Why content licensing is now a strategic asset

An interview with Susan Palmquist of Budget Smart Girl.

Some of the biggest record labels in the world made headlines recently when they filed a lawsuit against two companies which provide music-related AI tools. They allege that Suno, Inc. and Udio AI committed copyright infringement by using the labels’ songs to train their AIs, even if those AIs are used to generate original material. But the training of AIs has long been an ethical minefield, and in this post, we’ll explore why this can be such a fraught topic.

As a writer just starting out, I remember the inner turmoil associated with imposter syndrome. My inner self wrestled with self-validation issues. Did I deserve to be writing alongside others of far-greater knowledge than myself? Was I truly qualified to even be writing at all? This issue became further compounded when I began to realize that I wouldn’t get by for very long without repurposing content. Didn’t this actually now make me an imposter? Because what writer worth her salt doesn’t publish only fresh topics and striking new ideas?

From editing 150 articles monthly to being cited by The New York Times, John Lyman shares the behind-the-scenes reality of building International Policy Digest. This interview covers his approach to multilingual content editing, tools of the trade including selective AI use, and practical advice for newcomers to digital publishing.

An interview with Craig Taylor.

For many content creators, Facebook is an invaluable tool in their marketing arsenal. Consequently, there’s a good chance they’ll need to use Facebook’s brand assets at some point. This post will provide some tips on how to use them properly.

The other day, a colleague of mine was telling me about a conversation he had with a friend who works in higher education. She lamented the fact that more and more of her students are turning to AI for help with their assignments. Unfortunately, their use is often highly problematic. Sometimes, they’re simply too trusting, resulting in work that’s riddled with misinformation. But in other cases, they’re passing AI-generated content off as their own material. It doesn’t help that the world of AI is a lot like the Wild West at the moment. In a world where formal restrictions are few and far between, it’s up to individual creators to ensure that they’re using AI in an ethical manner.

Just a few years ago, AI was the stuff of science fiction for most of us. Now, it’s an indispensable part of a blogger's toolkit. No matter what kind of assistance you need, there's an AI tool that can help.

An interview with Michael Wandati of the Kampala Dispatch.

In my recent post about algorithms, I noted how they’ve helped create new genres of content, from the Let’s Play videos that turn gaming into a spectator sport to the beauty blogs that transform makeup enthusiasts into trendsetters. In this blog post, I’ll delve into the evolution of these genres and look at how they’ve redefined creativity and community in the digital age.

The other day, a friend was telling me about the new Lego kit he purchased. According to their website, the Hogwarts™ Castle Owlery is “the best kids’ toy to recreate the scene at the Owlery where Harry Potter™ invites Cho Chang™ to the Yule Ball, and more.” You probably noticed the three ™ symbols after the various proper names. With its cousin ®, it’s a ubiquitous part of our lives. But these symbols aren’t just ornaments, and there are rules governing their use. Think of this post as a field guide to these little heralds of intellectual property.

The other day, a colleague told me about a YouTuber called WilliamSRD who recently informed his audience that he was in a predicament. He’d recently uploaded a video about a VR game called Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife, and while it was well received by his viewers, YouTube unexpectedly decided to slap it with the ‘age restricted’ label. Their rationale for doing so wasn’t entirely clear. The video wasn’t graphic or offensive, but the game’s setting did have some very dark themes. This put the creator in a bind. If he left the video unaltered it would likely be doomed to languish in the backwater of YouTube–the algorithm doesn’t like age-restricted content, after all. But if he went ahead and scrubbed anything remotely controversial, he’d arguably be disrespecting the source material. It would be like doing a video about Jurassic Park without mentioning any dinosaur attacks.

Ben Aris discusses the evolution of bne Intellinews' business model from advertising to subscriptions to syndication, and why specialized, in-depth coverage of emerging markets has become increasingly valuable to major publications.

Around 1589, an English clergyman named William Lee asked Queen Elizabeth I for a patent. He’d invented a machine that could knit stockings, and he was eager to have the royal seal of approval. But when she saw Lee’s device, the Monarch is said to have replied “thou aimest high, Master Lee. Consider thou what this invention could do to my poor subjects. It would assuredly bring to them ruin by depriving them of employment, thus making them beggars.”

While social media can foster connectivity and creativity, it can also be a powerful vector for the spread of false information. In a 2005 survey by the Pew Research Group, only 5% of adults reported using at least one social media platform. By 2021, that number had grown to 72%.

The ancient Romans had a secret weapon. Hidden away in the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill was a collection of oracular pronouncements written in Greek hexametric verse known as the Sibylline Books. In a world that seemed to be governed by unseen and capricious forces, they offered much-needed certainty. The Romans took comfort in the fact that, when things seemed to be going wrong, the Books would show them what they had to do in order to make things better, whether that was establishing a festival in honor of the goddess Flora or burying Greeks and Gauls alive under the forum. For modern content creators, it can feel like we’re in the same boat as the Romans.

YouTube recently wanted me to watch a video about the ancient Egyptian bureaucrat-turned-demigod Imhotep. I knew it was going to be a hot mess from the thumbnail alone. Obviously AI-generated, it made poor Imhotep look like he’d just visited the face-painting booth at the county fair. The actual content, such as it was, featured an artificial voice reading out nonsensical statements like “Imhotep lived in the ancient Egyptian period 267 BCE AD 648” (he actually lived around the 27th century BCE). Unfortunately, schlock like this has become all too common as many creators try to churn out as much content as possible with the least amount of effort. But while the Imhotep video was just cringy, there is a darker side to low-effort content. YouTuber Harry Brewis (aka hbomberguy) recently put out a four-hour video exploring the increasing prevalence of plagiarized content on the platform.

The other day I stumbled upon an interview that POLITICO did with Fr. Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan friar who advises Pope Francis on matters related to artificial intelligence. Until I read that article, I had no idea that the Vatican was paying such close attention to AI. But I’m glad they do because they can offer a unique and valuable perspective that’s often overlooked. Benanti’s core argument is that we need to have “human-centric” AI that operates within carefully prescribed limits. As he told POLITICO, “[s]ome people treat AIs like idols, like oracles, like demigods. The risk is that they delegate critical thinking and decisional power to these machines.”

I recently stumbled upon a video about all the YouTubers who are either quitting the platform entirely, taking an extended hiatus, or pivoting to different types of content. This includes creators like Tom Scott, Matthew Patrick (aka MatPat) of The Game Theorists, and Jordan Maron of Captain Sparklez. While they straddle many different niches, they’ve all been wildly successful–many of them have subscriber counts in the millions. But they’ve ultimately decided that it’s time to move on. But what caught my attention was the fact that many of them said they simply didn’t enjoy the act of creating content like they used to. Or in the words of MatPat, “I miss the days where I could just sit down on the couch with her and play video games and it's not for content, or I'm playing a game and I'm not thinking about what theories are gonna come out of that. I miss it.” This hints at an unpalatable truth of life as a creator: no matter how much you enjoy making your content, that doesn’t mean you’ll live happily ever after.

Last month, I talked about how I came up with my personal brand as a specialist blogger. Today, I’ll be talking about what it’s like to live with that decision. Identifying your brand is only the first step in the process. You need to sustain your brand on a day-to-day basis. This can be challenging when we’re constantly bombarded with unfiltered content, from eccentric relatives ranting about fringe political theories to celebrities who seem determined to prove that they have more money than sense. But if you’re looking to make a name for yourself as an authoritative content creator, you’d be well advised to resist the urge to share whatever crosses your mind and stick to the brand you’ve chosen for yourself.

Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of hand-wringing about the effect of ‘cancel culture.’ Hardly a day goes by without some well-known person or company being excoriated for something they’ve done or said, whether it’s Lizzo being condemned for her alleged treatment of her backup dancers or Bud Light being criticized for working with a trans influencer. It’s easy to be angry on the Internet. Whatever your beliefs, you can find plenty of people who seem to stand against everything you hold dear, and it can feel cathartic to share your rage with the world. For creators, this can be an intimidating environment, and it can feel like you have to walk on eggshells to avoid ending up in the digital pillory. But the good news is that it’s possible to be authentic without constantly having to look over your shoulder.

If you’ve read any advice for content creators, chances are you’ve seen countless discussions about the importance of creating a personal brand. Now the word ‘brand’ may conjure up images of lavish marketing campaigns and influencers hawking their latest merch. But branding doesn’t have to look like that. On the contrary, it’s possible to have a perfectly serviceable brand without those things. In this post, I’m going to talk about my experiences developing my own brand as a specialist blogger.

This post is the third installment in our series aimed at specialist bloggers. In the past two installments, I’ve talked about choosing topics and editing. Today, we’ll be looking at research. This can be a daunting prospect for a lot of creators. Many people have told me they never did open-ended research projects when they were in school. In many cases, they worked with curated lists of sources provided by their instructors. But when they have to scope out sources entirely on their own, they feel more than a little unprepared. Hopefully, by explaining my research process, I can make it a lot less mystifying and intimidating.

The Vicar of Dibley is one of my favorite TV shows. It’s about a female Anglican priest named Geraldine Granger (played by Dawn French) who serves a parish deep in the English countryside. I was recently rewatching “The Christmas Lunch Incident” and there’s a scene where Geraldine is freaking out because it’s Christmas Eve and she still doesn’t have her sermon written. “Right, now some frightening facts,” she says. “It’s the biggest gig of the year. It’s a one-woman show. There’s 12 hours to go. I have no ideas at all.”

This is the second installment of our two-part series on digital communication (you can read part 1 here). In this post, we’ll be looking at challenges in digital communication, its social/emotional aspects, and the importance of being a good digital citizen.

Despite being a fundamental part of human existence, it can be easy to overlook the importance of communicating. After all, it’s all around us, from the fussing of a hungry baby to a billboard selling fulfillment through consumerism. It wasn’t long ago that most of humanity lacked any kind of platform beyond the people in their immediate vicinity. Now, however, many of us are just a few mouse-clicks away from being heard by the whole wide world. But while this affords us a wealth of opportunities, it also requires creators to demonstrate new levels of agility in order to succeed.

An interview with Tanvir Zafar of ATZCrypto.

This is the second part of our series about digital literacy and the mastery of creating content online.

The Agony and the Ecstasy is one of my all-time favorite films. Based on actual events, it’s a lavish period drama about the relationship between Michelangelo Buonarroti (played by Charlton Heston) and Pope Julius II (played by Rex Harrison). Although Michelangelo considers himself a sculptor first and foremost, Julius forces him to paint the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. This conflict highlights a dilemma that has bedeviled creators for centuries. Since they often needed the support of powerful patrons in order to create, the wishes of their patron often took precedence over their own. Thankfully, the digital age has tipped the scales in favor of creators. It’s now easier than ever for creators to produce work that aligns with their distinctive vision, but it also adds new challenges. Content creation in the 21st century requires a solid understanding of digital literacy. This article is the first installment of a two-part series looking at content creation.

The mimic is one of Dungeons & Dragons’ most iconic monsters. They are protean creatures that can take on the appearance of inanimate objects such as chests. If someone unwary attempts to open the chest, it springs to life and attacks. Savvy adventurers learn that not everything is as it seems, and they need to pay careful attention to their surroundings if they hope to avoid an ambush. Alas, the Internet can feel like a dungeon filled to the brim with mimics. Anyone can be taken in by misinformation or disinformation, which is why it’s imperative that we carefully evaluate the information we find online. This is particularly true if you’re an authoritative content creator, as drawing on false information will inevitably erode your credibility.

Whether you’re an influencer or an academic, having a solid online persona is essential. It’s the lens through which your readers will view your work, and just as you wouldn’t show up to a job interview in cutoff shorts and a t-shirt with a dirty joke, you also don’t want your online persona to undermine your credibility. My colleague Jason wrote an article on the subject last month, but today we’re going to look at some specific tips to help you perfect your online persona, including the use of curated pieces of content and the promotion of thought leadership.

In Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, the protagonists visit a monastery with a fabled library that’s reputed to have one of the best collections of books in all of Christendom. However, access to the books is strictly controlled. The library consists of a labyrinth of 56 different rooms. The tomes within are organized according to a complex system based on verses from the Book of Revelation, and the librarian and his assistant are the only ones with the knowledge to navigate it. Even if an outsider managed to sneak inside the library, they’d struggle to find anything specific. Moreover, the library is even rigged with traps to further disorient intruders. Searching the Internet can feel a bit like trying to navigate Eco’s labyrinth, and it can be easy to get waylaid on your quest for knowledge. Today, we’re going to talk about how to find knowledge effectively. This article is the first part of a larger series that aims to help creators level up their content through digital literacy.

The other day, I happened to be taking a virtual stroll through the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I was struck by a statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Horemheb that was carved before he ascended the throne. At the time of its creation in the 14th century BCE, Horemheb, (whose name can also be transliterated as ‘Haremhab’) was a high-ranking military officer, but you’d never guess that from looking at the statue. We might expect to see him depicted as a warrior with weapons at the ready; instead, he’s depicted as a scribe sitting cross-legged on the ground with a papyrus scroll laid across the front of his linen kilt.