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.
In a speech at the annual Foreign Press Association Awards, the Queen condemned the abuse and harassment of female journalists, as well as disinformation, and praised the vital role that journalists play in combatting these issues.
Industry charity, NewstrAid has awarded its second Excellence Award to magazine distributor Marketforce.
The demise of local journalism, the under-reported case of Ujeza Kurmekaj, the over-hyped return of Cameron, Booths supermarkets, French visas, Farage & Dent, Sun’s Zelensky exclusive, press freedom, headline writing 101, Sam Altman and more...
The combined marketing budgets of SMEs is considerable. The challenge for publishers is how to unlock it.
Poool & Mather Economics / Sophi.io say their partnership aims to maximize audience conversion to subscription & membership.
The News Media Association has called on the Welsh Government to keep public notices in local newspapers.
A new era of “co-operation and communication” is required between the police and media following Nicola Bulley review, says Society.
Some of Britain’s best editors, art directors and columnists were crowned last night at the BSME Awards 2023.
How does your publishing business measure up on the key metrics? How does what you are doing compare to the rest of the industry? Are you an outlier or part of the mainstream? Jim Bilton’s new mediafuturesPULSE aims to find out…
Daily Mail has announced the launch of ‘The Crown: Fact or Fiction.’
YouGov/Picnic UX survey shows 70% of people find digital adverts annoying - and that bad user experience is doing real damage to brands.
How do you set your subs budget and plan your marketing activity? According to Atlas’s Abi Spooner, there is a right and a wrong way. The right way is based on lifetime value.
WAN-IFRA welcomes the initiative taken by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to produce ethical guidelines and procedures around AI and Journalism but has elected not to endorse the “Paris Charter” because of specific concerns from news publishers.
Industry charity NewstrAid has announced the launch of a new animated film to help raise awareness about its work.
Guardian documentary Lady of the Gobi, directed by Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig and produced with Petite Maison Production, has won in the Best Short Documentary category at the 2023 Grierson Awards.
