Apple, and they’re so
design-conscious,” a second source said. “This doesn’t feel like that
at all.”
Apple does maintain a team of designers tasked with fieldingpitches for design help, but the initiative is not applied evenly to all
publishers. Headed up by former Wired editor Jason Tanz, the group accepts
requests for assistance on specific articles or story packages. While Apple
handed out a global email address to all participating publications, a smaller
group was afforded access to a private Slack channel.
Apple’s preferential treatment did not sit well with somepublishers.
“They’re basically playing favorites,” said a
source at a participating Apple News+ publication. “It always seems to be
good for the big guys, but not for the rest of us.”
Publishers also complain about Apple’s indifference to
confusion as to whether Apple News+ interferes or cannibalizes digital
sponsorships of print edition packages.
Apple debuted Apple News+ at a special event in March and launched the service as
part of iOS 12.2. A report in early April claims some 200,000 people signed up for a trial subscription to the service in its first 48
hours of availability.
News+, Digiday reports Apple
is giving unequal aid to participants of the subscription news and magazine
service, with much of the company’s assistance seemingly focused on larger publishers.
Perhaps most detrimental to Apple’s next-generation news hub
is a reported lack of support for adapting publications, both physical and
digital, into the custom Apple News+ format.
According to sources, Apple in pitches leading up to the
release of News+ presented a customized version of soccer magazine Eight by
Eight, suggesting all publishers would be furnished with their own specialized
design assets and templates.
“They basically said, We will help you out by providingtemplates,'” a source told Digiday.That has not been the case.
Beyond giving input on in-house templates designed by larger
outlets, Apple has not provided its own solution for publications to insert
into their respective workflows. Instead, the tech giant is outsourcing
template design work to outside vendors, a strategy that has yielded mixed
results, the report said.
Publishers of physical magazines who opted out of customtemplates, or simply could not afford to roll their own tools, are left to rely
on “buggy” conversion software that scans and converts article PDFs
into a format digestible by Apple News+. Apple’s provided tools are reportedly
not up to snuff, leaving magazines no choice but to commit resources toward
re-editing the copy and design of each issue.
Further, the tools are standardized, meaning output is
largely homogenous. For publishers looking to stand out in a crowded industry,
and have done so with successful print design, Apple’s answer to digital
adaptation is sub-optimal.
The result is a disparity in design that sees some magazinesdisplayed with custom article templates, interactive graphics and special
animated cover art, while others are simple PDF scans. Publishers are
reportedly vexed by the uneven user experience.
“You think of Apple, and they’re so
design-conscious,” a second source said. “This doesn’t feel like that
at all.”
Apple does maintain a team of designers tasked with fieldingpitches for design help, but the initiative is not applied evenly to all
publishers. Headed up by former Wired editor Jason Tanz, the group accepts
requests for assistance on specific articles or story packages. While Apple
handed out a global email address to all participating publications, a smaller
group was afforded access to a private Slack channel.
Apple’s preferential treatment did not sit well with somepublishers.
“They’re basically playing favorites,” said a
source at a participating Apple News+ publication. “It always seems to be
good for the big guys, but not for the rest of us.”
Publishers also complain about Apple’s indifference to
confusion as to whether Apple News+ interferes or cannibalizes digital
sponsorships of print edition packages.
Apple debuted Apple News+ at a special event in March and launched the service as
part of iOS 12.2. A report in early April claims some 200,000 people signed up for a trial subscription to the service in its first 48
hours of availability.