Three years ago, disappointed with the legacy media landscape, Kassy Cho started Almost, an Instagram-first news startup focused on young people. The Taipei-based journalist saw an opportunity to deliver news to both Chinese and English audiences who were left underserved -- and ignored -- by mainstream media. In this episode, she spoke to us about the opportunities to serve younger audiences and ways to monetize that. Follow Almost on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/almost.co/Connect with Kassy on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kassycho/

Exile Hub started soon after the coup in Myanmar when hundreds of journalists started flowing across into Thailand for refuge. Exile Hub's multifaceted approach includes psychosocial support, offering shelter and mental health services, as well as personal safety, border safety, and digital safety workshops. At Splice Beta 2023, December Khaing talked about the organisation’s work and the challenges faced by Myanmar’s journalists living in exile. Connect with December on LinkedIn

In response to the rise of fake news on social media, Philippine media startup Probe launched a fact-checking campaign called Tsek/Eks. To engage the younger demographic, they collaborated with influencers, in an initiative that was unheard of in the media space. The fact-checking campaign leaned on Probe's archives, leveraging historical videos to debunk misinformation.At Beta, Jen Aquino, the company’s managing director, talked about how Probe's fact-checking efforts gained recognition, which led to their inclusion as one of the verified fact-check signatories of the International Fact-checking Network in 2020. However, recognizing the limitations of traditional media, Probe expanded its approach by partnering with international media support and collaborating with diverse content creators.Their partnership with Your Tita Baby, a drag queen content creator, highlighted Probe's strategy to involve unconventional voices in the fact-checking campaign. Your Tita Baby emphasized her unique perspective as a Gen Xer with a foot in both the millennial and baby boomer generations. This approach aims to bridge communication gaps and engage a wider audience in discussions about history and politics.More about ProbeConnect with Jen on LinkedInFollow Your Tita Baby on Instagram

TNL MediaGene, formerly the News Lens, is a case study in strategic media company acquisitions. Over the past four and a half years, they executed nine acquisitions — averaging one every six months. Originally focused on independent digital news in Taiwan, they expanded across Asia and recognised the need to pivot as growth plateaued.This led to a transformation into a media group, acquiring smaller verticals and diversifying into MarTech, AdTech, and data analytics. The company now boasts 29 media brands, six offices, and approximately 560 employees, 80% of whom came through acquisitions.With a strategy yielding 50 to 60 million monthly unique readers, monetisation sources include media advertising, data analytics, AI, SaaS, tech services, e-commerce, agency communications, paid events, and memberships. As Joey Chung, the CEO and co-founder explained at Splice Beta 2023, the recent merger with MediaGene, a Japanese digital media player, demonstrates the company's evolution and strategic expansion beyond its Taiwanese roots.1. Strategic Growth Challenges: Joey highlights the challenge of sustaining growth in a small market like Taiwan, especially when catering to a niche audience like news readers. The need to meet investor expectations while preserving the independent media ethos adds complexity to this growth strategy.2. Venture Capital Influence: Early reliance on institutional VC funding forces the media brand to continuously meet growth milestones. Joey emphasises the pressure to demonstrate return on investment, which leads to exploring options like mergers and acquisitions as a strategic move to overcome the limitations of the small local market.3. Pivoting for Sustainability: The realisation that horizontal growth into different content categories might not be financially viable prompts a pivotal shift in strategy. Instead of diversifying content offerings, the focus shifts to regional expansion and internationalisation, acknowledging the limitations of the small market dynamics in the digital media industry.Joey Chung on LinkedInTNL MediageneSplice Beta 2023

In his recent session at Splice Beta 2023, Tanmoy Goswami shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the evolution of his mental health storytelling platform, Sanity by Tanmoy. The article summarizes key points from the transcript, emphasising the challenges and successes in building a unique and impactful venture.Tanmoy begins by recounting the inception of Sanity by Tanmoy, a Substack newsletter born out of a tumultuous period in December 2020. Despite initial skepticism, the platform gained traction as Tanmoy navigated the complexities of mental health reporting, challenging mainstream media's stigmatising approach.The entrepreneur credits the platform's success to strategic timing, the COVID bump, and being a rare voice in mental health from a non-Western perspective. His commitment to user privacy led him to move from Substack to Ghost, where he launched India's first independent mental health storytelling platform.Sanity by Tanmoy operates on a reader-funded model, with Tanmoy rejecting conventional advice columns and focusing on theme-based seasons covering mental health, politics, economics, culture, and tech. Tanmoy emphasises the importance of a personal connection with the audience, acknowledging the significant role played by his supportive community.He discusses the challenges of entrepreneurship in the content creation space, emphasising the financial struggles faced by creators globally. Tanmoy discusses his own sustainability goals, aiming to cover basic expenses while maintaining the platform's dignity.Tanmoy's journey is marked by notable achievements, including a fellowship at Oxford and recognition as an expert in Forbes. He provides valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, cautioning against quitting jobs solely for passion and urging clear understanding of motivation.Tanmoy has a unique approach to success metrics, emphasising the importance of consistency and recognising that people support the creator rather than the product. Tanmoy challenges the notion of the "10,000 true fans" and encourages entrepreneurs to find fulfilment in smaller, dedicated audiences.Tanmoy Goswami on LinkedInSanity by TanmoySplice Beta 2023

We're featuring some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022! What's holding you back from starting a YouTube channel? In this episode, Mongolian creator Anu Harchu explains how you can start a YouTube channel today.Subscribe to Anu on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/AnuHarchuConnect with Anu on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anuharchu/

In December 2022, Colombo-based Himal Southasian appointed Roman Gautam as its chief editor. Six months into the job, he spoke with Splice's Alan Soon and Rishad Patel about how he plans to get the right membership strategy in place for the South Asia region. Read Himal SouthAsianhttps://www.himalmag.com/Follow Roman on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/romangautamLearn about MDIF's Amplify Asia programhttps://www.mdif.org/our-work/initiatives/amplify-asia/Find out more about Splicehttps://www.splicemedia.com/

We're featuring some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022! In this episode, we learn from Jacopo Ottaviani of Code for Africa about how to write an amazing grant application… and what to do when it all goes pear-shaped.Connect with Jacopo on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jacopo-ottaviani/Learn more about Code for Africahttps://github.com/CodeForAfrica/More about Splicehttps://www.splicemedia.com/Join us at the next Splice Betahttp://splicebeta.com/

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. Hear from PumaPodcast's Carl Javier, who spoke about the importance of listening to your audience... but more importantly, what to do when you realize that what you create isn’t what they come to you for. This is an important lesson on how to create true value for your users.Connect with Carl on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/carljoe-javier/Learn more about PumaPodcast and their showshttps://www.pumapodcast.com/Read our audience report for PumaPodcasthttps://www.splicemedia.com/our-work/pumapodcast-audience-study-and-recommendations-reportFind out more about Splice Betahttp://splicebeta.com/

We're putting together some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022. In this pod, meet Koreel Lahiri, the Investment Director for Asia at the Media Development Investment Fund. He talks about how to build a business plan for potential investment, and how to operationalize it.Connect with Koreel on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/koreel/Learn more about MDIF and their workhttps://www.mdif.org/