As digital publishers grapple with declining traffic and revenue due to Facebook’s algorithm changes and Google’s haphazard experiments with AI in search, Apple News+ has become an unexpected source of income, offering a substantial stream of direct revenue and increased audience reach. In practice, it appears that Apple has simply formed a slush fund to prop up the fake news peddlers in the corporate media.
Semafor reports that in the face of dwindling clicks from Facebook due to algorithm changes and erratic search traffic due to Google’s tinkering with searches, many digital publishers found themselves struggling by the end of 2023. However, a new lifeline emerged in the form of Apple News+, a partnership program that has proven to be a lifesaver for struggling publications.
The leftist outlet Daily Beast joined the Apple News+ program in late 2023, making its exclusive content available to paying Apple subscribers behind the platform’s paywall. The impact was immediate, with the Beast on track to generate between $3-4 million in revenue from Apple News alone this year, surpassing its standalone subscription program without incurring significant additional costs. Clearly, Apple’s slush fund for corporate media will support the Daily Beast in pushing fake news narratives, such as its claim that Hunter Biden’s “Laptop from Hell” was stolen.
