Newsbreak, SmartNews, Apple News - Feedback + Alternatives?

I work with a few independent publishers, each well-regarded in their niches, generating over 1-2 million pageviews monthly—though numbers have dipped lately.

A big issue this year has been the sharp decline in organic reach on Facebook, which was a major traffic source. This isn’t a new problem, but it’s hit especially hard recently. Even big players with millions of followers are now only getting double or triple-digit likes per post, which is tough.

Rather than dwell on it, I’m looking for new traffic sources. Most of the publishers focus on news (like sports and entertainment), so I’m considering Newsbreak and SmartNews as alternatives.

SmartNews has been effective overall. It provides decent clickthrough to main sites and has good tracking options.

Newsbreak is a bit trickier. One of the platforms is getting traffic from it automatically, but manual submissions for other sites haven’t had any response. Does anyone have experience with how long it takes to get approved on Newsbreak or know of a contact there?

Apple News has mixed reviews from what I’ve heard—lots of high-profile publishers, but the monetization hasn’t been great. I recall trying ad integration a while back, and it came with a lot of restrictions. Any recent changes there that might help with monetization?

Flipboard hasn’t given a great traffic return for us, and we’re already on Google News.

Are there other platforms worth trying? Any lesser-known sources that might help diversify traffic? Would love any tips or feedback!

I contribute on Newsbreak, and while it’s a decent platform, I’m not happy with how it’s managed.

Kayden said:
I contribute on Newsbreak, and while it’s a decent platform, I’m not happy with how it’s managed.

What issues have you had with the management? I’m struggling to get an article approved, even though I’ve included attribution and minimized links to my site.

@Brody
They don’t seem to value contributors much. Many of us helped get them established, but now it feels like they’ve shifted priorities. Unfortunately, it’s a trend in the writing world these days.

@Kayden
Are you still active on Newsbreak? If so, I’d love to ask for some insights!

Have you looked into MSN or Yahoo syndication? We use both and get a steady stream of traffic.

Edgar said:
Have you looked into MSN or Yahoo syndication? We use both and get a steady stream of traffic.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Edgar said:
Have you looked into MSN or Yahoo syndication? We use both and get a steady stream of traffic.

Any tips on applying for Yahoo syndication? I haven’t been able to find a current application form or process.

@Erick
It usually requires the right contacts at Yahoo, depending on your niche.

Edgar said:
@Erick
It usually requires the right contacts at Yahoo, depending on your niche.

I can help with Yahoo syndication. Feel free to DM me your site name, and I’ll check it out.

@Benicio
Can I DM you as well?

I tried signing up for SmartNews, but my feed URL is giving some errors. Any advice on fixing this?

Curious if you’ve found a solution. I’m dealing with similar challenges right now!

Erick said:
Curious if you’ve found a solution. I’m dealing with similar challenges right now!

No major updates so far. I’m still holding out hope that Facebook may eventually support news outlets more directly. I also wonder if Meta might use Threads as a way to give publishers new traffic opportunities.

It’s tough seeing major publishers with huge followings barely getting any engagement on Facebook. That might push more publishers to explore other platforms.

@Alonzo
You seem to know the space well. Mind if I ask you a few questions?

AVA said:
@Alonzo
You seem to know the space well. Mind if I ask you a few questions?

Go for it!

I’ve noticed some improvements over the past couple of months.