The newspaper business was built for a world where one product served everyone and advertising paid for most of it. That model has gone. What replaces it is still being worked out title by title, from national groups to weeklies covering a single town.
Reader revenue is the clearest shift. Even Reach, which argued for free access for years, now puts some of its journalism behind a paywall, and the regional titles doing best changed their newsrooms before they asked anyone to pay. Ownership keeps changing too. National World rebuilt local editorships after years of centralisation, and the Observer is being reinvented as a premium print and digital title under new owners.
The strongest publishers understand the difference because they are not trying to be everything to everyone. They are trying to be essential to someone.
Chris Sherrard News media
Local news is where the pressure shows most. Millions of people now live without a dedicated local title, and new reader-funded and membership startups are moving into the gaps. Platforms are pulling back from news at the same time, which leaves trust and a direct relationship with readers as the assets that matter most.
Print hasn't disappeared either. Well-run weeklies still hold on to their readers, with circulation falling slowly while digital audiences grow.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on news media, from reader revenue and newsroom change to ownership, local news and trust, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
Where is the growth opportunity for today’s publishers? Douglas McCabe tracks how the commercial model has evolved over the past fifty years and examines whether a better understanding of what online audiences want, will help drive future growth.
We asked Chris Sherrard, editor-in-chief of The Irish News, what does best practice publishing look like in news media? This is what he said…
After years of resisting paywalls, Reach is now launching them across its titles. But David Higgerson, Reach’s chief content officer, carefully avoided the word ‘U-turn’ when interviewed by Steve Dyson.
It’s one thing to think that readers should pay for your journalism, but the reality is that unless you improve your offering, then you will struggle to start charging for it, as DC Thomson Editor-in-Chief Frank O’Donnell tells Ciar Byrne.
How can you edit a regional newspaper when you never visit the area you’re writing about? By filling it with generic content, an approach that National World’s David Montgomery, the new owner of JPI Media, is rapidly doing away with.
Ray Snoddy talks to Co-CEO Rich Furness about the thinking behind Tortoise Media’s acquisition of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper and about their plans for its future.
What’s the outlook for national news media in 2024? Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, looks ahead.
There is a new generation of entrepreneurs launching local media businesses, bringing with them new ideas on business models and funding. Phil Clark looks at some of the stand-out examples.
With Meta backing away from ‘news’ and AI accelerating the growth of disinformation, we need to redouble our efforts to safeguard access to quality journalism, says News Media Association Chief Executive Owen Meredith.
East Lothian is not just the best place to live – it has the best newsbrand too. Alan Geere heads over the border to find out what’s happening in the world of Scottish weeklies.
The biggest puzzle for publishers today is where to find audiences and how to keep them. How to meet this challenge was the focus of the latest AOP CRUNCH event, writes AOP’s Richard Reeves.
Multi-award-winning journalist John Sweeney has a reputation for passion and persistence, and as result, has found himself on the wrong side of some powerful people in his time. Ray Snoddy meets him.
The global collapse in trust is publishers’ golden opportunity, says James Evelegh.
After years of resisting paywalls, Reach is now launching them across its titles. But David Higgerson, Reach’s chief content officer, carefully avoided the word ‘U-turn’ when interviewed by Steve Dyson.
There was plenty to ponder at the latest ‘AI and the Future of News’ conference, says Alan Geere, including some debate about whether journalists were doing enough to demystify the tech.
In the face of AI disruption, one thing publishers can do to differentiate themselves from the bots, is by creating a sense of community. Phil Clark looks at the way various publishers are approaching the task.
Are you happy with your printer? The Financial Times’ Janet White is happy with Roularta Printing, the Belgium based printer who prints the FT’s portfolio of magazines, including for its UK distribution.
On 9th March, Salvadoran journalist Carlos Dada delivered the 2026 Reuters Memorial Lecture. This is the transcript his talk.
Independent Media appoints Chris Anthony as president, North America.
News UK has announced a new partnership with print distribution company Frontline Group to handle national retail distribution for The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times and TLS.
A new campaign programme aiming to strengthen Britain’s relationship with Europe unveiled to coincide with 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum.
The global winners of the Digital Media Awards 2026 have been honoured at WAN-IFRA's Marseille Congress.
Daily Mail World has passed five million subscribers on YouTube.
The Independent’s Pride List returns for 2026, recognising the year’s standout LGBTQ+ changemakers.
The US president featured prominently in the latest Pulitzer Prizes, with good reason.
