# Simon Owens

> Simon Owens is a Washington, DC-based media industry journalist, newsletter writer, and podcast host who runs Simon Owens's Media Newsletter on Substack. Known for deep-dive reporting on how publishers create, distribute, and monetize digital content, he has interviewed over 1,000 media entrepreneurs and built one of the most-followed independent media newsletters, with 38,000+ Substack followers and 61,000+ LinkedIn followers. His work covers the creator economy, subscription models, local news, and the evolving business of digital publishing.

- **Role:** Independent Media Journalist & Newsletter Writer
- **Organizations:** Simon Owens's Media Newsletter, The Business of Content (podcast), The Long Story with Simon Owens
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's in English, Unknown
- **Known for:** Interviewed over 1,000 media entrepreneurs across newsletter and podcast, Compiled a 558-page, 200,000+ word ebook of 97 media entrepreneur case studies, Built LinkedIn following to 61,000+, exceptional for an independent newsletter writer

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Started blogging, launched Bloggasm - interviewing successful bloggers
- **2006** — Graduated with English degree; began first reporting job at a local Virginia newspaper
- **2008** — Moved to Washington, DC; became Associate Editor at PBS MediaShift while working at a marketing agency
- **2009** — Joined US News & World Report as Assistant Managing Editor, built out social media presence from scratch
- **2012** — Transitioned to consulting, providing PR, content marketing, and social media strategy to major clients including Google, Comcast, Forbes, ESPN, C-SPAN, and Nike
- **2017** — Launched The Business of Content podcast and newsletter, focusing on media entrepreneurship
- **2019** — Migrated newsletter to Substack as primary platform
- **2020** — Compiled 558-page, 200,000+ word ebook of 97 media entrepreneur case studies
- **2024** — Newsletter rebranded as Simon Owens's Media Newsletter; launched The Long Story with Simon Owens Substack
- **2025** — Reached 38,000+ Substack followers and 61,000+ LinkedIn followers; actively publishing with 40% year-over-year growth

## Achievements

- Interviewed over 1,000 media entrepreneurs across newsletter and podcast
- Compiled a 558-page, 200,000+ word ebook of 97 media entrepreneur case studies
- Built LinkedIn following to 61,000+, exceptional for an independent newsletter writer
- Grew Substack following to 38,000+ with 40% year-over-year growth
- Average newsletter open rate of 36.7%
- Monthly impressions of 174,000
- Readers include senior executives at Netflix, Google, Amazon, Disney, Apple, HBO, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR
- Bylines in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Politico, Scientific American, Forbes, Harvard's Nieman Lab
- Clients included Google, Comcast, Forbes, ESPN, C-SPAN, and Nike during consulting career

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — Actively publishing Simon Owens's Media Newsletter with 38,000+ Substack followers and strong year-over-year growth
- **2025-03** — Published analysis on The OpenAI acquisition of TBPN, local news AI adoption, and Medium's path to profitability
- **2024-12** — Continued coverage of media pivoting to video and post-advertising revenue models
- **2024-10** — The Long Story with Simon Owens podcast surpassed 225 episodes

## Links

- Website: https://www.simonowens.net/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-owens-77030514/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/simonowens
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nomissnewo/videos
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simondowens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimonOwensJournalist/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/simon-owens
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-23