Using finance and data to hold power accountable is important, says Dow Jones CEO

Using a knowledge of finance and data to hold powerful figures to account is still important, said Dow Jones & Co. CEO William Lewis at a talk at City University London.

Amy Borrett of City University writes, “Lewis called on publications to support the ‘risky, heroic work’ of journalists by personalising content, so that they can capture the attention of their readers in a world where they are increasingly distracted.

“‘At Dow Jones, we see the personalisation crisis not as a disaster, but as an exciting opportunity. But I look around at many other news organisations and I do see a disaster in the making,’ said Lewis.

“Dow Jones, whose flagship publication the Wall Street Journal exceeded 2 million digital subscriptions last week, has pioneered this approach by introducing a dynamic paywall. Using algorithms, the platform assesses the reader’s behaviour on the site to determine the number of articles they can access before being asked to subscribe.

“He urged the students in the audience to use the event to “nobble” their prospective employers about what they are doing with data and personalisation, ‘because if they’re not already doing it, it’s too late.”

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