Apple’s App Store Changes ‘Have Been Fantastic,’ Says Substack CEO

Apple’s court-ordered relaxation of controls on its App Store has been “a big win for independent media,” according to Substack’s co-founder and CEO Chris Best. But that’s one of the few positives in the media landscape, where Google’s use of AI-powered search results is hurting publishers’ traffic while advertisers are increasingly shifting their ad spending to social, streaming video and retail platforms.

Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff said that “everyone who shows up in search is getting pushed further down the page by AI summaries.” Bankoff also said that Vox, owner of The Verge, New York magazine and The Cut, had responded to changes in digital media by building up its podcast business. Both Bankoff and Best were speaking on stage at The Information’s Future of Influence event in Los Angeles on Tuesday.