Rishad Patel, Co-founder, Head of Product & Design at Splice Media - Redefining Engagement

🎙️ Journalism is meant to solve a problem. Are you open to a radical change within your news brand?

If so, it is a must that you hear this week's Redefining Engagement chat. Francesca sat down with Rishad Patel, Co-founder of Splice Media, who argues that traditional audience engagement often misses the mark. 🎯

He describes the "journalism industrial complex" as focusing on supply – creating content we deem important, then trying to market it. 📉

Rishad’s counter:

💡 "Why create a need when you can meet a need?"

Key takeaways this week (although we do really recommend you watch the entire episode for a complete mind flip 😉):

1️⃣ Shift from Content-First to Needs-First: "Stop creating product, create less content and focus your efforts… on finding, discovering, asking about user needs." (AND if you are already asking… are you asking questions about them or about yourself?)!
2️⃣ Analytics Aren't Enough: "Google Analytics tells you who came to your shop… It will never tell you what they were looking for. The only way to understand intent is to actually ask."
3️⃣ Beyond the Article: Consider if the article is always the best "unit of engagement." How can we serve individual needs at scale?
4️⃣ Get Microscopic with Research: Small, consistent, in-person interactions to understand real user problems are more valuable than grand content factories built on assumptions.


We know your time is valuable – simply browse the episode chapters below and choose the segments you're most eager to hear.


00:00 Introduction to User-Centric Journalism
02:07 Understanding Audience Engagement
04:54 The Shift from Supply to Demand in Journalism
08:03 Redefining Audience Needs
10:31 The Role of AI in Media Engagement
13:51 Radical Change in Journalism
16:50 Measuring Audience Needs
19:41 Challenges in Understanding Audience Engagement
35:11 Redefining Journalism: A New Perspective
37:44 Understanding User Needs in Newsrooms
40:45 Finding Viability Through Niche Markets
43:48 Surprising Discoveries in Audience Engagement
52:08 The Power of Listening to Your Audience
57:29 Leveraging Technology for Problem Solving
01:03:08 Small Experiments for Big Changes