In this kickoff episode for 2026, Eric Shanfelt runs an “ask me anything” session focused on real-world problems publishers are dealing with right now, including ad strategy, performance, analytics, and the growing impact of bots and AI on measurement.

You will hear practical guidance on whether you should rotate or refresh ads, when AMP still matters (and when it does not), why email click data can be distorted by security bots, and how to think about AI crawlers and AI-driven discovery without losing control of your content. The episode wraps with a clear walkthrough of Core Web Vitals and what typically causes publishers to fail, especially cumulative layout shift from ad rendering.

Resource mentioned:
Google PageSpeed Insights: https://pagespeed.web.dev/

Key topics covered:

• Rotating and refreshing ads: why “more impressions” can create advertiser trust issues and hurt CTR
• AMP today: where it still shows up for some publishers, especially in Google News, and what to do if you do not have it
• Email measurement: how security bots can trigger false clicks and how to interpret click performance
• AI and publishers: indexing, sponsored content considerations, and what “value” looks like from AI surfaces
• GA4 basics that trip up dashboards: active users vs engaged users vs new users
• Core Web Vitals: what they measure, why they matter, and how to reduce cumulative layout shift by reserving fixed ad space

Learn more at https://nearviewmedia.com/

If you are a local or regional publisher, your Google Business Profile is one of the most overlooked assets you have. It is not just a “listing.” It is a credibility signal, a discovery surface in Search and Maps, and a practical way to build trust in your brand, your website, and your audience in Google’s eyes.

In this session, Eric Shanfelt breaks down how Google Business Profiles work for media companies, what matters most inside the profile, and how to turn it into a trust channel, not a set-it-and-forget-it directory entry.

You will learn how to:

• Claim and complete the core business info that Google relies on.
• Choose categories, service areas, and hours in a way that fits publishers.
• Build momentum with photos, reviews, and reputation responses.
• Use Posts and Offers to promote stories and subscription campaigns.
• Embed your Google Business Profile on your site.
• Tie it into your site’s entity signals and schema.

Key links:
https://business.google.com/

Learn more at https://nearviewmedia.com/

AI junk content, Meta’s new AI licensing deals, Google’s latest core update, experimental pay-per-article wallets, and creator-journalists with bigger followings than local newsrooms all collide in this episode of “What’s New in Publishing.”

Eric Shanfelt and Jez Walters unpack how these shifts are reshaping the playing field for news, magazine, B2B, and city/regional publishers, and what practical moves you can make right now.

In this conversation, they dig into:

• The surge of low quality AI content and why platforms should be forced to label and filter it.
• Meta’s AI licensing deals with big legacy brands and what they signal for everyone else.
• The Tow Center’s “AI deals and disputes” tracker and how publishers can use it. https://tow.cjr.org/ai-deals-lawsuits/
• SuperTab’s wallet based, time-boxed access model and where it might actually work.
• The November Google core update, AI overviews, and why generic how-tos are losing out.
• The reality of AI driven subscription pricing versus keeping things simple.
• The rise of creator-journalists like “Cody the weather guy” and what that means for local publishers.

If you run a niche B2B brand, a city or regional publication, or a specialist news site, this episode will help you sort out what actually matters in the current AI and search upheaval and where to focus your effort in the coming year.

Learn more at https://nearviewmedia.com/