Borkowski Weekly Media Trends: Boris, Meghan & More
PLUS: Padam Padamania and Reddit Blackout
Mark Borkowski on Boris and the idea of ‘Post-Accountability’
I’ve often been dumbstruck at Boris Johnson’s ability to defy political and reputational gravity.
Finally, his act of auto-defenestration to escape the political lynch mob will bring him back down to earth with an almighty thud. Short term it might feel reassuringly like the natural order of things has been restored: what goes up – eventually- must come down. Actions have consequences. But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s another twist in this tale.
There’s a wishful whisper of ‘ding dong the witch is dead’ in the reaction to Boris’ resignation, just as there is across the pond to Donald Trump’s indictment. But the reality in both cases is a precarious T-junction.
One path is a yellow brick road over the rainbow; Trump convicted, Boris banished, and a total reinvigoration of the standards we expect from authority figures and in public life in general.
The other is a new dystopia I will call Post-Accountability.
Post-Accountability is a state in which a populist figure willing to lie, cheat, obfuscate, shift blame, incite division and wage war on the institutions designed to check their power can survive the consequences of even the most egregious lapse in standards.
Boris and Donald Trump have been working towards Post-Accountability for years; probing and testing the public (and media)’s credulity and gullibility with astonishing success as they rose to power. Both have been caught out but neither has seen their rapacious ambitions receive a fatal blow. Trump is running for the highest office once again and the subtext of Boris’ resignation statement was clear: ‘you haven’t seen the last of me’.
Since it’s unlikely that even Boris will attempt a political comeback this year, Donald Trump bulldozing through his indictment to win the Republican nomination for the 2024 USA Presidential Election would be the White Horse of this particular apocalypse, but an early harbinger was Boris’s appointment as a Daily Mail columnist twelve hours after (this iteration of) his political career came to an end.
Far from his career being over, Boris instantly has an influential national platform on which to practise all the dark arts outlined above – and perhaps even persuade a tribal and impressionable public that he’s deserving of another chance. The plush Mail job has cushioned Boris’ crash landing, and may just become a launchpad for a shocking political comeback that would also signal the dawn of Post-Accountability.
Meghan & Harry Podcancelled
After airing just 12 episodes of the Archetypes podcast, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s lucrative Spotify deal, which is believed to be worth $20 million, has been dropped. Launched in August 2022, the show saw Meghan chat with celebrity guests including Paris Hilton, Serena Williams, Trevor Noah, and Mariah Carey, to delve into the history of stereotypes levelled against women.
But despite securing high-profile figures and winning a top podcast award just six months ago at the People’s Choice Awards, it was reported that the Archewell Media Company did not produce enough content to warrant a full pay out. This is supported by the fact that the last episode to be released was seven months ago, and the decision to pull the plug after one series highlights the challenges of sustaining success in the ever-evolving media landscape.
Not long after relocating to the US and stepping down as working members of the Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess snapped up the Spotify deal as well as a $100 million Netflix contract in quick succession. Even amidst the chaos of the global pandemic they continued to make headlines and even garnered the title for ‘most tweeted-about royals. This initial hype helped to generate press coverage and propel the show, and for a time after the first episode dropped the podcast topped the global podcast charts.
Meghan’s podcasting journey reminds us that creating compelling content is a delicate balance and that high profile guests aren’t a golden ticket to success or guaranteed popularity. Audiences want to hear engaging interviews with guests as well as episodes which allow them to get to know the host, which in this case is the ‘real Meghan’, but building an engaged audience requires consistent creativity, authenticity and adaptability.
As speculation grows to whether the axing is linked to Spotify cutting 200 jobs and restructuring their podcast division, this short-lived multi-million-pound deal should make streaming platforms think differently about the types of agreements they make with celebrities wanting to enter the podcasting realm and to whether they will stand the test of time.
Kylie unleashes Padamania
History has shown that the recipe for creating a viral gay culture moment is nebulous at best and often completely random. One could get close to creating a vaguely dependable but by no means foolproof checklist following the Real Housewives formula: middle aged, rich, and beautiful women, fabulousness, summertime, some flat vocals and 2015-style electronic beat, melting together into an uncanny expression of camp. With an earnest embrace of all of the above, Kylie Minogue struck gold just in time for pride with her new hit ‘Padam Padam’.
The new song came out as the lead single for Kylie’s upcoming album ‘Tension’, along with the music video in which Minogue is clad in an all-red, latex Versace runway look. The word ‘padam’ itself stands for the sound of heartbeat, but the conversational use of the word is more obscure, or flexible. One could say: ‘Padam?’, to which another could answer: ‘Padam.’, to give an example. The impact of the song can be measured by many a Twitter meme and TikTok, but it has surpassed all expectations when Lloyd Russel-Moyle MP referenced it in Parliament. While her new song is enjoying a viral moment, Kylie is benefitting from a refresh of her image and a good dose of interest after her relevance as a contemporary popstar had started to wane. An incredible comeback, whether or not you *really* get the Padam hype.
Reddit Blackout
The 'Reddit Blackout' has caught headlines this week, and if you're a user, there's a high chance it's disrupted your experience. But this has significance for non-users too, so what's Reddit, and why does it matter? Users power Reddit - people worldwide share and discuss literally anything, broken down into forums known as 'subreddits' - online communities with a common thread like r/worldnews, r/movies and even r/showerthoughts.
Recently, Reddit announced changes that angered its vast userbase prompting thousands of community moderators to shut down many subreddits in protest, blocking users from engaging. The protest was initially planned for a few days, but the blackout is still ongoing with no end in sight.
It's a story we've heard before (like Twitter) - charging users for its once-free API, which is how outside apps work with the platform (software talking to software). But why tweak something that works for so many? It comes down to money - these platforms are a boundless well of data, but tech giants struggle to extract money. Tweaking their business model is critical if they want to take these platforms public, which Reddit want to do. But there's also something else going on, and it's related to AI...
With free access to Reddit's API, Bard or OpenAI have a goldmine of data to train language models like ChatGPT, and Reddit wants a cut of this. But many Reddit users argue this is their data too. So how platforms like Reddit monetise invaluable data that fairly compensates users is a fascinating puzzle that will play out with newsgroups. Whilst newspapers won't have a war with their readers (like Reddit), much of the data that makes language models like ChatGPT so powerful is likely powered by data from journalists, media organisations and online news. Can generative AI credit or tag journalists' work, or can media groups agree on a fee?
Trending Social
As Borkowski launches its own social media department (we’re also on TikTok) we have decided also to include a rundown of some of the latest update from the whirlwind world of social media.
Instagram Unveils 'Notes': Share Your Soundtrack with Friends!
Instagram is stepping up its game with the upcoming "Notes" feature. You may have noticed the the new status update, where you can now share what song you’re listening to. Users will be able to attach a 30-second clip of the track to their status update, along with a short caption. Friends can then tap into the song to listen to the snippet. The Notes feature is used way more by teenagers who are “posting Notes at 10 times the rate other users are”, according to Instagram. With popularity among teenagers comes incredible viral potential, so it's no surprise that Meta is embracing the power of Notes.
Big News for Small Creators: YouTube Lowers Monetization Requirements
YouTube is opening up its monetisation program to more creators, lowering the requirements from 1,000 subscribers to 500. This is a big win for smaller creators who have been struggling to make money on the platform. This policy change, effective from July 20th, enables a wider range of content creators to access revenue streams such as ads, Super Chat, Super Stickers, channel memberships, and the YouTube Shorts Fund.
YouTube says that the change is designed to "help more creators make a living on their channels." This change particularly benefits content creators with smaller but engaged audiences, providing them with a path to financial success and growth. Whether it's vlogs, tutorials, gaming, or niche-specific content, creators from various genres and niches stand to benefit from this new monetization policy.
On the other hand, TikTok's monetization policy centres around their Creator Fund, which compensates creators based on the engagement and popularity of their content. TikTok's algorithm-driven platform allows for rapid content discovery and viral potential, which can contribute to increased visibility and potential earnings for creators.
But your content type, target audience, and the creator’s own unique flair all play an important role in the quest for monetization success.