Summary¶
documented The distribution facts: internet news has the highest daily contact rate (46.5%), ahead of commercial TV (46.1%) and newspapers (33.4%); Yahoo! and LINE News dominate aggregation reach; and among under-30s short-form and video SNS outrank TV and newspapers for voting information.12 inferred Any distribution plan that starts with a website and an app is starting from the weakest position in the market.
The layered model¶
| Layer | Function | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Short-form video | Reach and discovery; the only layer that competes where the audience now is | High volume, low margin, platform-dependent |
| Long-form video / podcast | Depth and trust; where a named journalist becomes recognisable | Moderate |
| Text on a destination site | The citable record; what other outlets link to and what search indexes | Low |
| Newsletter / messaging | Direct relationship; the only channel that survives a platform change | Low |
| Syndication to aggregators | Reach at the cost of margin and brand | Low but commoditising |
The strategic point¶
inferred The text layer looks least important by traffic and is most important strategically, because it is the layer that produces the citable record — and being citable is what distinguishes the outlet from the anonymous creators who already out-reach it.3 inferred The video layer buys the audience; the text layer converts the audience into a source others must cite.
The platform-dependency risk¶
documented Political video distribution is platform-mediated, and platforms' own ranking decisions determine reach; the 2026 election's anonymous-creator share (55%) was measured on platforms that also host the disinformation the outlet would be competing against.2 inferred A newsletter or messaging channel is therefore not a legacy choice but a hedge.