I do editing, but half my focus is on business.

As communication methods diversify, the importance of "editing skills"—the ability to process and disseminate information from a unique perspective—continues to grow. A publisher's editor and a Dentsu Inc. planner discuss the secrets behind these "editing skills," revealing their respective perspectives on the subject.

This time, Kenta Ishii, Editor-in-Chief of Kodansha's soccer-focused site " Gekisaka," and Yoshikazu Noguchi, Planning Director at Dentsu Inc. working on sports-related solutions, discuss "editing skills."

Focusing on "Business" to Satisfy Creators

Noguchi: I must confess, I'm a devoted reader of Gekisaka myself (laughs). I was really looking forward to today. To get right to it, could you tell us what you keep in mind when editing?

Ishii: Thank you for reading. Actually, I've spent my entire career in sales dealing with magazine advertisers, and I only became editor-in-chief this April. I have almost no editorial experience. So, I'm a bit nervous about whether I can speak properly on this topic...

However, even so, what I aim for as editor-in-chief is generating revenue as a media outlet. As a web media, the reality is tough when it comes to making profits solely from sales revenue or charging for the content itself. Within that, how can we generate revenue? Can we increase advertising revenue, even just a little, rather than relying solely on the content itself? That's what I'm thinking about. Of course, I do editing, but half my focus is on the business side.

Noguchi: That's really interesting. I definitely think the perspective of "generating revenue" is truly necessary in the coming era.

Ishii: Back when magazines were at their peak, I think it was an era where you could just create something interesting for readers, and the world would follow. In other words, you could compete by charging for the content itself. But now, with web media growing, the times have changed. In the web world, competing through sales revenue has become difficult. It's not a matter of good or bad; it just means you have to generate money from somewhere else, namely advertising, or it becomes tough.

Noguchi: That's something we readers can relate to too. That's precisely why, even as an editor-in-chief, "half your focus is on business."

Ishii: My own identity is rooted in "selling to advertisers." I believe I was placed in this position because that's what's expected of me, so I prioritize it. Beyond that, I also feel it's problematic if creators like writers and photographers can't make a living... Within that context, I want to create an environment where people working here are satisfied. I want young people to join us too. In that sense, I believe generating solid revenue through advertising is a key point of "editorial strength."

What's the purpose of gathering people on the website's top page?

Noguchi: While I agree on the importance of generating revenue, I also feel there's a particular difficulty with that aspect precisely because it's the web. For example, earlier I mentioned "Gekisaka's loyal readers," but when I look at my own smartphone bookmarks, sports summary sites are at the top. Then I read articles via Facebook.
In other words, more often than not, people see the news distributed from the platform itself elsewhere. That's how web articles are consumed now, right?

Ishii: Exactly. Few people enter directly from a site's homepage. The entry points are Yahoo! News, SmartNews, or Twitter timelines. That's the modern context for "articles being read."

Noguchi: That makes it incredibly difficult to establish the kind of media value that drives ad networks – "What is Gekisaka?" "Why should you read Gekisaka?" – or the kind that drives partnerships – "Why should we collaborate with Gekisaka?" In other words, it's not easy to translate that into ad revenue.

Ishii: That's where we really feel the difficulty. Some say "the web homepage is disappearing." Still, I believe there's meaning in gathering people on a homepage. Because the core readers supporting Gekisaka are high school students.

From its launch, Gekisaka was a media outlet dedicated to high school soccer. Back then, there was no other media like it. That remains true today, which is precisely why so many high school students directly visit and read the Gekisaka site. This is a strength other media lack, and it's the aspect advertisers value most highly. It's a crucial part of generating revenue.

Noguchi: You're right, there aren't many media outlets that can reach high school students. I can think of a few free papers, but media that high school students regularly view on their smartphones might be quite valuable.

Ishii: Exactly. For us, high school soccer articles don't generate the highest page views. But when it comes to monetization, high schoolers are the most important audience. Gekisaka's focus on high-quality high school soccer content creates advertising value, which ultimately strengthens our revenue base. That's why I feel building a site's unique identity and drawing people to the homepage is essential for running a web media outlet.

Noguchi: I see. So creating a site's unique identity enhances its advertising value as a web media outlet. And that, in turn, leads to advertising revenue.

Ishii: Exactly. As editor-in-chief, I've experienced that cycle firsthand.

The structure created by including major articles

Noguchi: I understand that Gekisaka's unique focus on high school soccer is key to generating revenue for the web media. That said, you also actively cover news about the Japanese national team and international soccer. What's the strategy behind that?

Ishii: I see it as a matter of "balance." While high school soccer certainly forms the foundation, from a revenue perspective, we must also consider traffic. That inevitably leads to the Japanese national team and international soccer. Therefore, we always include such news in Gekisaka's top slider (the five photo article links displayed at the top of the homepage).

Noguchi: I see. There used to be predictions that the web would rapidly increase media diversity. But in reality, you need to attract a certain level of page views while also covering niche areas. It's about having a portfolio of niche and mainstream content – that balance might be what defines "editing power" these days.

Ishii: Above all, I think it's crucial that high school soccer appears alongside major news in the top slider. For high schoolers, seeing "my article on the top" is exciting, but that excitement comes precisely because it's placed next to major stories like the national team or international soccer. It's like, "Honda, Kagawa, Messi, Ronaldo, and then me!" (laughs). I believe this format fosters aspiration among high schoolers. So incorporating major content is meaningful even for reaching high school audiences.

Noguchi: Thinking about it that way, Gekisaka has this structure connecting high school soccer and the national team—niche and mainstream. It's like a gateway. I believe niches emerge in every era, not just in soccer but everywhere. The people creating that gateway to elevate them into the mainstream are the strong ones, so that structure is great.

Key points for expanding content and sports

Noguchi: When thinking about content, I feel there's a dilemma: you need to nurture the core, but you also need to expand it. You have to create that core of passionate fans, but that alone won't spread it. Yet, if you only focus on expansion, the core won't be nurtured. Hearing what you said earlier, Gekisaka seems to handle this point well. They nurture the core of high school soccer and then expand it towards the national team.

Ishii: Thank you. But that's also a tricky part. Ideally, we'd want to elevate high school soccer itself to a major league status, but it's quite difficult. For example, if we framed it as a "high school youth drama," it might reach a wider audience, but it wouldn't satisfy the core, passionate fans who love high school soccer. Finding that balance is crucial, right?

Noguchi: Trying to expand recklessly risks alienating the core fans. This dilemma of how to expand is probably similar for the J.League too. Each team's supporters are incredibly passionate. But that passion doesn't translate into the kind of widespread appeal seen, say, with Italy's Juventus or Kawasaki Frontale in the J.League's early days. If we could spread that core passion more widely, it would make for a better sport. It's all about finding that balance.

Ishii: Incorporating national team news ties into that, and we also pay attention to overall balance in article style. We need speed-focused breaking news alongside buzz-worthy pieces with catchy headlines for online. But these are "spreading" articles; core fans would find them lacking on their own. We absolutely must also have substantial, in-depth feature pieces.

Thinking about this from the "writer" perspective: breaking news writers tend to be strong if they come from sports newspapers, buzz writers are often digital natives, and feature writers are typically magazine veterans. So, for our staff, we aim for an even balance across these three areas. We really don't want to upset that staffing balance going forward.

Noguchi: That balance might be just right. You can't gain widespread popularity without incorporating what's considered "web-native" or "digital," but depth won't emerge without content that involves taking time to discuss or experience things. That very balance is what defines a web media outlet's editorial strength, isn't it?

Ishii: I agree. That's precisely why we consciously strive to maintain that balance.

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