The Future of Media: An Interview with Jolie O'Dell

With the rapid evolution of technology and the constantly changing online trends, the future of digital media is about as hard to predict as the weather. But if there was anybody who was experienced and qualified enough to talk about where the digital media industry is headed, it's Jolie O'Dell from VentureBeat.

In a recent interview from San Francisco, Murray Newlands talks to O'Dell about the future of media, what that means, and how to make it work for both the publishers and their readers.

To find out more, watch the full interview below:

These are the key takeaways from the video:

• In the interview, Jolie explains that the biggest challenge that faces digital media publications today is figuring out where the industry is headed and how they can make it an enjoyable experience for the readers, while also maintaining a level of sustainability for journalists and publications.
• Jolie predicts that in the future, users will see fewer advertisements online as a result of their collective backlash, which will not only drive up the price of each individual advertisement, but also make them much more valuable to the advertisers, publishers, and even the end users.
• O'Dell also talks about publications' need to grow their sources of revenue in order to combat the growing ineffectiveness of banner ads and traditional display advertising. Because banner ads will be rendered essentially useless, Jolie expects publications to find alternate sources of funding such as hosting events, creating information or research products, and partnering with other companies which will enable them to focus primarily on content production and a better end user experience.
• When asked about the future of digital content, O'Dell says that she expects it to become more diverse, well-informed, and rich. While she says that there will always be an audience for sites like "BuzzFeed," which she compares to the likes of People Magazine, she says that her wish is that we will one day find content that is similar to National Geographic and The New Yorker online.

If you have any questions after watching the video, please leave them in the comments below!

To find out more about VentureBeat, visit their website at venturebeat.com. Jodie O'Dell will also be speaking at the upcoming PR Summit in San Francisco, for which YourStory is a proud media sponsor.