What you need to know
- The New York Times is leaving the Apple News platform.
- The outlet says that it and Apple's strategy did not align.
- Apple News readers will no longer see stories from the newspaper in the app.
Today, The New York Times has announced that it will be abandoning its presence on the Apple News app and instead focus on bringing readers to its own app and website.
Meredith Kopit Levien, chief operating officer of the company, released a memo to employees that said it and Apple's strategy did not align. The newspaper wants readers to use its own website and app rather than external platforms such as Apple News.
"Core to a healthy model between The Times and the platforms is a direct path for sending those readers back into our environments, where we control the presentation of our report, the relationships with our readers and the nature of our business rules ... Our relationship with Apple News does not fit within these parameters."
The Times says that Apple News had given it little control from a business standpoint on growing subscribers, a key focus for the company in its current state. It also cited that Apple News did not provide much in the way of building relationships with its readers.
A spokesperson for Apple downplayed the importance of the newspaper's presence in the News app, saying that the outlet only contributed "a few stories a day".
"(The New York Times) only offered Apple News a few stories a day ... We are also committed to supporting quality journalism through the proven business models of advertising, subscriptions and commerce."
The New York Times is one of the first major media organizations to leave the Apple News platform, which has been struggling to meet the needs of publishers and readers since its launch. Most recently, the head of the service stepped down after an underwhelming start to its Apple News+ premium service.
